Chapter 20

Aj sat in the waiting room with Anne and Kevin sitting beside him.  Jerald and Tim were there as well but they weren’t talking to him at all.  Kevin said they were at the house when they got home.  They were all waiting for Chelsea’s Doctor to return to let them know if he was going to wake her up.  He slowly stretched his legs out; they were a little stiff since he had already been sitting for about an hour.  Carefully he stood up and felt a hand on his arm.

“You ok?” Kevin asked.

“Yeah man, just need to get up and walk around.” Aj replied with a light smile.  Kevin nodded back at him and then he made his way over to the large windows that looked out over the City.  He could see the golf course in the distance and found himself wanting to play a round, help take his mind off everything.

“Ok.” A man said from behind him and he quickly turned around and saw everyone standing up as Chelsea’s doctor walked in.

“How is she, did the swelling go down?” Kevin asked as Aj walked up to him and Anne.

“Yes, the swelling has receded.” He said with a nod as Aj and everyone else exhaled in relief. “And everything looks good to wake her up.”

“Can we be with her when you do?” Anne asked.

“Yes but there will only be room for two of you while we wake her up.”

“Mom and Kevin should go.” Tim said

“Actually Alex can go with Kevin.” Anne said as Aj looked at her a little shocked.

“Mom.” Jerald said but she stopped him.

“Chelsea would want him there.” She said to him and his brother.

“Can we go now?” Kevin asked.

“Yes follow me.” The Doctor told him.  Aj looked at Anne and she lightly smiled at him when they walked out of the room.

“Don’t mind them, they’re playing dad’s part cause he’s not here.” Kevin said as the two walked down the hall behind the Doctor.

“Yeah.” Aj said with a light smile.  “It’s ok, but your mom didn’t have to do that, I could have waited.”

“Bullshit.” Kevin said under his breath when they stopped behind the Doctor as he stopped to talk to a nurse.  “Besides, Mom is right Chels would want you there.”  Aj lightly smiled as they watched the nurse walk into a room.  He looked in before she closed the door and he saw her, Chelsea laying on the bed.  Tubes and wires scattered across her body, and her head was wrapped in a bandage and a respirator tube pushed air into her lungs.  Aj closed his eyes as the door closed over her.  He took a deep breath and calmed his feelings. 

“Alright follow me.” The Doctor said as he closed his clip board and walked them into the room.  “Don’t be alarmed by the respirator, it’s for her safety, her breathing while in the coma is very shallow and we will take her off it when she wakes up.” He told them as Aj stared at the tube coming from her mouth.  “What we are going to do is stop the flow of Anesthesia; it will take a couple of hours for it to leave her system to the point where she can wake up on her own.” The Doctor told them.  “There is a chance she could wake up right away but it is very unlikely.”

“Ok.” Kevin said with a nod.

The two stood at the side of her bed as the nurse took one of the IV bags off the IV stand.  They watched as the Doctor looked at the monitor, checked her pulse and wrote something down in his clip board.  A couple of minutes later after the nurses had adjusted the monitors and some of the monitoring patches on her chest and head they left the room.

“Like I said it will most likely take a couple of hours but it’s good to have family around when she does. She will probably panic a little because of the respirator so try to get her calm as soon as possible and tell her to just relax and let it breath for her.” The Doctor told them.  “There will be nurses coming in every half hour to check on her, I’ll be back in an hour, if she wakes up then come and get the nurse.”  He said to them as he walked over to the door.

“Family can come and see her but not too many in the room please, in case we need to get in.” The Doctor said.

“In case?” Kevin asked.

“Her body or brain might not react well to her waking up, there might be something we’re missing.  We will know when she wakes up.” He told them.

“Alright.” Kevin said with a nod and Aj could tell it made Kevin worry as much as it made him worry.  Aj sat down in the chair that was behind him and he looked at Kevin.  He stood over her bed staring at her. 

“What’s up?” Aj asked as his voice made Kevin turn and look at him.

“Just thinking.” Kevin said as he looked back at Chelsea, then he sat down in the chair beside Aj. 

“Thinking, it really is over rated.” Aj sighed.  Kevin looked at him and then started laughing a little.

“I was just thinking about what has happened in the past month.  First she was gone, never coming back, then she was back right there in front of us, and then she was almost gone again.”

“I know.” Aj said as he looked at her.  She looked like she was in a deep sleep, guess she kind of was.  Her face looked sunken and pail, it was hard to see with the tube in the way.

