by Astor, Marie
“I’m sorry; I didn’t realize what time it was.” Maggie absent-mindedly glanced at her watch: it was almost eight o’clock. “I was hoping that Taylor would hear me talking to him,” she added hesitantly, fearing Dr. Evans’s skeptical reaction to her words.
To her surprise, Dr. Evans nodded in agreement as he opened the door of his office for her, motioning for her to take a seat. “Very little is known about coma: despite all the research and all the data, it is still a mystery, and while we claim to understand the medical reasons that cause it, there is yet much to be said about what actually takes place in the human mind in this state. The truth is,” Dr. Evans paused, “that we do not really know. Each case is different, and while as a doctor I turn to scientific data for answers, it would be arrogant of me to rule out other possibilities. There have been cases where patients woke up from a coma after hearing the voices of their loved ones and while many in my profession would argue that such incidents were mere coincidence, I will say that it is too arrogant of them to make such assumptions. Hope is vital in situations like these, so if you feel that you can help Taylor by talking to him, I can only encourage it.”
“I hope that he will hear me and come back to us soon,” said Maggie as she took a seat on a narrow chair across from Dr. Evans’s desk. Then, after a moment’s hesitation, her lips trembling despite her efforts to remain calm, she asked the question she both dreaded and yearned to know the answer to, “What are his chances for recovery?”
“Taylor sustained a very serious brain injury.” Dr. Evans held out the CAT scan images from Taylor’s chart, explaining the details of Taylor’s injury to Maggie. “The fact that Taylor is able to breathe without a respirator indicates good prospects for recovery, but while we hope for the best, we should not presume anything just yet, as it is still unclear how long the recovery might take.”
Something in his tone told Maggie that there were things that he was omitting. “Is there anything unusual in there?” she asked, pointing at the CT image.
“Compared to the image of two days ago, the swelling has decreased significantly, which is a very promising sign. I’ve sent the CT images to several of my colleagues who are leading experts in brain trauma and they agreed with my assessment: there is no medical reason for Taylor not to regain consciousness, but there is only so much that science can explain.”
Maggie nodded, both relieved and frightened by what she had heard. While it was reassuring to know that Taylor’s prospects for recovery were promising, it was unsettling to hear that the expected recovery had not yet begun to take place. What was it that kept Taylor locked in that suspended, borderline state? Why did he linger in some dark, unknown realm instead of fighting to come back?
She bit her lips angrily, feeling helpless anger mounting up inside her. Part of her wanted to race back to Taylor’s bed and pound on his chest, screaming for him to wake up. She took a deep breath, pushing away her futile frustration: she had no right to be angry with Taylor because she had no idea what he was going through. At this very moment, he could be fighting for his life, struggling to escape from the snares of dark oblivion. What if he did not make it? No, the thought was too terrible to consider. She had to believe that Taylor would come back to her.
“Maggie?” Dr. Evans eyed her with concern. “You must be really tired. I understand that you’ve traveled all the way from New York, are you staying at the nearby hotel?”
Maggie shook her head. “Is there any way I could stay with Taylor tonight?” she asked. The question jumped off her lips before she had a chance to think it over, and only after she had said it out loud did she realize the impulse that had prompted it. She would not leave Taylor alone tonight: something inside her told her that he needed her by his side and she was determined to follow through on her instincts. Perhaps it was wishful thinking, but if there was even a slightest chance of hope, she would fight for it. To her relief, Dr. Evans did not think her request unreasonable, nodding in agreement.
“Of course. I will leave word with the head nurse.”
“Thank you,” said Maggie, her voice full of gratitude.
“Oh, pardon me. I almost forgot, your friend Shawn is waiting for you in the cafeteria –he wanted to know if you needed a ride back to town.”
The hospital cafeteria was empty at that hour and Maggie spotted Shawn as soon as she walked in. He was seated behind one of the aisle tables, aimlessly leafing through a copy of the local paper that somebody had left behind. The table was empty except for a cup of black coffee that had gone cold.
