by Amy Briggs
She would wake up eventually; I would see to that. And I’d find out who she really was. Even if she wasn’t meant to be a part of my life, she was certainly meant to pass through it. Nothing is coincidence, and the emotions she’d evoked within me were real, regardless of how curious they came to be. I’d already planned to talk to Dr. Somers the next day to see what he was thinking about her case and what direction he was looking to take in her care.
As I left her room, I turned back to glance over her one last time, watching the rise and fall of her chest as she breathed. She really did look like she was sleeping, not like she was sick or fighting anything inside of her. I furrowed my brows and chewed on my lower lip thinking about what on earth could be causing this slumber. I decided that after dinner, I’d get online and do some research to see what I could come up with.
My parents lived in the suburbs outside the city, so my mom was meeting me at a nice Italian restaurant downtown. We were simple folks when it came to most things; really a down home family, I’d say. But once in awhile, my mom and I liked to meet up in the city and have a fancy dinner together when my dad was out of town, and that’s exactly what we were planning to do that night. It was his annual trip to the woods with some of his college buddies he’d stayed in touch with all these years, and while I was always invited, camping wasn’t my thing. I think my dad really enjoyed reliving his youth for a few days with his friends. It also gave my mom and me time to hang out together, and we enjoyed each other’s company. We had the best conversations, and interestingly enough, my mom was a therapist, so she always had very insightful commentary on life in general, as well as people’s behaviors.
After we were seated and had some wine poured, we dove right into catching up.
“So, how are you, son? How’s the hospital? Any interesting cases?” she asked before bringing the glass to her lips.
Smirking immediately, I replied, “Well, it’s funny you should ask. There’s a case I was looking forward to telling you about.”
“Oh, do tell. You always have the most interesting stories from the ER. Now I know why they do all those reality shows about it. What fascinating thing happened this week?” She smiled at me, always ready to listen.
“So, a young woman was brought in unconscious but with no signs of trauma or anything, and she still hasn’t woken up,” I began. “She has been in the hospital for just over two days now, and there are no medical reasons that we’ve found so far that would indicate why she hasn’t regained consciousness.”
“That is strange indeed, but I’m sure there must be something you’re missing. Why is this such an interesting case to you? Didn’t she end up going to a specialist or something?” My mom knew how the hospital worked, of course, so it made sense that none of this was ringing any bells with her as sounding interesting. I was working up the courage to tell her how Snow White had latched onto me somehow.
“Well, yes. She’s been transferred to neurology now, but they’ve not found any reason yet, either. I have been stopping in to see her,” I admitted.
“Clearly, you’re leaving something out, Jacob. Do you know this girl?” my mom asked, raising an eyebrow of suspicion.
“I don’t think so, but she came in as a Jane Doe, and what we’ve discovered is that she works at or owns the flower shop beneath my apartment. In fact, I’m pretty sure she is my neighbor across the hall. I tried to do a little snooping, because no one has come to see her, no one has identified who she actually is yet.”
“So maybe you do know her? Does she seem familiar to you?” she asked.
“Here’s the thing, Mom. I don’t think I’ve ever seen her before, probably because of the schedule I keep, and I never really paid any attention to the flower shop. But she does seem familiar to me. I can’t put my finger on it, but it’s as if I do know her, but we’ve definitely never met. I’d have remembered meeting her, I’m sure of it,” I explained.
Curling her lips into a smirk, my mother replied, “So, she’s beautiful?”
Feeling totally embarrassed but always being truthful with my mom, I replied, “Yes, she’s beautiful, but that’s not it, Mom. I’m telling you, there’s something about her. I can’t really explain it. I have no idea who she is, but it’s like she was meant to be in my care. I know that sounds crazy, but if anyone knows crazy, it’s you.” I laughed, trying to lighten the tone of my bizarre statements.
“First of all, my clients aren’t crazy, Jacob,” she scolded me lightly. “Second of all, that doesn’t sound crazy in the slightest. You know how I feel about fate, about kismet. People are destined to meet each other, Jacob, for a variety of reasons. I can see she has an effect on you.”
“She does. I can’t really explain it, but I’m drawn to her, Mom. It’s weird, but I don’t even care that it’s weird. I read to her today,” I blurted it out.
Not looking surprised, she asked, “What did you read to her?”
