The noise was the first thing I noticed. The steady beeping of something that worked my consciousness to the surface. Doot, doot, doot, doot. My eyes opened a crack to a blurry world. I saw shapes and colours. The colours were mostly whites and pale blues. Doot, Doot, Doot, Doot. What was that awful noise? I asked myself but all that came out was a mumble. I whited my eyes as much as i could and raised shaky hands up to wipe my eyes. As if some kind of film fell off or moved, I don't know. When I opened my eyes again I saw scars covering my hands. Like a combination of road burn and the scratches from running through rose bushes at full speed. The Beeping quickened with my breathing and heartbeat. I took another look around the room to see a chair in the corner, a small table of plushies, candies and an uninviting backlog of school work. The last one was probably my best friend, she'd hate for something to cause my grades to suffer. Beside me were machines: a heart monitor, respirator that looked like it had recently been unhooked and prepped to be cleaned. I was in a hospital? but … wasn't I just in a car with my family?
With my shaky hands I managed to press the red call button. My eyes were drawn to the sliding door that led into my room. Curtains covered the view of the outside and into the hospital, Making it impossible for me to tell what time it was. As I watched my eyes grew heavy again. It took a gentle shake on my shoulder for my eyes to open again. There was a nurse with a folder in his hands that looked relieved. A sad smile crossed his dark and handsome features.
"Rowan? Or do you prefer Roy?" He asked in a voice that rumbled like a soft storm. His eyes were the next thing that I took in. They were warm like cocoa on a winter's night. I didn't quite understand why I was feeling so… weird towards this man. I had a girlfriend and I didn't like men.
"Roy…" speaking felt like sandpaper and spices. "Is my…" I took a laboured breath. "family okay?" I finally managed to ask.
He was writing patient notes when I asked that. The pen stopped and he placed the folder down on the small table that was in the room."Forgive me for answering your question with a question… what is the last thing you remember?"
I closed my eyes to focus. "We were on our way home from our annual vacation at the lake, we have a cabin up there... Then I woke up here… all these scars… on my hands and arms… did some kind… of accident… happen?" My voice felt tired as if I had just said a ten minute speech or read a few chapters to my younger brothers.
"And you have no memory of what happened after the drive?" the warm thunder in his voice had gone cold.
My eyes lowered to my hands. This was very bad. All these scars… What happened must have been bad and the fact that he wasn't giving me a straight answer felt like a deflection tactic that new authors used online in fandoms. "Sir…" my voice strained to even sound serious. "What happened…. to my family?" He looked at me for what felt like minutes but only amounted to half of one. The nurse's eye held a small story that remained untold as his pager went off. He checked it and then made his way to the door without another word. "N-nurse… I need to know!" My voice was like a silent scream that nobody but my growing sense of grief could hear.
Almost an hour passed before another nurse entered with a tray of food. She was an older silver haired woman. She held herself as if she had the authority to be the mother of god and tell him what to do. "Eat what you can."
"What about… my..."
She cut me off. "None of that now. You've been in a coma for 43 days. you don't need to tire out your voice asking a question that I and my nurses can't answer. Focus on eating, reading those get well soon cards and maybe touch up on your school work… Detectives should arrive in a few days to speak with you and that is all you need to know… no we don't know where your phone is. Your best friend dropped off her old phone but the detectives have it until they can question you." her voice was more commanding than stern. Was what happened really that bad? "Are there any questions that I can answer?"
"Um…" I took a moment to think. "How long does… rehabilitation take… and you know… the control of… down there… to come… back" I coughed dryly.
"Rehabilitation for you will only take a month or two… at most it should be a half year. The red button there will call a nurse in for help, do not abuse it." I watched her leave the room after that. When the sliding glass door opened I saw an officer nod to the older nurse before the door was closed once more.
I was cut off from the world again. The room's light was cold and empty. I ate a few bites of food that had no flavour. The get well soon notes were too far away to manage. Soon my thoughts drifted off to detectives. Their involvement meant that someone probably died and since the nurses couldn't answer my questions… I can only assume that the worst has happened.