“Hey.” Shawn smiled lightly, rising from his chair, upon seeing Maggie approach. “Are you all right?” he asked, stunned by her drawn appearance. The pallor of her face seemed to have deepened since he last saw her, as did the dark circles under her eyes.
“I’m fine.” Maggie nodded, doing her best to conjure up a smile.
“Do you want something to eat?” he offered.
Maggie shook her head - even though she had not eaten anything since the morning, the thought of food made her recoil.
“You should get some rest – you look tired,” ventured Shawn, and then, after a moment’s hesitation, added awkwardly, “How is he?”
Maggie shook her head. “The doctor says that his injury is improving and that there is a good possibility for recovery, but he also said that the longer Taylor stays in a coma, the less likely he is to recover completely…” she broke off, her eyes welling up.
“Hey, it’s all right.” Shawn touched her arm lightly in an effort to comfort her.
“I’m sorry; I didn’t mean to cry. Anyway, you should head back. I’m going to stay here tonight. And tomorrow, I will arrange for a room in a nearby hotel. Sorry I’ve kept you waiting all this time. I didn’t realize you were still here.”
“That’s all right. I don’t mind at all,” answered Shawn, omitting the fact that another reason why he had decided to wait was that he had hoped that Maggie’s arrival would bring some good news.
“Thanks for everything. Good night.”
“Hey, Maggie…” Shawn lingered hesitantly, unsure of how to phrase what he was going to say next. “I’m really sorry about Hannah bursting out at you like that in the parking lot – she wanted me to tell you that she’s sorry, about everything. I’m sorry too,” Shawn added clumsily.
“Apology accepted.” Maggie did not need a lengthy explanation to understand what Shawn meant by ‘everything.’
Shawn fumbled with his coffee cup. “Hannah’s decided to leave town and I’ll be going with her.”
“So you finally mastered up the courage to tell her how you feel, huh?” Despite the somberness of the situation, Maggie could not help breaking into a wide smile. “I’m happy for the two of you. I’m sure Taylor is glad for you guys.”
“Yeah.” Shawn nodded, fumbling with the zipper of his jacket uneasily. “I should have taken his advice a long time ago - I guess sometimes it takes a disaster to set things right.”
“I guess it does.” Maggie nodded. Shawn’s words made her think of Taylor’s father. How sad he looked, his lonely, grief-stricken figure looming in the empty hospital hallway. It had taken a tragedy for him to realize the importance of his relationship with his son, and she hoped that like Shawn, Paul Denton too would get his chance to set things right.
Back in Taylor’s room, Maggie took a seat in the chair by his bed. An extra cot had been wheeled into his room, but she preferred to stay seated by Taylor’s side so that she could hold his hand. Besides, she was certain that she would not be able to fall asleep anyway. Despite being tired, she knew that the agitation of everything that had happened during the day was too much for her to even contemplate sleep; instead, she would just end up tossing and turning, thinking over all the unbelievable things that had happened over the past twenty-four hours. A few hours ago, she had thought that Taylor was forever lost to her, and now, there was a glimmer of hope, and no matter how slim, Maggie was determined to hold on to it to the end.
>
“Please Taylor. I know you can hear me,” she said. “Come back. Come back to me.”
Taylor did not know how much time had passed before the grayness began to part again. He became aware of Maggie’s presence, the sound of her voice awakening him from the slumber that had ensnared him. He felt his way blindly, hoping that the tunnel would reopen. Slowly, the grayness began to part into a passageway. The tunnel opening was so small and dim that Taylor had almost missed it at first, but once he spotted it, he rushed towards its entrance.
He began to make his way through the narrow tunnel, the fog clinging to him, threatening to close in at any moment. With each step, he could hear Maggie’s voice grow louder, confident that she would guide him through.