 “You should have seen her when we got back to the house and saw the broken window.  She took off for the front porch without thinking, I almost didn’t catch her and when I did it took everything I had to hold on to her.”

“Freaked her out huh?” Aj said as he looked back to Kevin.

“Freaked ain’t the word man.” Kevin said lightly shaking his head.  “She was terrified Alex, she knew about everything that could happen to you and she played it all out in her head in about thirty seconds.”  Aj sighed lightly as he rubbed his hand over his mouth.  “This is more than what her Doctor was talking about, the Love Therapy it’s more than that. She needs you and she needs whatever it is that you two have.”

Aj was about to say something when there was a knock at the door.  The two guys looked to the solid wooden door and saw Anne walk into the room.  She frowned when she looked at Chelsea.

“The Doctor said it might take a couple of hours.” Kevin said as he stood up and walked over to her.

“I know.” She said with a light smile.  “I just came to let you know we’re going to get something to eat, did you two want to come?”

“Sure, I could use something.” Kevin said with a nod. “Alex?”

“Naw” Aj said shaking his head.  “I’m good.”

“You’ve been eating hospital food, you gotta want something.” Kevin said as Aj looked over at Chelsea.  “Ok.” Kevin said catching the point even though Aj didn’t really make one.  “But when I get back, you’re going down to the café and getting something.”

“Ok.” Aj said with a light smile as Kevin reached for the door.  “If Ma is there tell her to go to ok?”

“Sure.” Kevin nodded and then he closed the door.

Aj sat back in his chair; he exhaled as he ran his hands through his hair and looked at Chelsea. He watched as her chest went up and then down.  He listened as a high beep went off and then another beep, the sound of the respirator pump pushing the air into the tube, and the clicking sound it made after each time it refilled with air. The sounds were almost hypnotic and he found his eyes getting heavy. He closed them for a moment and when he opened them again he saw Kevin and Anne sitting on the other side of the room talking.

“Hey you’re awake.” He heard Kevin say as he sat up rubbing his eyes.

“Huh?” Aj said confused as he looked around. 

“We came back from eating and you were sleeping been out for a couple of hours.” Kevin said as Aj realized he had a blanket and pillow with him.

“I don’t even remember closing my eyes.” Aj said as he sat up.  He then remembered Chelsea and looked over at her.

“She’s still out.” Kevin said as he looked back at him.  “Should be soon though, we were going to wake in you in a half hour anyways.”

“Your Mom is out in the waiting room if you want to go see her.” Anne said as Aj lightly smile.

“You’re food is out there too, not allowed eating in here.” Kevin told him.

“I can wait.” Aj said as he adjusted himself in the chair.

“Aj” Kevin said and he looked at him.  “Go eat.” He took a deep breath and nodded.

“Alright” He sighed as he stood up and set the blanket on the bed.

“Don’t worry if she flinches we’ll come get you.” Kevin told him as he walked him to the door.  Aj lightly smiled as he left the room and headed down to the waiting area.  When he walked in he saw Kris, his Mom, Tony, Brian, Tim and Jerald all sitting around the room.

“Is she awake?” Kristin asked when she saw Aj walk out.

“No” Aj said shaking his head.  “I just came out to get something to eat.”

“Kevin said you were sleeping.” Denise said as she handed him his box of food when he sat down beside her. 

“Yeah, must of passed out in the chair after you guys left.” He said with a light smile.  When he open the box lid the aroma of the food hit his nose and even though it was almost cold it still smelled a hundred times better than the shit he was eating at the hospital.

“I’ll grab you a Dew.” Tony said as Aj started eating.

“Thanks Dad.” Aj nodded with a mouthful of food.

“Did you talk to the police yet?” Kristin asked as she sat down beside him.

“Yeah, there were waiting for me at my room last night.” Aj said with a nod.

“What did they want to know?” Brian asked.

“What happened at the house, at the cabin we were in, what I remembered about Chelsea showing up.” Aj said as he took another mouthful of food.  When he finished that bite Tony came over with his soda and he took a break from eating and opened the can.  Aj sat there quietly eating his food and drinking his Mountain Dew as everyone else around him talked.  He didn’t pay much attention to the conversations his mind busy with thoughts of Chelsea. 

“Well I better get back.” Aj said as he stood up.

“We’ll be here.” Denise smiled at him and he smiled back at her.  He walked down the hall back towards Chelsea’s room and he looked up when he heard a door open.  He saw Kevin walk out of Chelsea’s room and look down the hall and then he looked down the other way towards Aj.

“Hey.” Kevin nodded.  “She’s waking up.”

