Kyle was back in hospital before he got a chance leave. So many machines are attached to him. Dr. Russell tells Toby and I that because he already had a concussion, the hit in the head isn't what caused him to lose consciousness. "His brain has swelled up because of the trauma. His Reticular Activating System has been damaged."
"What does that mean?!"
"It means he's comatose."
"For how long?!" I exclaim.
"Kristen, calm down. Kyle is going to be ok," Toby says and rubs my arms up and down.
"We cannot accurately predict how long he will be in this state," Dr. Russell says.
A strangled gasp escapes me.
"C'mon Kyle. C'mon Kyle," I say and shake his hand. No response.
"Why don't you go home Kris. I'll look after him." Toby says.
"No." I sit down beside Kyle. "I'm staying."
"Ok." Toby gives up. "I'm going to go get you a coffee."
"Don't be gone for long," I whisper.
Toby leaves. Dr. Russell does some more tests and then leaves too. On his way out he adds, "He's young and healthy. I'm sure he'll wake up soon."
Finally, I'm alone with Kyle. I break out in tears all over again. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry. I didn't mean what I said. I love you. I need you. You need to wake up. You need to come back to me. Kyle, baby, please."
Thanks to the coffee Toby gave me, I have the energy to stay up all night and watch Kyle. The next morning, the nurses come in to check him but he has no signs of differentiation. So far, he's not a permanantly damaged. There's still hope.
Toby doesn't stay all day. He goes off to work and comes back with coffee for me. He's not allowed coffee. Which reminds me that he has a doctor's appointment. "Go to your appointment." I mumble blearily.
"It's fine. Why don't you go home and shower and have a rest-"
"No. Go to your appointment."
"Can you call your family please?"
"Go to your appointment."
"Ok. Call your family first." I call my family as he asks and tell Mum that I'm in the hospital for Kyle. I explain as much as I can. Once Toby leaves the room I tell her the rest. I tell her how afraid I was for both myself, and now, for Kyle. She tells me to come home. But I don't want to. I can't let Kyle wake up without me.
I let my head rest beside Kyle's lifeless arm. I must be dreaming now because Kyle has blue eyes and is wearing blue. He doesn't like blue shirts. And he is all healed. He looks funny with blue eyes. I see a mirror. I see myself. A noose drops from the infinite sky above me. A stranger pushes me forward, closer to the rope. Kyle is behind me too, but suddenly his wounds appear and he collapses onto the floor. I scream for him. I'm pushed again towards the rope. The world around me starts to disintegrate. Kyle falls into the abys. I am punched in my stomach till I can't breathe and I'm pushed forward. I scream again.
I'm being shaken. My dream fades away and Toby's worried eyes land on mine. "Kristen, Kristen, it's just a dream." I whimper and then look around. I'm back in the hospital, Kyle is lying in front of me and Toby is standing beside where I am sitting. "It's ok."
"How did you know...?"
"You were screaming."
"Oh. That's embarrassing."
"Don't worry about it. I brought you some dinner."
"It's night time already?"
"You must be starving."
"But it was just midday?"
"Eat." He hands me a bag of MacDonald's.
I stay awake most of the night. I drift in and out of sleep. Kyle's hospital room has its own private bathroom that says 'patients only'. Sierra and Harmony came to visit and brought some clean clothes for me as Toby requested. "Can you please shower." Sierra says.
"You don't want to stink when Kyle wakes up," Harmony says.
"Thanks." I shower in Kyle's personal bathroom even though I'm not supposed to. It feels good to be clean and fresh. I wish I could stay in here longer, even though the place smells like disinfectant.
Sierra and Harmony leave a suitcase full of clothes for me, flowers and cards for Kyle and then bid me goodbye. "Are you sure you don't want us to take you home?" Harmony says.
"I'll be ok." I say. "Thanks for the clean clothes."
They leave. Randy, Emma and Belinda come in next. Randy almost starts crying. Emma leaves a card and Belinda leaves some homemade cookies. She warned me that she isn't a good chef. I tried laughing but all that came out was a husky wheeze. My voice is practically gone, it hurts to speak.
Dylan and Josh visit that night. They put on the soccer game and watch it like Kyle and them had planned to tonight. They talk to him like he's here. They even let him hold the remote. They also offer to take me home but I decline and stay with Kyle the rest of the night. They're such sweet friends.
My eyes water but I don't cry in front of them.
Three days later and he's still unresponsive. Toby comes in and out with food but I barely eat it. The nurses change his drip daily. He looks sick. He looks pale and his cheeks are thinner. Even though it's only a small amount, I can tell he's lost weight. I keep having nightmares about Kyle and that stranger. In every dream, Kyle dies. Every time.
I find myself crying. I think about all the stupid things I said to him. How I never told him I love him. Never.