And then, the most amazing thing happened. Suddenly, the tunnel grew wider and brighter and the fog had all but vanished. Taylor leapt forward. The ground felt solid underneath him – a few more steps, and he would finally be free. Further down the passageway, he could see contours of a female figure. At first he thought it was Maggie, but as he got closer, he realized that it was someone else.
The woman facing him looked exactly the way he remembered her from the photographs of his early childhood. “Mom?” he whispered in disbelief. “Is that really you?”
She smiled at him, her face full of love.
“I’ve missed you so much. I’ve missed you all my life.” Taylor felt tears gathering in the corners of his eyes.
“I miss you too, Taylor, and I love you. But we are not supposed to meet like this. I came to make sure that you made it back safely, and you must hurry now.”
He nodded, swallowing hard. “I love you, Mom.” He leaned in to hug her, and as his mother’s hands closed around him, he felt as though no harm could ever come to him - the way he had felt in the cradle of her arms as a little boy
“I’m so proud of you, of everything you’ve accomplished,” she whispered, “and so is your father. Promise me that you will not be so hard on him.”
“I promise.”
“Goodbye, Taylor. You must go now. She is waiting for you. I am so happy to know that you’ve found someone so special to share your life with.”
“Goodbye, Mom. I love you.”
At the end of the tunnel, Taylor could see Maggie waiting for him, her face lighting up at the sight of him. When he turned around, his mother was no longer there, but he heard her voice carry through the tunnel, “I love you, son. Goodbye.”
In an instant, he breached the remaining distance to the tunnel exit.
Elated to know that he had found his way back at last, he swept Maggie into his arms, feeling the warmth of her body against his, the softness of her face brushing against his lips.
“You came back!” he heard her whisper. “You came back to me!”
When Maggie woke up, it took her a moment to realize where she was as the recollection of the past few days came back to her in fragments. She must have fallen asleep in the chair by Taylor’s bed without realizing it. Her neck and back felt cramped, which was what had woken her up, and her first impulse was to stretch to ease the soreness in her muscles. Still groggy with sleep, she noticed that it was dark outside, but when she looked at her watch she saw that it was early morning - six a.m.
It was then that she remembered her dream and what a dream it had been! In it, she was finally reunited with Taylor. She could still feel the tears of joy that streamed down her face in the dream and the warmth of Taylor’s arms around her. If only the dream had been real!
Slowly, she reached for Taylor’s hand, pressing it gently against her face.
She was not sure of how much time had passed when, suddenly, she felt his fingers brush softly against her cheek.
“Taylor?” Still holding his hand, Maggie rose from her chair in disbelief so that she could have a better view of his face. “Taylor? Can you hear me?”
“Yes, I can hear you, Maggie,” his voice was still weak, but the old twinkle was back in his eyes.
“You came back!” she exclaimed, feeling the fingers of his hand clutching hers lightly in affirmation.
“Well, you were very persistent about it, so I had no choice.”
“You mean you could hear me talking to you?” Maggie exclaimed, tearing up at Taylor’s attempt at a joke in a time like this.
“The entire time.” His tone grew serious. “If it weren’t for you, I don’t think I would have made it back. I could hear you calling me, reminding me why I had to come back. There was a moment when I had almost gotten lost out there, but you reminded me why I had to come back.”
“You know, this night, I dreamed that you came back, and it felt so real, but then I woke up, and I was devastated when I realized that it was only a dream. But now, you are awake, just like you were in my dream.”
“I dreamed about you too. I dreamed that I was walking towards you through this really dark, narrow tunnel and you were waiting for me at the end…”
“I saw exactly the same thing!” Maggie whispered in disbelief. “I was so worried that the passageway would close up before you had a chance to make it through. I wanted to go inside to help you, but somehow I knew that I could not, so I had no choice but to watch you fight your way through,” she paused, the details of the dream springing up vividly before her. “And then, something truly remarkable happened. There was light everywhere, and I knew that you were going to make it. There was a woman… Your mother! Your mother was there to guide you back.”
