Chapter
13
A Serialized Story of the
Not So Distant Future
March 23, 2005
Part Three
The next day, was the longest of Sam's life. It wasn't all bad, but it was difficult and painful. His morning began with the removal of his feeding tube, and a test by the Speech Therapist. (At least SHE was hot!) Sam thought as she spoon fed him applesauce and Cream of Wheat.
He had a choking fit when he tried to drink some regular milk, apparently his throat muscles had atrophied a bit over the years. His jaw hurt when he tried to chew anything as well, particularly on the side where the feeding tube had been. The therapist put him on pureed foods and honey thickened liquids, Sam almost wished he had the feeding tube back.
Next he had his session with the physical therapist, who was a really upbeat guy named Jose. Jose let it slip that Sam had been in a coma for ten years, that information alone, almost made the pain of trying to move worth it. Just moving his limbs had been agony, but the good news was that Sam appeared to have full motor function, he just needed to slowly rebuild his muscles.
When Sam returned to his bed, the exertion of physical therapy caused him to fall in a deep sleep. He was awakened by the sound of his mother screaming.
"NURSE! He's going back into a coma, DO SOMETHING!"
"What, Mom I was trying to sleep."
The nurse came into the room, this was a large African American woman named Evelyn, she warned Mrs. Quinn that if she continued to disturb the other patients, she would have to leave.
"Oh thank God," Mrs. Quinn said, ignoring the nurse. "I was afraid
you had left me again, the doctor said it could happen."
"Mom, where's Gaby?" Sam asked. Now that the feeding tube was out,
she couldn't dodge his questions anymore.
Mrs. Quinn stared for a moment, not sure how to answer. "Sam, you've
been sick for a long time."
"Yeah Mom, I know it's been ten years."
"How did you..."
"Never mind that, I want to know about Gaby, did she find someone
else?"
"Oh no." Mrs. Quinn said, and then caught herself, remembering what
the doctor said.
"Then what mom? I've got to know!"
"I, I can't." She said, tears welling up in her eyes. "I've got to
talk to your doctor."
She rushed out of the room, leaving Sam alone with this latest revelation. Was she dead? No, she couldn't be. Maybe she joined a convent or a cult or something, or went away to school somewhere.
Mrs. Quinn returned a few minutes later, looking a little more relieved. "I'm sorry Sam, but your doctor had told us not to tell you anything of what's happened. He said it would be better if you could remember things yourself."
"If I've been in a coma the last ten years, how am I supposed to remember anything? Whatever Gaby's been doing the last ten years I couldn't possibly... unless... Oh shit, Mom please not that.
Mrs. Quinn started crying again, "Ok Sam, I can't do this. Ten years ago you were in a car accident. Some drugged up idiot got on the parkway going in the wrong direction, he caused a six car pile up. They said that your car flipped over as you swerved to avoid him, the car rolled, and Gaby...." she broked down crying again.
Sam was devastated. Dead? Gaby was dead? She was the love of his life, how could she be gone! He felt tears flowing down his eyes, he was actually glad his Mom was crying as well right now. Eventually, they worked their way down to silent sobs, Sam didn't want to say or do anything, he didn't even want to exist anymore.
Unfortunately, Dr. Weiss came in wanting to run some tests. "How are
you doing Sam?"
"Lousy." Sam said, "I just found out that the girl I love is dead."
Dr. Weiss looked sober, "I'm truly sorry Sam, I can come back later
if you'd like."
"No, let's just do it, but then I want some answers."
"Fair enough." Dr. Weiss said.
Sam spent the next hour and a half reading flash cards, identifying pictures, recalling details of his life and performing other simple tasks which everyone takes for granted. Dr. Weiss determined that Sam had suffered no neurological damage from his ordeal, and that he would be able to go home in a few days, and just come back for physical therapy.
In return, Sam learned that it was May 15, 2015, which made him thirty years old. He also discovered to his dismay that the shock of the accident had turned his hair totally white. To his own eyes, he looked more like 60 than 30.
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