The Great Awakening

Mia sat cross-legged in the plastic chair that was caddy-cornered in the desolate hospital room. It reeked of sterilized bed linens and citrus-scented bathroom cleaner. The scent was foreign to her; it’d never entered her nostrils until the accident and since then she’d grown used to it. She’d also grown used to the sleepless nights, tearstained cheeks and sympathetic eyes. It wasn’t a place for someone like Mia. It wasn’t a place for anyone, really.

A quiet sigh fell from her lips and evaporated into the air. It was the only sound she’d heard for hours. The constant beeping of Kevin’s monitors didn’t bother her anymore; she used to watch them religiously, making sure not one vital sign was off-centre. Once she was able to sleep without having some outlandish nightmare, all of her worries were replaced temporarily. She felt foolish for worrying so much but if anything more happened to Kevin she would surely fall apart.

She dropped her pencil in the crease of her composition book. Kevin’s mother had bought it for her from the hospital gift shop to keep her busy. Art was never Mia’s passion; she’d decided to take up photography so she could specialize in action sports. That way she wouldn’t have to risk getting fired for all of the traveling she did with Kevin. She’d never envisioned herself as a photographer but the field treated her well and supplied a comfortable living. Beyond all of that, it meant she didn’t have to stay plastered in Norwich all of her life.

The sheets on Kevin’s bed began to rustle and Mia’s eyes immediately glued themselves to his unconscious form. His eyes fluttered open and he laughed at her. “You’re still here?”

Mia rolled her eyes and began scribbling things down in her book. “I’m always here. I don’t know why you always ask me that.”

Kevin shrugged and pushed the blankets off of his legs. He hadn’t regained full mobility and function of his legs and had to use a walker to get around. Mia offered to help him about; it was the only way the hospital would allow her to stay there after visiting hours.

“Stop being so stubborn and let me help you, Kevin,” she scolded.

Most of the time Kevin only obliged to make her happy. He knew she was doing her best to cope with his situation but it frustrated them both. He didn’t like being waited on hand and foot; he didn’t like having to rely on someone just to use the bathroom. As much as she denied it, he knew Mia was growing tired of taking care of him. Not that she minded doing it or didn’t want to, she just wanted things to go back to normal. It was more wishful thinking than anything.

“I have to use the bathroom, Mi. I don’t think you want to go in there with me, do you?” Kevin asked shortly. Her face fell and he mentally scolded himself for hurting her feelings. “I’m sorry, it’s just frustrating.”

Mia stayed quiet. Her head was telling her to leave, to make Kevin realize all she did for him. It was like all of her good deeds went unnoticed. He never thanked her; half of the time she didn’t know whether or not he’d remember her when he woke up. Sometimes it felt like he didn’t and he’d just gotten so used to her being there that he dealt with it. But she knew those thoughts were meaningless; she was too important to him to forget. In her heart she knew she couldn’t leave. The hospital was haunting enough; she wouldn’t make him stay there alone. The company of a stranger was more comforting than being lonely.

Mia’s life was falling apart. She never could’ve imagined spending months in a hospital while her best friend, whom she loved more than anyone, struggled to wake up every morning. She never thought she’d end up a photographer, chasing her best friend’s dream, never her own. She never thought Salt Lake City would become her second home. She’d gotten used to the constant packing and unpacking, new countries and the views of mountain peaks from her bedroom windows.

Kevin, on the other hand, was taking life one day at a time. He was grateful to be alive. He’d survived a fall that others probably wouldn’t have. He had the unconditional love and support of his family and friends. His best friend hadn’t left his side for more than five minutes since he’d gotten hurt. The what-if’s and should-have’s had ran through his head too many times and he was sick and tired of thinking about what could’ve happened had he landed that run.

Kevin retreated back to his bed with the help of his friend. Mia on the edge and stared into the hallway of the hospital which was in direct view from where she was seated. There was a blank stare on her face, almost sad. Kevin didn’t think much of it right then; visiting hours were approaching and she was always much happier when she had company... when she was around people who could go out and do things with her and weren’t limited to a hospital.

For all of the time she spent glued to Kevin’s side, she wasn’t very acquainted with his group of friends. She knew of them, met some of them a few times, but it was never anything that went beyond acquaintances. Many people showed up to the hospital but the company began thinning out due to the Olympics. Mia never talked about them to Kevin; he’d gotten hurt during Olympic training and she knew it absolutely killed him to not be there.

A nurse came in and asked Kevin how he was doing. His answers were always robotic; “I’ve definitely been better” he’d say and he’d throw in an airy laugh for effect. She checked his vitals and asked if there was anything she could do for him. He shook his hand and thanked her; Mia felt twangs of jealousy but she ignored them. He was only being polite.

A few hours passed between the friends and neither of them spoke a word. It was the first time in their fifteen years of friendship that they simply didn’t know what to talk about. Fifteen years worth of conversations would lead one to believe that topics got repeated, they’d heard the same thing a few times, but that wasn’t the case. Fifteen years and they never got bored of just sitting around and talking to one another.

Mia left the room to find the cafeteria. Her stomach had began grumbling hours ago but she didn’t want to leave Kevin until he’d fallen asleep. The few hours a day he spent sleeping was the only time he could pretend that his life wasn’t reality; his situation was only real when he was awake.

Mia was jolted from her thoughts as she ran into someone’s chest. She groaned inwardly; she wasn’t a particularly tall girl and she’d gotten used to being eye-level with the decals of someone’s shirt. “Sorry,” she apologized.

“Don’t worry about it,” the stranger replied. She finally looked the mysterious person in the face and was pleasantly surprised.

She’d know those brown eyes anywhere.