“Hi,” I say meekly as we wrap our arms each other. I sit back down by Melody as Sammy takes the chair on the other side. I lift my eyes to Mia who sits directly across from me. Chase’s arm wraps protectively around her. With his head leaning against her temple, I can tell he is whispering something but I hear nothing. Her tired eyes are focused directly on me filled with worry about how I am handling all this.
I lean back and close my eyes and let the events of the last several hours flood through me. I grip the arms of my chair as visions of Mark and Andrew’s accident flash into my mind. It’s all I have seen and relived so painfully since I hung up on Rachel but I can’t stop them. Sobs break through me again but I can’t stop the memories and terror I felt not too long ago. I fall forward into Mia’s arms. “I can’t do this again. Mark…”
“Zack isn’t Mark,” she whispers to me assuredly. “This is different, Nic. Just keep telling yourself. This is different. He’ll be okay.”
Jake moves his arm and rests it strongly across my shoulders. I don’t move from either of them. They love me, like I love Zack and I don’t want to turn away from the warmth and comfort their arms provide me. All conversation stops as we sit huddled in the stark white waiting room sitting in uncomfortable plastic chairs. You’d really think hospitals would at least make these rooms comfortable for the scared and tired people who spent so many hours in them. They remind me of the uncomfortable plastic egg chair in Zack’s studio lounge room and I choke back another sob as I remember everything that happened that day. The day he asked me to move in with him.
Time seems to stop while we wait for news. I peer at the clock at one point and see that it is after ten at night, midnight for me, with the time change. I should be exhausted, but I feel nothing. When I look at the clock again, thinking hours have passed, it pisses me off to realize it has only been five minutes. I’m anxious for the doctor to come back in. I won’t leave until I hear an update from him. I’m actually not leaving until Zack comes home, but I’m certainly not leaving this little pathetic waiting room until I hear something. Anything.
Finally, I hear the door open and a man wearing a long white coat steps in solemnly. Melody stands up and steels herself for any news this man has for her; for us. He briefly glances around the rest of room, until his eyes focus on Melody and now Sammy, who stands next to her mom. She reaches down and grabs onto mine as well giving it a tight squeeze. Mia is still on her knees in front of me holding on to my waist while Jake’s arm tightens around my shoulder. I don’t know if it’s for my comfort or his, but either way, I need it.
“Ms. Walters,” the doctor begins in an even-tone, almost sounding bored. “We reviewed Zack’s tests from earlier.”
I brace myself for the news unable to take my eyes off the man in front of us.
“So far, we haven’t been able to find anything that would indicate he’ll have any permanent damage. However, there is still some swelling. We’ll slowly taper him off his medication over the next few days if the swelling decreases as we anticipate.”
“When will he wake up?” Melody asks.
“That will all depend on him and how fast his body recovers once he’s off the medicine, propofol. It could be anywhere between 48 hours and up to two weeks.” I can’t contain the gasp that leaves my throat. Zack in a coma for two weeks?
“Can I see him?” I ask quietly.
The doctor turns to me, perhaps surprised that someone else has spoken.
He begins to shake his head. “I’m sorry. Only family is allowed right now.”
“She is family.” Sammy’s quiet but fierce voice brings a solemn grin to my face. Her hand grips mine more tightly as I look to her. They think of me as family and it is a wonderful feeling. The doctor considers Sammy’s request but looks doubtful. Regardless of whether or not he believes her, he slowly nods his head. “Only for five minutes; and then no visitors until tomorrow. He’s in room