More Than Friends

by Tabetha Thompson

  Sara enters Chloe’s room with a wide excited smile on her face. “The nurse said that the doctor put in the orders to remove the ventilator, and take her off the Propofol. It will be later this afternoon, though. I’m going to go to her apartment and get her some clothes, and some of her hygiene stuff for when she wakes up, and is able to change and shower.”

  This is the best news I’ve received since Chloe was admitted. I feel like I could fuckin’ fly right now. “That’s amazing! I’ll call everyone and let them know what’s going on.”

  I start scrambling around the room, gathering my stuff. I don’t know what to do with myself. Sara gives me a concerned look. “Skye?”

  “Yeah?” I answer.

  “Just because they’re taking her off the meds doesn’t mean she’ll wake up right away.” I just nod. Nobody or nothing is gonna bring me down right now.

  “I just want you to be prepared. You know, just in case,” she continues. I really don’t want to have this conversation with her, so I just agree. She doesn’t want me to get my hopes up. I get it, but it doesn’t mean I want to hear about it.

  “Yeah, I know.” I shrug her off, hoping she’ll leave it alone, and thankfully, she takes the hint.

  “Okay. I’ll see you this afternoon,” she promises. Sara looks directly into my eyes. It’s clear she wants to say more, but decides against it and walks out of the room.

  The door shuts and I all but throw myself at Chloe’s bed and stroke her face while asking her, “Did you hear that, baby? Soon you can wake up!” I place soft kisses against her temple over and over again.

  Sally knocks and opens the door while giving me a wide smile and says, “So, I take it you’ve heard the news?” I just smile brightly. She continues, “Well, as much as we love hearing you play and sing, visiting hours are over, so you know what that means.” She points to the door over her shoulder with her thumb, her way of giving me the boot.

  “I know. I know. I have to make some calls anyway,” I say teasingly. I’ve become very fond of Sally, with her plump figure and short, curly, grey hair that matches her kind, grey eyes. Sally has the grandmother vibe going for her. It’s hard not to love the woman. I can’t wait for Chloe to wake up and meet her.

  As an afterthought, Sally says, “Oh! Stop by the nurses’ station on your way out. I brought you something for while you wait for the next set of visiting hours.”

  “Thank you, Sally. Please let me know if anything changes, or you need me.”

  “No need thanking me, child. Get some rest and we’ll see you in a few hours.”

  I grab my guitar and phone, leaning down to kiss Chloe one more time before I leave. I allow my lips to linger against her warm skin for a moment before I stand and leave the room. I approach the nurses’ station across the wide hall, and inform the petite blond sitting at the computer that Sally has something for me, that I need to pick up.

  The nurse smiles warmly at me and I have the feeling like I should know her. I quickly shake off the feeling. We have been here a week and all the nurses, except for Sally, have started blending together. Every person that walks into Chloe’s room, is just another person in a lab coat or a pair of scrubs.

  Before I can put too much more thought into it, the nurse hands over a canvas bag. It weighs a ton. I offer a quick thank you and walk to the waiting room. Putting down the bag and my guitar, I dig out my cell phone. I decide to call Tom first; he picks up on the first ring.

  “Hey, man!” Tom shouts through a heavy breath, and sniffling a couple of times.

  “Hey, I don’t have but a second. They’re going to take Chloe off the Propofol and the ventilator this afternoon. I told Sara I would spread the word.” I say quickly into the phone.

  “Thanks, man. I’m actually on my way. I’ll see you there,” is his reply before he disconnects the call.

  Next, I call the band. Each one says a different version of “I’ll be there,” and “that’s great.” I’m so excited I can hardly think straight.

  Remembering the bag Sally gave me, I sit on one of the wooden bench seats and begin to sift through it. The first thing I pull out is a to-go plate that smells like heaven. Popping the lid open, my mouth drops, and my stomach growls angrily.

  The plate is almost overflowing with cube steak and gravy, rice, green beans, macaroni and cheese, and a biscuit. I wipe the drool off my chin and dig in. This is definitely better than the vending machine food I’ve become accustomed to.

