It all happened so fast, our growing relationship, our split for a few days, and then of course the accident, the accident that put everything on pause for us. Alice was in a coma because of that accident, and she was in that accident because of me. I left my gloves at her apartment again, just as I had millions of times before, but this time it did not turn out the same way. I saw her car driving up the hill, and I could feel her smile from that far away. Just as I was about to run to her, the truck came, a big rig who decided he wanted to make a “California” style stop at the sign. Everything slowed down, and then once there was impact I heard her, I heard her cry, and scream, and I heard her walk away in that second, to bad her body didn’t go with her. Her car was totaled and she instantly fell into a coma. It had been exactly 3 weeks since the accident, and every second of every day I was here in this hospital.

Just as I was caressing Alice’s soft cheek, the nurse walked in, ” good morning Ms. Fairbanks”.

I turned around, ” Morning” then I went back to watching my Alice sleep peacefully.

The nurse smiled as she set down the pitcher of water, ” she can hear you, you know?”

I smiled trying to remember Alice’s voice, ” I know”.

The nurse stopped at the door, ” then why is it that, you have been here for 3 weeks, and I have yet to hear you talk to her?”

Dana turned around just as the nurse walked out, thought about what she had said, then faced Alice with a sad smile, ” because I’m too scared to Alice”.

———————-

I was pacing in front of Alice’s door as they changed her clothes for her and cleaned out the tubes that were coming from everywhere it seemed, when Carmen and Shane walked up with flowers and food in hand. Shane immediately engulfed me in a hug without saying a word, and then Carmen hugged me and kissed my forehead, ” Hey Dane, how you holding up?”