“Seriously.” Aj said as he started to rush down the hall faster.

“I’m going to grab the nurse or Doctor, whatever.” Kevin said as he kept walking down the hall.  Aj opened the door and walked into the room, he saw Anne standing at Chelsea’s bedside.  Anne looked at him and then gently waved him over.  He walked over to her bedside but she didn’t look awake.

“She’s moving around.” Anne said as she looked at Aj.  He looked back at Chelsea and this time he too saw her move.  She moaned as her hand slowly lifted from the bed, her eyes fluttered a little and she reached for the tube.  Aj quickly took her hand and her eyes opened a little wider.  She started choking a bit and again reached for the respirator.

“Relax.” Aj said to her as he stopped her from taking the tube. She looked at him confused; her eyes were still a little dazed.  “It’s ok Chelsea you just gotta let it do the breathing for you, just relax sweetheart.”  Her eyes closed and then a moment later opened back up again.  She tried saying something, it was muffled and he saw that it hurt her a little but he had a feeling he knew what she said.

“I’m fine, I’m fine.” Aj said with a light smile on his face.  “You on the other hand have some serious explaining to do.” He said with a sarcastic tone.  Her eyes fluttered a little and he could just make out the smile behind the tube and tape.

The door opened and Aj and Anne turned to see who was coming in.  It was the Doctor and Kevin; he was followed by Kristin, Jerald and Tim.  Everyone took a spot in the room making sure not to crowd her.

“I am going to ask you some questions Chelsea blink once for yes and twice for no ok?”  Aj looked at her as she blinked once.  “We’ll take the tube out as soon as we make sure your lungs are strong enough ok?” Chelsea blinked again. “ok.” The Doctor smiled.  Aj stood there holding her hand as she answered the Doctors questions.  How she was feeling, did her head hurt, was the pain sharp or throbbing or even both and he checked to see if she could wiggle her fingers and toes.

Aj let go of her hand and took a step back from the bed as a nurse came over to him.  They were getting ready to take out the respirator tube.  He looked at the door wondering if he should leave with everyone else.  Looking back at her he saw her staring at him, he looked in her eyes and he saw how scared she was.

“Alex you coming?” Kevin said standing at the door.

“No” He said to Kevin as he shook his head.

“Ok” Kevin nodded and then closed the door behind him.

“Chelsea I’m going to sit you up you’re going to feel some pressure on your chest if it starts to hurt let me know alright?” The nurse said to her, Chelsea lightly nodded and the nurse softly smiled at her.  Aj didn’t really know what he was doing; he hated needles, hospitals and all of that, it made him light headed and woozy.  He knew how they took the tubes out, he had seen it on those reality hospital shows but she needed him and some how he found it in him to be there.  He held her hand and helped her sit up, he coached her as she breathed out and the Doctor removed the tube. He kept her calm as she choked and gasp for air as her real breath escaped from her lungs and returned.

“Just relax for a few minutes and try not to talk too much; I’ll have the nurse bring you some juice.” The Doctor said with a light smile as a nurse tucked a pillow behind Chelsea. When the Doctor left it was just them, no nurses, no family, just the two of them.

Aj felt something touch his pinky and he looked down at his hand.  He saw three fingers lightly wrapped around the smallest of his fingers and he looked at Chelsea.  Her head was wrapped in a bandage and she looked half out of it. Sliding his fingers through hers he sat down on the edge of the bed.  He looked at her fingers, then back at her as he brought them to his lips and gently kissed them.  Then without giving it another thought he leaned in and kissed her.  He kissed her like he did when they were sixteen and he didn’t care that the nurse, Kevin, Anne or even Kevin’s brothers could walk in at any moment.

            “What were you thinking?” Aj asked as he pulled away but only a little bit.

“That I wasn’t going to let him take you away from me too.” She said as a tear dripped from his eye.  He looked at her and lightly smiled then gently kissed her forehead.

“How did you get there so fast?” He wondered.

“The back roads, Kevin and I use to ride the dirt bikes down them all the time.” She said as the door opened.

“Well there’s a sight for sore eyes.” Kevin said as he walked into the room.  Aj stood up and let the family in.  Everyone was still there and even his Mom had joined them.  As Anne walked over and hugged Chelsea, Aj sat down in the chair by the bed.  He looked down at his fingers and noticed the black nail polish was almost gone.  Looking up Chelsea caught his eye and he saw a small smile on her face.

“I love you.” He mouthed as they looked at each other.  She didn’t say anything but she blinked, once.