I came out of my exhausted slumber a few hours later, wincing at the bright lighting over my head. I couldn’t believe I’d managed to sleep with it, along with the noise coming off the hall. I was still in the waiting room, and it was the dead of night, but some jackass had decided to turn the TV on loudly. The lights were also on, which I didn’t understand, but he seemed happy with the setup so I didn’t ask questions. All I cared about was Alice.

I got up stiffly, with a gigantic crick in my nick and my back hurting like nobody’s business. I gave the other occupant of the waiting room a slight glare which I doubt even registered with him, and headed for the door, feeling the pain in my overtired body with every step I took.

Luckily, one of the nurses saw me wandering around and came over to talk to me, carrying a little container of orange juice and a sandwich. She led me to a chair, and I let her, although I’m sure she must have thought I was closer to my mid-nineties the way I was walking around, disoriented and stiff.

She didn’t seem to think anything of it, though. As she talked I realized that she was probably used to seeing people at less than their best, especially in the middle of the night. I opened the sandwich and the orange juice and ate gratefully as she gave me the rundown on Alice’s condition since I’d fallen asleep. I wasn’t exactly surprised to learn that there had been no changes.

“She’s all right, she just hasn’t come out of the coma yet,” the nurse assured. I probably should have asked her name, but I was simply too tired to give a damn. I appreciated her telling me things and giving me food, but my kids (and Shane) had been right…I was exhausted, and I needed to sleep. Al was still in her coma, and there was nothing I could do for her. Knowing that made me somehow okay with the idea of sleeping, for the first time since we’d come in. I think the nurse sensed it.

“There’s a little room down the hall, close to where Alice is. It’s used by people who are here on a longer-term basis, a kind of more comfortable waiting room. There’s a decent sofa in there, and I can get you a pillow and a blanket if you want to hang out in there instead,” she said gently as my eyelids got heavy again. I wanted to respond, but could barely get up the energy to nod.