"So does that mean she's waking up?" I asked excitedly.
Another doctor replied, "We cannot say when she will wake up. That is now up to her body and how it responds to the trauma. If you guys go in there, since the tube is out, no gowns or gloves are necessary. Her central line is still in and so are the tubes in her body, so don't be alarmed when you go back in. The nurse is still watching her around the clock. We will come back and check her in a few hours unless we get called back here before that." "Thank you." Elena said hopeful but sad.
"I know this is hard right now and it's a waiting game. But, talk to her. She may or may not hear you but talk to her, touch her, hug her. She most certainly has improved. There is hope." He said while giving us a small smile and walking to the nurse’s station.
Elena opens the door and Emma and I follow. Emma sat on a chair at the foot of her bed, I sat on a chair next to her, Elena on the other side doing the same. We just sat there in silence all looking for the slightest twitch or hearing the smallest voice.
"I'm going to go for a walk to the cafeteria. Do you both want to come?" Elena asked while standing up and giving Anastasia a kiss on the cheek.
"I am going to stay here with her." I told her.
"I will come for a walk with you and we will get you something too." Emma stood up and looked at me while walking with Elena.
"No guys I'm…"
"Yeah yeah yeah. You're fine. We get it but we are getting you something to eat and you will eat it whether you like it or not." Emma said rolling her eyes while shutting the door behind her.
Anastasia POV
It's black. It's a black hole of nothing. I don't know how long, but I've been searching for a way out. I think I'm walking in circles or maybe this is just all there is. I see a white dot in the distance and the more I walk, the closer it gets. I'm cold. I don't know what happened. I was with Paul… then I heard him yell and I saw a car coming toward us. After that, I don't know. Am I dead? Is this what heaven is really like? I mean come on… all life and a lot of bullshit, but then you get pitch black and a small white dot for an afterlife?
Mom? Travis? Emma? I wish I could see them.
I notice that the dot is getting bigger so I decide to try and run to it.
Beeping? Is that a beeping noise?
I step through the white dot at the end of this pitch black tunnel and I come to a type of white fog. I can't see anything but I can hear.
"Anastasia? I hope you can hear me but it's been too long. I just need to see you smile and those beautiful eyes of yours."
Travis? I can't see him but I can hear him throughout the fog.
"Here Travis, you have to eat something." Emma?
"I got you a water too."
Mom? Mommy?
I'm here.
The fog clears up and I can see them from above. I'm looking down at them surrounding… me?
"I love you honey." Mom said while kissing my forehead.
I love you too mommy. Can you hear me?
Mom? Can you hear me? Emma? Travis? Can you hear me? They all stared down at my body. I'm over here.
"We're going to go out here with the nurse so you can be with her alone." Travis said to my mom as they all stepped out.
My mom pulled her chair closer to the bed where I was laying and she held on to my hand.
"Sweetie? I keep waiting for a reply but I don't know when or if I will get one." I am replying. I can hear you mom. "I need you to come back to me, you hear me now? You are all I have in this world and without you, I am nothing. I'm scared Anastasia. I am so scared. I cannot lose my only good thing in life." I see tears fall from her face as I feel tears fall down mine. I want to give her a long and tight hug. I really need one. Don't be scared. I'm right here. "You're my life. You are so loved by us so we need you here. I never knew how someone can cause such a perfect impact on your life. I didn't know what love was until I held you in my arms when you took your first breath. I am not ready for you to take your last. Please come back to me." Why can't you hear me? How can I come back? "I need you. Don't leave me here all alone. Please come back to me." Mom. Mommy I'm here. I'm with you. I don't want to leave you. I fell to my knees. I'm here mom. Why can't you see me? Come on. Look at me. Please look at me. Hear me. Feel me. Help me. Please help me. "Come home honey." She sobbed. I am home.
I'm with you. I want to come back.
Mom?
Mom?
I felt my head start to pound as I felt like I was falling.
"M…"
"Baby, Anastasia. Did you say something? Sweetie if you can hear me, squeeze my hand."
I felt her hand but I don't know how t…
"Ma…"
Why can't I just talk?
"I'm right here Ana, wake up for me sweetie. Please open your eyes."
I felt sore. My body hurt. My head hurts. I feel like I can't open my eyes. They are too heavy. I could move them.
I felt my eyes slightly open, but they shut again. I can't hold them open.
"Oh my god… Sweetie I'll be right back."
No mom… don't leave me. Where are you going?
"Are you sure Miss. Reilly?" Who's that?
"Yes I am. Her hand squeezed mine a little bit, she tried to say mom and her eyes fluttered open for a second and then closed." You're back.
"Maa…" I tried to open my eyes again.
"Anastasia? Can you hear me?" a man said while holding my hand. I tried to squeeze it. "She squeezed my hand. It was faint but it was there. Page the two other doctors on her case please."
"She's waking up?" She sounded excited. "Yes Miss. Reilly. It seems as though she is." I felt a kiss on my forehead.
"Let's see what’s going on?" Who's that? "We are going to shut the lights off and use a night light near her bed to see if she can open her eyes with less light inside the room."