I wipe my face and have another shower. I've gone through the suitcase Harmony and Sierra left. Lots of little goodies are in there. Smelly soap, blankets, makeup, perfume and deodorant. Even chocolate. But none of it makes me feel happy. I keep feeling like I'm going through a dark tunnel of doom. And every step of the way, the tunnel just gets darker.
I get out of the bathroom just as Toby comes into the room. "How is he?" He asks me.
"No change." I say.
"Aren't you missing uni?"
"Yeah."
"Why don't you go then?"
"I can't leave him."
There's a silence. The nurse comes in to change Kyles drip. When she leaves, she doesn't fix his blanket. Toby and I go to fix it at the same time and run into each other. "Sorry." He says but doesn't move out of the way. I look down at Kyle and hold his hand. "Kristen..."
"What's wrong?"
"You're look really bad."
"Excuse me?"
"You're a mess. Have you eaten at all today?"
"I'm fine, really."
"No you're not."
"Toby, I'm not in the mood to talk about this right now."
"Kyle isn't going anywhere."
I flinch.
"I'm only saying this because I care about you," he says, gently. His hand reaches up to my chin and softly guides my gaze off Kyle, to him.
"I know. I'm sorry."
He drops his hand. "Will you come down to the cafeteria with me? You can have some dinner. It'll only take twenty minutes."
"What if he wakes up?"
"Then you're only three floors away."
I take a deep breath and nod my head.
We go down to the cafeteria together and for twenty minutes, I feel at ease. Toby distracts me by cracking stupid jokes and filling me with ice-cream. We leave eventually. My concept of time is so disorientated. Even though it was twenty minutes, it felt like the whole time I was in auto-mode. Like I was a robot and some invisible pilot was taking control of me.
Toby stops me just before we get into Kyle's room. "I know you're worried about Kyle."
"Of course I am."
"So am I. But you need to take care of yourself."
"I am taking care of myself. Why do you keep bringing this up? I just ate with you, didn't I?"
"Kristen..." He shakes his head exasperatedly. "I care about you."
"I care about you too."
He shakes his head again like I don't understand English.
"No, I mean..." He struggles to find the right words, "I have feelings for you."
"You-you what?" I do a double take.
"At first I was just trying to bug Kyle... but I don't know. Something changed. You're so kind and sincere and beautiful and pure... I need that. You're everything that I need."
"What are you saying? Have you gone insane?"
"No-"
"How could you do this to your cousin?"
"I didn't mean for it to happen. Kristen, believe me, I would never want this to happen."
"But it did! There are so many girls out there. I'm Kyle's."
"I know. I know. I just needed you to know."
"I think you should leave."
"Kris-"
"I love Kyle. I'm in love with your cousin. Don't make this any harder than it already is."
"I'm sorry Kristen. I wish it didn't have to be this way." He exhales and goes to the elevator.
When I make my way into the hospital room, Kyle hasn't moved from where he was before. What a shock. I try not to think about what Toby said. Did he mean it? He's lost his mind if he does. He just misses Gracie and I remind him of her. I don't know. There must be an explanation. But right now I really don't care about that. All I want is for Kyle to wake up.
I fall asleep on Kyles arm again and don't have a nightmare for once. My back aches when I wake up. I've slept on a chair one time too many. I look up to see Kyle's eyes shut, as always. I turn on the TV to his favourite channel. He doesn't watch much TV but when he does he watches cartoons. He's such a man-child. I miss him.
I look over to see him lying peacefully. But then he flinches. He squeezes his eyes shut tightly. Then he opens them. I must be dreaming. His perfect green eyes are almost like lights shining in the darkness.
"Kyle?"
He doesn't speak. He looks around the room like he doesn't know where he is. I start explaining quickly so he doesn't get a fright. "You got hit in the head and you're in hospital. But you're ok. You don't have to speak. Just rest." He moves his mouth but no words come out. "I'm going to get you a doctor, ok? I'll be right back."
I'm beyond ecstatic. I've never been more relieved and happy and excited.
He's awake.
He's alive.
I rush to the desk where the nurses are and demand to see Dr. Russell as Kyle has awaken from his coma. Then I sprint back to Kyle. He hasn't moved. He looks around the room again confusedly. Dr. Russell appears and does some tests on him. "He's going to be ok." He tells me and I start crying tears of joy. Call me whatever you want. I'm relieved.
It takes a month for Kyle to fully recover from the coma. It only took him an hour to start talking though. And he did not stop.
I keep telling him how much I love him and how much he means to me. He says it to me all the time. I'll never get sick of it.
I love him and I will forever. I'm obsessed.
The end.
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2021 update - If u feel like something was missing from "Obsessed", comment a scene that you wish happened in the story. I may even sneak it into the book or add a bonus chapter ;)
If you are reading this, I just want to let you know that it means so much to me that you've come this far. Kristen and Kyle have gone through a lot together and their journey has finally ended.
I hope you enjoyed reading Obsessed.
Thanks so much.
Love from Aurora
© 2016 Irini S