  After quickly consuming the food, I throw the plate and utensils in the trash. I rummage through the rest of the bag and find a small, clear bag containing travel-size toiletries, and underneath that is a leather-bound book.

  I open the book and notice that all the pages are blank. Tears burn my eyes. It is, without a doubt, one of the nicest things anyone has ever done for me. I don’t usually write anything other than music, and this would do nicely for that. I grab a pen out of the bag, and begin writing feverishly while humming “Count On Me” by Bruno Mars. The words flow from me easily, like water from a tap.

  While I’m lost in thought, Sara comes bouncing into the waiting room. “Hey!” she says, smiling vibrantly.

  “That was fast! What time is it?” I ask.

  “Just after two. I knew you were still here so I figured I would give you some company. I can’t wait to see Chloe. I went by her apartment and made sure everything was ready for her to come home. I grabbed her Nook, clothes, and all her hygiene stuff. All this waiting is killing me.” Sara's words flow from her mouth at high speed. Her arms flail around her small frame in large excited gestures.

  “I know what you mean. Look, I hate to kill the mood, but I wanted to ask before everyone got here, or Chloe wakes up. Any news on Todd?”

  Sara narrows her eyes and says, “Yeah, the prick’s out on bail! Can you fucking believe they let him out? Who would post his bail? Oh! To top it off, he skipped town. Detective Sanders assures me that they’re looking for him, but you know how that will go.”

  “Why would they do that? What the fuck?” Red floods my vision. A thought occurs to me. “Sara, what about Chloe? Are they gonna have someone watch over her until he’s caught?”

  “No, they said they don’t have the man-power or funding to keep someone watching her like that. I guess it’s up to you and me,” she states angrily.

  “Honestly, I prefer it that way. But, I don’t think she’s gonna like the idea much.” How the hell could they let him just walk away like that? Who would put up fifty thousand dollars to get him out?

  “I know she won’t. She’s so damn independent. Maybe she won’t fight us on it too much considering the situation,” she says with a shrug.

  “I guess we’ll just have to see,” I say solemnly.

  The elevator outside the waiting room pings and Tom walks into the room a minute later. He gives Sara a hug and looks over at me. “‘Sup man?”

  “Hey,” is my short reply.

  Tom looks like he’s had a rough night. The wrinkled clothes and five o’clock shadow, coupled with his blood shot eyes and the occasional sniffle gives him away, at least to me. I know a cokehead when I see one.

  “Any news?” he asks no one in particular.

  “Nothing other than what I already told you on the phone earlier. We’re just waiting around for visiting hours,” I reply, trying to keep my anger in check. Sara is staring at Tom with narrow eyes. I think she’s come to the same conclusion I have.

  “That’s cool,” he replies and sits on one of the chairs across from me. His leg bounces rapidly, and his jaw is ticking just as quickly. Sara sits next to him and places her hand on his bouncing leg. Tom glances at her hand and leans back in his chair, staring at the wall like the secret to life is hidden there.

  Several long minutes later, I’m sitting with my head hung low when Sally comes in and sits next to me. With a soft, sympathetic smile, she tells us that the doctor has just contacted her and will be here shortly. One of us can go visit Chloe until he gets he
re, but she tells us to keep it brief.

  Sara and I tell Tom to go ahead since he hasn’t been back to see her today. He nods and heads toward the ICU. Sally stands up to go, and I grab her hand and meet her eyes with mine. “Thank you for the food, toiletries, and journal. I appreciate it more than you would ever know. The food was delicious.”

  “Glad you enjoyed it, dear.” With another gentle smile, she heads back to the ICU.

  Sometime later, Doctor Jacobs exits the elevator in front of the waiting room. When he notices Sara and I standing in the doorway, he comes over and with a wide smile says, “Well, ladies and gentleman, time to wake up Sleeping Beauty. I’m going to need everyone to stay in the waiting room except you, Sara. There are some forms for you to sign off on before we start things.”

  “Sure, whatever you need. How long does this type of thing usually take?” Sara asks the doctor, her voice full of concern.

  “Well, that just depends. It won’t take long to remove the ventilator and IV bag with the sedation medicine in it. Afterward, I have to check her vitals and do an examination. Probably an hour before anyone can return to her room.”

