Sequel: Running From Lions ›
Coffee Shop Soundtrack
Twenty.
I heard voices, but I couldn’t make out who it was. I couldn’t see anything, just blackness. I felt myself drift in and out of sleep over and over again. More voices.
“What does this mean?” I heard. Blackness. Sleep.
Laughing. Blackness. Sleep.
“I can’t believe this is happening again.” Blackness. Sleep.
It was a repetitive cycle that I didn’t think would ever end. I would live in this world of darkness forever. Until, maybe I wouldn’t.
“Exactly how long has it been now?” A woman’s voice asked?
“Around 98 hours.” I kept hearing this voice before, so familiar.
“Oh my God,” she said. “What’s going to happen?”
“He’ll be fine,” the voice said. Garrett. It was Garrett’s voice. “We won’t know what the damage is until he wakes up.”
Wakes up? Was he talking about me? I opened my eyes, slowly. The light blinded me and I winced a bit, until my vision started to clear and I could see black speckled ceiling tiles and overhead lighting. I turned my head to see Garrett standing with someone at the door. I couldn’t make out the other person.
“Gar” I choked out, trying to say Garrett. I looked down at the IV in my arm and reached to pull it out.
He turned fast. “You’re up,” he said, surprised. He rushed over to me, “John, don’t touch those,” He pushed my arm away from the wires sticking out my arms. “Call his mom and get a nurse, hurry,” he shouted behind him. He grabbed a glass from a table nearby and filled it with water. “Drink this,” he said as he held the glass up to my mouth.
I grabbed the glass from his hand and held it myself. The water felt refreshing and I didn’t even realize how thirsty I was until I was drinking it. I pushed the glass away from me as a nurse came into the room. She started checking my blood pressure among other things. I felt tired. Incredibly tired.
“Ken,” I said, turning to Garrett.
“What?” Garrett asked.
“Makenna, where’s Makenna?”
He shook his head. “She’s not here.”
“Where is she? Why isn’t she here? I need Makenna,” I felt my voice raising. “I want Makenna."
“You want Makenna?”
Garrett and I turned towards the door. Ashlyn was standing in the doorway.
“I’m so stupid,” she said.
“Ash,” Garrett said, “He doesn’t mean it. He’s just out of it.”
“I do mean it,” I said. There was only one person I wanted with me right now.
Ashlyn shook her head and wiped away what I’m assuming were tears. “I called your Mom. She’s on her way.” She left and it was obvious she wasn’t coming back.
“You’re an idiot,” Garrett said. “You’re a fucking idiot.”
“What happened?” I finally asked.
Garrett sat in the chair next to my bed. “Someone found you passed out in the middle of the street around 4am Saturday night,” he said. “Your blood alcohol level was unreasonably high. You’ve been in a coma for that past 4 days due to alcohol poisoning.”
“A coma?” I asked, confused.
“Like I said, you’re a fucking idiot.”
“What about Kenna?” I asked.
“She’s not coming,” he said. “She doesn’t want to see you.”
“Call her.”
“You should probably get some rest,” the nurse said. I forgot she was even in the room. “Why don’t you let him sleep?” She said to Garrett. Although it was less like a question and more like a demand.
He nodded.
“Garrett,” I said before he left, “Call her."
“What does this mean?” I heard. Blackness. Sleep.
Laughing. Blackness. Sleep.
“I can’t believe this is happening again.” Blackness. Sleep.
It was a repetitive cycle that I didn’t think would ever end. I would live in this world of darkness forever. Until, maybe I wouldn’t.
“Exactly how long has it been now?” A woman’s voice asked?
“Around 98 hours.” I kept hearing this voice before, so familiar.
“Oh my God,” she said. “What’s going to happen?”
“He’ll be fine,” the voice said. Garrett. It was Garrett’s voice. “We won’t know what the damage is until he wakes up.”
Wakes up? Was he talking about me? I opened my eyes, slowly. The light blinded me and I winced a bit, until my vision started to clear and I could see black speckled ceiling tiles and overhead lighting. I turned my head to see Garrett standing with someone at the door. I couldn’t make out the other person.
“Gar” I choked out, trying to say Garrett. I looked down at the IV in my arm and reached to pull it out.
He turned fast. “You’re up,” he said, surprised. He rushed over to me, “John, don’t touch those,” He pushed my arm away from the wires sticking out my arms. “Call his mom and get a nurse, hurry,” he shouted behind him. He grabbed a glass from a table nearby and filled it with water. “Drink this,” he said as he held the glass up to my mouth.
I grabbed the glass from his hand and held it myself. The water felt refreshing and I didn’t even realize how thirsty I was until I was drinking it. I pushed the glass away from me as a nurse came into the room. She started checking my blood pressure among other things. I felt tired. Incredibly tired.
“Ken,” I said, turning to Garrett.
“What?” Garrett asked.
“Makenna, where’s Makenna?”
He shook his head. “She’s not here.”
“Where is she? Why isn’t she here? I need Makenna,” I felt my voice raising. “I want Makenna."
“You want Makenna?”
Garrett and I turned towards the door. Ashlyn was standing in the doorway.
“I’m so stupid,” she said.
“Ash,” Garrett said, “He doesn’t mean it. He’s just out of it.”
“I do mean it,” I said. There was only one person I wanted with me right now.
Ashlyn shook her head and wiped away what I’m assuming were tears. “I called your Mom. She’s on her way.” She left and it was obvious she wasn’t coming back.
“You’re an idiot,” Garrett said. “You’re a fucking idiot.”
“What happened?” I finally asked.
Garrett sat in the chair next to my bed. “Someone found you passed out in the middle of the street around 4am Saturday night,” he said. “Your blood alcohol level was unreasonably high. You’ve been in a coma for that past 4 days due to alcohol poisoning.”
“A coma?” I asked, confused.
“Like I said, you’re a fucking idiot.”
“What about Kenna?” I asked.
“She’s not coming,” he said. “She doesn’t want to see you.”
“Call her.”
“You should probably get some rest,” the nurse said. I forgot she was even in the room. “Why don’t you let him sleep?” She said to Garrett. Although it was less like a question and more like a demand.
He nodded.
“Garrett,” I said before he left, “Call her."
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This is a short one, but I'm really happy to hear that some of you guys are still reading this!