“Yes, I remember. Seeing her felt so real - I wish I could have had more time with her, but I knew that I had to leave.” There was profound sadness in his voice, and then his eyes brightened up. “I thought it was a dream, but if you saw the same thing, then it had to be real, don’t you think?”
“I don’t know what it was, but I know that it was a miracle, a miracle that brought you back to me.”
He tightened his grip on her hand, looking intently into her eyes. “Yes and I’m never going to leave you again.”
Chapter 35 – Epilogue
The ceremony was about to begin, and Maggie knew that soon it would be time to go, but she wanted to take the few remaining minutes to reflect on all the unbelievable events that had taken place in her life. A year had passed since she had first come to Eagleville. At the time, she had no idea that the trip would change her life forever, bringing her to the love of her life.
Maggie remembered her devastation when she thought that Taylor was lost to her forever; then, the fragile hope at having learned otherwise, the fear of losing him again, and finally, the unbelievable joy that lit up her heart upon hearing the sound of Taylor’s voice after his waking up from the coma. The past year had been filled with love and heartache, hope and despair, but in the end, love and hope had triumphed.
Taylor’s remarkable recovery had become a legend in the medical community. Despite serious head trauma, he had emerged from the coma without any impediment of speech and had retained full control of his body reflexes. In other words, he was as good as new, having woken up from the coma as though it were nothing more than a dream. Maggie still remembered the awed look on Dr. Evans’s face as he examined the CAT scan of Taylor’s injury that was taken several days after Taylor’s waking up from the coma. “But this is a miracle -in all my years in medicine I have never seen anything like it,” Dr. Evans had murmured. Leading specialists in the field from all over the world were eager to learn of this unusual case. As a result, several research studies had been funded to further explore the state of coma and its effect on the human mind.
But to Maggie and Taylor the explanation was plain and simple, if unscientific - the sound of Maggie’s voice had brought him back to life - that was the explanation that Taylor chose to reveal to the world when asked about his coma experience, but that was not the full account of what had happened to him that day when he struggled to regain his consciousness. The other part was so inexplicable that both Maggie and Taylor chose not to speak of it to anyone else but each other, kn
owing instinctively that it was meant to remain a mystery. How could they have possibly explained the fact that they had both shared the same vision during that fateful night? And even if they did, their words would not be trusted and most certainly would be dismissed as a lie, or a product of overactive imaginations. Both of them remembered the vision of Taylor’s mother in their shared dream, and while neither of them could explain how it had been possible, they knew that his mother’s luminous, benevolent presence had cut a passage of light through the gray fog of oblivion that had held Taylor captive. Maggie still remembered the kind look on his mother’s face, and she wished that Taylor’s mother could be with them now, on this special day.
As soon as he was fully recuperated, Taylor became focused on fulfilling his initial vision for the documentary. The importance of maintaining the integrity of the project became even more vital to him, since Taylor saw it as a way of paying tribute to his late friend, Ryan, who fell to his death in the avalanche. Because of the accident, the cable network lost interest in the documentary, and Taylor was able to purchase the footage at a nominal cost. After months of careful editing with the help of Ryan’s assistant, Dan Cooper, the documentary was completed, and Taylor began looking for ways to promote the film. Together with Dan, he entered the documentary into several independent film festivals where it had won a number of prestigious awards. While off-piste skiing remained the main subject of the film, with the main segment that showed Taylor’s descent of the Needle Eye, coverage of the avalanche had broadened the focus of the documentary. In addition to showcasing the glory of big mountain skiing, the film also spoke about the dangers of this pursuit, giving a frank account of the avalanche, Ryan’s death and Taylor’s injury. The film resonated with audiences worldwide, and the limited release runs of the documentary were sold out every time. Because of this publicity, several cable networks showed interest, and, now, Taylor was in the process of negotiating the contract with the network of his choice.