  “Okay.” Sara turns and gives me a wide smile and starts bouncing on her heels. If she doesn’t stop, she’s going to bounce through the roof.

  She and the doctor leave me standing there filled with anxiety, fear, elation, and excitement. I don’t know what to do with all these emotions, so I resume pacing the waiting room.

  The sound of the elevator pulls me from my thoughts. Laughter can be heard before the doors open. Brady, Harley, and Kasey exit the carriage and immediately walk over, spotting me.

  “Sup, man! Any change yet?” Brady asks. The rest of the guys have their attention on me, waiting for an answer the one question on everyone’s mind.

  “The doctor just got here. He and Sara are going over paperwork before they start removing everything.” They all give me looks that cross between sympathetic, hopeful, and excited.

  The doors to the ICU fly open and Tom comes out to sit in the waiting area with the rest of us. His elbows are resting on his knees and his head is hung low. You can feel the negative energy coming off of him in suffocating waves. Everyone passes questioning looks at each other, but never acknowledges him directly.

  “Hellooooo! Earth to Skye!” Sara says, waving her hand in front of my face. When the hell did she get back? I quickly recover from my confusion, realizing what it means now that she’s returned.

  “Hey! Are they in there removing everything?” I ask eagerly.

  “Yeah, shouldn’t be much longer now. Dr. Jacobs says her vitals are strong. The swelling is gone, and she should recover nicely.”

  “That’s great news.” I take a seat next to Brady and he pats me on the back.

  An hour later, everyone is lost in their own thoughts when Dr. Jacobs comes into the waiting room. He clears his throat and says, “Well, everything has been removed and we’ve taken her off the Propofol. Chloe’s vitals are strong and she’s doing great. She can wake up at any time, but I doubt it will be within the next few hours. Give the nurses a few minutes and then she can have visitors again. Just keep it brief so that she can get some rest.”

  Sara jumps up and throws her arms around the poor, unexpecting doctor. She hugs him so tight his face starts turning red.

  “Thank you, thank you, thank you!” she squeals at him. He laughs and tries to pry Sara’s arms from his neck. She hangs on tight, not ready to let go just yet.

  “You’re more than welcome. If you need anything else, just page one of the nurses. I hope everyone has a good day.” Sara finally releases her death grip and the doctor quickly heads for the elevator.

  The sound of a guitar floats through the silent void and fills the darkness with its beautiful melody. A deep, sorrowful, male voice fills the dark space, singing the somber lyrics to a song I’ve never heard before. His voice is enticing, seductive, but mostly sad. I know that voice, the recognition ignites something deep inside of me. The sound of my heart thudding in my ears grows louder as the excitement takes over.

  It’s in that moment I realize I can’t move. Panic and desperation immediately drown out the warm, fuzzy feeling, grabbing hold of me, like thick, icy claws wrapped around my throat. Why can’t I move? Why is everything so dark? Where am I?

  My body is numb and feels like it’s filled with lead. I feel as if I’m suffocating. Just when I think I’m about to run out of oxygen, a clicking wheezing noise rises above the sounds of the guitar. My lungs slowly expand, almost to the point of pain, as precious oxygen is pumped into them. There’s a beeping sound coming from somewhere behind the dark curtain of nothing. The high pitch noise continues strong and steady.

  The music suddenly stops and I hear a click.

  Why can’t I open my eyes?

  I plead with my body to move, but get nothing. The more I struggle, the higher my frustration level rises. There is nothing worse than feeling trapped, or helpless, and in this moment I feel both.

  The panicked feeling from moments before quickly intensifies taking over every one of my senses. My chest tightens in fear and anxiety. My heart rate speeds up, and the shrill beeping sound is no longer steady. Its rapid, ear piercing wail sounds like the warnings of a bomb about to detonate. The combined emotions wash over me like a wave, and I’m caught in its undertow on the verge of drowning.

  Counting backward from ten, I attempt to calm down so I can try to get a handle on the situation.

  What happened to me? Where am I? Who is that singing? What’s that damn beeping noise? Most importantly, why can’t I move?