"Anastasia?" Who are all these people? "Try to open your eyes for us. You're safe and your mom is right next to you holding your hand. Try to open your eyes."
I tried so hard. Anastasia just open your eyes. I want to see my mom. Come on. I can do this.
My eyes fluttered open...
Chapter 34
Travis POV
"I still don't understand how Darcy would know you would go to Anastasia's house. It's hours away and she drove there with a letter for you to read when you got there." Emma said confused as we were sitting on a bench outside of the hospital. We decided to get some fresh air and talk about what's going on.
"I don't know. I've never seen her or met her until Anastasia and I went out to breakfast." I said leaning back and running my hands through my hair.
"I knew that bitch was up to no good." She muttered under her breath.
"Do you think this is all her fault Emma?" I started getting angry.
"Travis, Darcy is a lot of things annoying, but she isn't smart and she’s especially not smart enough to do something like this." She shook her head looking in front of her. Thinking to herself.
"What?" I asked her as I sat up and rested my hands on my knees.
"I don’t know… Maybe I'm wrong or call me stupid but when she first met Anastasia in the library… She…" she said shaking her head and furrowing her eyebrows.
"She what Emma?" I stared at her intensively.
"The first time Ana met her, we were in the library studying and she was eating chips and we talked about her stupid fashion sense but I got up and started walking to the door and I heard her." She looked at me confused.
"Heard her say what?" I raised my eyebrows.
"Ana said "We'll, I'll see you around Darcy" and we both thought her response was weird and eerie… Darcy replied with "More than you know."" Emma then looked at me. "She knew… she fucking knew." She stood up.
"She knew what?" I stayed seated.
"That she was going to do this Travis! She fucking knew!" People turned their heads and looked at us giving dirty looks.
"Emma shh… This is my hospital." I shook my he
ad.
"Oh pipe down and sit tight Travis. Says the one who flings shit around in their office and screams in the hallways but hey it's "my hospital"." She used her hand as quotation marks while mocking me.
My phone started ringing so I pulled it out of my pocket and it read 'Elena'. I hurried to answer.
"Elena?"
"Travis?" She was crying. "Come here."
I stood up and started running, with Emma trying to catch up to me.
"Travis what happened!" She yelled from behind me.
"She was crying!" I flung open the stairway door and started running up the stairs as fast as I could. As Emma caught up to me, we both ran in the hallway to Anastasia's room.
I didn't knock or say anything. We just stormed in.
"What's wrong? What happened?" There were doctors everywhere and I couldn't see her.
One of the doctors turned around and looked at me, while backing away from the bed. "Mr. Coleman... She's awake."
I had no words. I couldn't form words. Neither could Emma.
My legs felt like jelly and I was frozen but my legs were moving towards her bed. When I got to her bed after the doctors and nurses all moved, I saw her. I saw Anastasia.
She was still lying flat on the bed. She still looked pale. Her hair was just like it was… Beautifully placed around her shoulders. She looked exactly the same. The only difference was…
Her beautiful green eyes were in view as I looked down at her.
"She has to lay like this for a few days so she cannot sit up yet." One of the doctors behind me said.
"Anastasia." I said in awe as I leaned over the bed so I can look her in the eyes... Her eyes slowly moved to me. "Anastasia…" I started crying. "You're awake... You're awake." I leaned down and kissed her on the forehead while holding her hand.
"Tr…" she tried to say.
"It's okay baby. You don't have to say anything. Just look at me and squeeze my hand." I told her as I cried more. She squeezed my hand. I let the tears fall.
I sat on the bed with her as the doctors and nurses went out of the room. I laid down on the bed near her with my arm above her head looking down at her.
I saw her try to give me a little smile as she looked up at me.
"I love you so much Anastasia." I cried while kissing her cheek. She squeezed my hand and I squeezed back gently. Her hands felt so soft and fragile. I was afraid I'd break them with even the slightest squeeze. Her cheeks are more hollowed than before because she lost weight and her face was even paler, if that was possible for her fair skin. But her eyes... her eyes stayed the same. Still those beautiful bright glistening green eyes that I've yearned to see for the past 12 days. Anastasia is back. My baby is back. She's back.
"Sss..." She looked at me as a tear ran down the side of her eye. I wiped it away and kissed her forehead.
Anastasia POV
"Sss…" Why can’t I talk? My mouth won't move. I'm trying here. I can't talk. Why can't I talk? Why can't I move? I felt a tear and Travis wiped it away.
My eyes are so tired. I need to shut them… sleep. I need sleep. I took one last look into Travis's eyes and I drifted off to sleep.
Travis POV
"How long did they say she will be like this?" I asked Elena. Emma was sitting next to her and I was on the other side of Anastasia, still holding her hand. After she fell asleep, I climbed out of her bed and sat near her so I could give her time to rest.
"They aren't sure yet. She could be better tomorrow or she could be better next week. They said it's going to take a little bit of time to get her to communicate with us." Elena said while looking at Anastasia who looks peaceful while sleeping.
"How is she tired?" Emma asked confused. "She's been sleeping for 12 days."
Elena looked at Emma and laughed a little bit.
