Thunder
clasped and a strike of lightning collapsed down Clover Point Road in
Emeryville. Traffic of colored cars piled up in the street as they desperately
raced the storming winds.
Jade rode in their gray car with her
mother, clinging tight on the car door. She sat on the passenger seat, fighting
the urge to look back at her hometown being torn bit by bit by the storm. She
stared in her lap for a moment, refusing to imagine what will happen next.
Feeling her neck ache a little, she
lifted her head to see the blue pick-up truck just a few centimeters ahead of
them despite its fast pace.
They were violating all the speed limits
set for safety but, this time, the police didn’t care. In fact they too were
exceeding the limit for their own safety.
Jade looked at her mom who was busy with
the road. She was too in depth that Jade didn’t want to bother her.
She turned her head towards the window
to see the sight of a wheat field being destroyed by the fury of the storm. A
streak of light went down startling Jade as she blinked a few times to see that
a fire was burning the field now.
She looked back at her mother who seemed
to have witnessed what has happened too but didn’t want to say anything.
Just then, a bolt of lightning struck
the truck in front of them, setting it to fire. The truck spun around as it
moved closer and closer towards them in a fast motion. It was all too quick for
Jade, but her mother was faster.
She turned left to avoid colliding with
the pick-up truck. Jade’s mother then realized that they weren’t the only ones
in the road. They were coming towards a yellow cab that was right beside them.
Jade instinctively shut her eyes closed.
Then, she felt a bump making her thrash her whole body towards the dashboard,
head first. Jade didn’t open her
aqua-blue eyes anymore. She couldn’t move. Her dizziness swooped in and
darkness swallowed everything whole.
Jade and her mother crashed.
* * * Weeks Later * * *
Catherine’s
POV
Ow……I
whined making some heads turn towards my direction. I smiled awkwardly at them
and was glad that they turned their head back. My hands-involuntarily-reached
up to my wound even if the doctors have repeatedly told me that I shouldn’t be
touching it.
I pushed on it gently but began to
regret my decision when it stung. I winced as I instantly pulled my hand back.
I then checked my watch and it read, 9:45.
It’s been 2 hours, is something wrong?
The pathetic side of me squeaked. Of course something is wrong, what did you
expect. After a car crash everything would be alright? I reasoned to myself but
I still couldn’t help but look at the hallway where Doctor Santiago
disappeared.
Other people were also waiting down the
hall, others tearing up beside their doctor. Somehow I can picture myself in a
flood of tears too when Jade’s doctor comes back.
What
are you saying Catherine, nothing’s gonna happen to Jade…I hope.
Just then, Doctor Santiago’s face came
into view and I immediately stood up in impatience. I smiled at him but he
didn’t return the gesture. He handed me a folder of papers but I didn’t open it
up.
“Please doc, tell me. Is my daughter
okay?” I said eagerly. He sighed and made me sit back on my chair. He sat next
to me and gulped. “Jade has no broken bones or has any serious injuries.” I
sighed in relief as the doctor said the words.
“Mrs. Fox, Jade is a strong and brave
girl, she’ll overcome this.” The doctor added making me confused. “I thought
you said Jade is physically fine.”
He sighed once more, “Mrs. Fox, your
daughter is in a coma.” I froze. My eyes widened as I tried to wall up my
tears. “What?” I blurted out, not caring of the people’s stares.
“Mrs. Fox calm down please. It’s not a
direct hit so it isn’t severe.” I almost scoffed at his words. How could a coma not be severe? I
whined, mentally this time. “She’ll be back in 5 years.”
I stood up, furious. “You say that
Doctor as if 5 years isn’t a long time.” I said, evenly but I was still showing
signs of anger. “Mrs. Fox, if you want your daughter back, you have to put up
an effort.”
I was insulted. Does Doctor Santiago
think I’m not a good mom? Perhaps not a good driver but I’ll have him know I am
a great mother. “I’ll do everything.” I said with difficulty. At that moment I
just wanted to crumple this doctor till his face looks like an old man’s.
“Good.” He nodded for me to follow him.
I went to walk beside him as he continued to explain Jade’s condition. “Coma,
when a person can’t see, smell, move, talk, feels a little bit but can hear
clearly.”
I noticed him side-eye me, pausing. “You
need to offer her a lot of time so that you can talk to her. Talking to
comatose patients decrease their sleeping time.” He winced when I glared at
him.
Then, he stopped his tracks and I realized
that we have arrived.
I opened the door with a loud creak and
saw my precious daughter lying on a bed, her eyes shut. I went to her side and
held her hand and with my best non-croaky voice, I talked to her.
******
Jade’s
POV
I heard a loud creak, the door opened
once more. But who could it be? Is it the doctor? He went to my side and I felt
my hand touch a smooth skin, that’s when I realized, this definitely wasn’t
Doctor Santiago.
“Honey?” A female voice said, obviously
she had been crying. Her voice was all cracked despite her attempts to hide it.
It’s not when she talked some more when it hit me.
Mom!? She’s alive!
rltc
Posts