  I try to open my eyes, to see what’s going on around me. However, my lids are heavy and nonresponsive to my command. Next, I try to move my arm, then my legs and I’m sadly left with nothing. I want to cry, scream, throw a fit, or punch something. I am so furious and frustrated.

  Question after question assaults my mind. I try for several long minutes to come up with the answers, some memory of what has happened, but all I’m left with are blanks. There’s something, some significant detail that I’m missing, or it’s just out of my reach. The harder I push to reach it, the further it moves away from me. I cry out for Sara but my pleas never leave my head.

  Not knowing what in the hell is going on, the crying begins again. Only no tears are shed and no one hears my lost pleas. My body lies motionless, but on the inside, I’m shaking violently. My internal self is in so much turmoil that I’m on the verge of an anxiety attack.

  What am I going to do? God, help me please. I silently pray to myself, hoping He hears me. Someone’s lips touch my temple. And even though I can’t see them, I know who those lips belong to. Skye’s with me. Those three words are enough to comfort me. He will protect me from whatever happened.

  Skye has only been back in my life for a short time, but I’m happier than I’ve ever been. Since I walked into Tom’s office at BAR and saw him sitting in that chair, there’s been something pulling me to him. The pull is too strong to ignore, nor would I want to anymore, even if that were an option. No man has ever affected me in such a manner, and I know that no man ever will. No matter how hard I tried to deny my rapidly growing feelings for him, it’s no use. My heart won out over my head, in their useless battle over what I should and shouldn’t do. It was a hard lesson to learn but I know this now.

  The small amount of time we spent together before I landed in this darkness was amazing. Everything about us just feels right, like we belong to one another. My heart beats to the sound of his name. My soul craves his touch, his closeness, and his love. I have no doubt in my mind that he is my soul mate.

  Growing up, every little girl dreams of finding “the one.” That one person that becomes one with you. The one you grow old with, blissfully in love forever. The same one that is portrayed in fairy tales, happy romance novels and chick flicks. The only other person in the world that was meant to be yours. Living the life I have lived, I never believed I had someone out ther
e destined to be my “One,” but I know without a measure of doubt that I have found him.

  There will be no more denying the passion I feel for this man. I physically ache to be without him, even now when I’m surrounded by the shadows. I want him to be a part of me always, and in every way imaginable. Skye and Skye alone is the reason my heart is no longer surrounded by ice or stone.

  The moment my eyes laid on this dark-haired, green-eyed Adonis, I knew my life would never be the same. In less than twenty-four hours, he somehow managed to shatter every single wall I placed around my heart.

  Skye’s hand is still gently stroking my hair, completely oblivious to the life altering revelation I’m having. I’m exhausted and overwhelmed, mentally as well as physically.

  I can feel sleep tugging at me as he nears the end of the song and I fight it. I don’t want to be alone in the dark silence. I want to stay here with Skye and his beautiful voice, his loving touch and his words of encouragement. It’s where I belong.

  I fight against the heavy pull of slumber, I fight against the darkness, and I will always fight against any and everything that tries to pull me away from the man that I love.

  However, once the beeping is gone and the numbness settles in, I know I have lost the fight, for now.

  “Chloe, run!” My feet pound against the pavement toward the park. I don’t know how I know the park is this direction because it’s pitch black, but I run and don’t look back. My legs burn from the speed, and force I am pushing though my legs in my attempt to outrun the unknown that I know is quickly catching up to me from behind. The concrete archway is just up ahead. My footing falters, I stumble and fall to the concrete. Icy fingers wrap around my ankle, and gripping so tight I can feel my bones cracking.

  I kick and scream, but looking over my shoulder, there’s nothing there. My body’s stretched out on the sidewalk. Suddenly, I’m being dragged backward by some invisible force. More kicking. More screaming. My ankle is released, I stop struggling and quickly scramble to my feet. With every ounce of energy I possess, I haul-ass toward the park. For some reason, I feel like if I can just make it to the park, the trees will provide a place to hide from whatever is after me. A wicked laugh fills the air around me, and my heart thuds even harder in my chest.