"I think it's safe to say that we can laugh now. Look at her. She woke up." Elena said to us smiling.
Emma and I smiled with her.
"Elena… we um… we have to talk." I looked at Emma then back at her.
"Yes we do" Emma agreed with me.
"About what?" She asked confused.
"The accident…" Emma said to her.
"We think we know who did it. Intentionally I think… No I know intentionally." I rambled.
"So someone really did do this to Anastasia on purpose?" She said slowly while shaking her head. "No, but how can they? No."
"Yes and we know who too." Emma nodded sympathetically.
"Who? How? Why would they do this? How could they do this?" She asked.
"We aren't sure." I said to her while pulling out my wallet and handing her the note to read.
"Oh my…Where was this note?" She looked up to me with tears in her eyes.
"Your house." Emma told her while rubbing her back.
"My house? What do you mean my house? This diner girl was at my house?" She asked me. Her voice was shaky and she was scared.
"Yes and they somehow knew I'd go there and when I walked into your house, I stepped on it. She slipped it under your front door." I shook my head.
"Do you know this girl? Do you know who this girl is?" She looked back and forth between Emma and me.
"I didn't… Until Anastasia introduced me to her at the diner but Emma-"
"I went to school with her." She finished my sentence.
"Who is she?" Elena asked.
"Darcy... Darcy Hides." Emma told her taking a deep breath.
"If she lays a hand on my baby… I will kill this son of a bitch. She will never see daylight again after I get done with her." Elena told us. Our eyes widened in shock as she said that.
"What do we do?" Emma asked us sounding defeated.
"Go to the cops should be the number one thing." I told them.
"Travis. She knows where Elena and Anastasia live. How does she know that? Travis, how did she know you were even going there?" Emma asked.
"I'd like to know the answers too which is why we need to go to the cops with this letter and the things we know. They already know it was a white car. They may be able to find proof of the accident being her fault if the car traces back to her." I told them while standing up.
"Elena stay here with Anastasia and Emma come with me. We will be back as soon as we tell them." I nodded and walked to Elena and gave her a hug and kiss. Then I walked to Anastasia and bent down and gave her a kiss on her forehead and stroked her hair with my hand.
"We'll be back." Emma told Elena as we both walked out of the hospital room.
Chapter 35
"Mr. Coleman, what can I do for you?" One of the detectives on Anastasia's case asked.
"I know who did it." I rushed out.
"We know who did it." Emma corrected rolling her eyes.
"Please come in here and have a seat." He said while motioning us in his office and shutting the door behind him. "How do you know who did this? We don't have any leads, we can't find the car, no witnesses, no plates, just a white car that we know of." He told us while sitting down in his chair.
"Here, look at this." I told him while taking the note out of my wallet and handing it to him.
He studied it closely and looked at us.
"Who is this girl from the diner and where did you find this note?" He asked while getting up and photocopying it.
"Darcy… Darcy Hides." Emma spoke up.
"I will look into it and see what I can find. I'm going to put this in evidence and keep in touch." He told us.
"Okay, detective." I said shaking his hand.
"Really though… make sure you look into her." Emma told him.
"We will." He assured her.
"No like really look into her. She's a real-"
"He gets it." I cut her off before she could say anything else.
"I'm ser-"
"Have a good day, detective." I cut her off again while gently pushing her out the door. As the door shut behind us, "you really need to learn to keep your mouth shut."
"Like you weren't thinking
the sa-"
"Yes but-"
"Stop cutting me off and let me finish a god damn sentence... fuck." She looked at me angrily.
"You know, you remind me of my little sister. She was beautiful and I miss her so much… but when I was little, she used to annoy me just like you are right now." I rolled my eyes while walking out of the station.
"Aw! Thank you, but you're a real a-"
"Yeah yeah… now get in the car." I cut her off again while opening my car door.
"UGH!" She's pissed and I just laughed it off.
We finally made it back to the hospital and we couldn't wait to get back to Anastasia. We opened the doors to her room and everything was still the same. She was still the same.
"Hey baby" I smiled down at her and she just looked at me and tried to give me a small smile. "I love you so much." I squeezed her hand and she squeezed back.
Anastasia POV
"Hey baby" he smiled down at me. I tried to give him a small smile but I was too weak. "I love you so much." He squeezed my hand and I tried my hardest to squeeze it back.
"I-" why can't I talk? "L…L…L…" I give up.
"I know you do Anastasia." He smiled and bent down to give me a kiss on my forehead. His lips are so warm.
I'm so cold.
"C..co.." I shivered.
"Are you cold baby?" I squeezed his hand.
"I'm going to get some heated blankets from the nurses. I'll be right back honey." My mom said while stepping outside.
"I'll come with you." Emma told her and they both walked out.
"T… tr…" I tried.
He leaned over so I could see him.
"Let's try it slowly Anastasia, okay? Don't try too hard. Just take it easy and slowly and see if you can do this." I squeezed his hand. "Follow my lips." His lips. I love his lips.
"I" he said.
"I... I…"
"That's good baby, that's really good. Now let's try... love."
Eyes For You (Chasing Tomorrow Book 1) Page 18