“I picked up a book of fairy tales. We nicknamed her Snow White in the ER because of her dark hair and pale skin, and so when I went to look for a book to read her, that’s what came to mind.” I grinned sheepishly.
My mom let out a little laugh. “Snow White? Ah, she’s under a sleeping curse, you think?” Her eyes sparkled at me, with no judgement at all.
“Well, we have no idea, but that’s just how the nurses and I are on our overnights. We tend to nickname a lot of the patients, but this one kind of stuck.”
“Perhaps what she needs is true love’s kiss to be awakened, then,” she replied coyly.
“Oh, come on, Mom. Don’t mess with me.” I rolled my eyes dramatically at her, picking up my wine.
“I’m just saying, son, that sometimes these things just happen. I can see clearly that something is different with you, and I like it. While yes, it is a particularly unusual circumstance, perhaps she was meant to be in your care for a reason. Maybe you just need to figure out how to wake her up. Maybe she’s the girl you’ve been looking for.” She raised that eyebrow and grinned at me again, causing me to laugh.
“Well, it’s been two days. I am certainly hoping to help her wake up, even though she’s not really my patient anymore. As for true love’s kiss, you’ve been watching that TV show about the fairy tales too much, I think,” I couldn’t help but tease her. She was always telling me about this show that was based upon fairy tale characters in a modern-day setting and how fascinating it was. None of the storylines followed the traditional stories to the letter, and all the characters intermingled with each other, but it was my mom’s favorite show and she had a thing for the whole true love theme.
“Don’t make fun of ‘Once Upon a Time.’ You should watch it. Maybe it would renew your faith in love, my dear,” she replied with a smile.
“I’m not opposed to finding love again, Mom. I just don’t think that an unconscious patient I know nothing about is likely to be that woman.” As I said the words out loud, I realized that I hoped they weren’t true. If Snow White had a significant other, he’d have found her by now, I thought to myself. Maybe she was meant to find her way to me, and being neighbors was simply not enough.
“I think it’s lovely that you’re reading to her. I know that we both have a firm belief that those in an unconscious or dream state can hear us. She’s had no visitors at all? No one has come to see her?”
“Nope. I checked the visitor records today, and there’s still no clue as to who she really is, and no one has come to see or identify her. It’s so strange. Usually, our unidentified patients are found by now; and she came in with no ID, no phone, nothing.” I wondered if she had parents who were looking for her. I knew that if something happened to me and my mom hadn’t heard from me in a few days, she’d send a giant search party to rove the city streets looking for me.
“She’s lucky she found her way to you, then,” my mom replied, studying my face.
“You don’t think it’s strange that I bought a book and I’m reading to a stranger?” I asked, mildly surpri
sed.
“Of course, I don’t. In fact, I think it’s wonderful. I think there should be more healthcare professionals who behave the way you do. I will admit, though, that I’m surprised at the effect she’s had on you, and I’m quite intrigued to see how this plays out.”
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“Truthfully, you seem lighter. You have a bit of a spring in your step. You’ll always be my brooding, thoughtful son, of course, but I can see that something about this woman has lit a spark inside you, and I’m delighted to see it.”
“Hmm, interesting,” was all I could think of to say.
As we continued our meal, catching up on the other happenings in life, I attempted to put the thought of Snow White aside to focus on my time with my mom. No matter how hard I tried, though, she was edging her way into the forefront of my mind.
After dinner, as we were standing in front of the restaurant to say our good-byes, my mom grabbed both of my arms and held me out in front of her, grabbing my attention. “Jacob, I can see that you’re preoccupied with this woman.”
“I’m sorry, I don’t mean to be, Mom.” I tried to lean forward to hug her, but she held me in place while she finished what she had to say.
“No, you misunderstand me. I can see you are preoccupied with this woman, and I think you should let it happen. You have nothing to lose by involving yourself in her situation. While no, you don’t know what her life is like outside of this chapter, that doesn’t mean that the rest of the story isn’t meant to include you, dear. Your meeting was no accident, and I am of the belief that you should open yourself up to the possibilities, the adventure that could await you when she wakes up,” she said whimsically but also with a serious look on her face.
“You don’t think that’s ridiculous? I don’t know the girl. What if she has a husband or a boyfriend or something?”
“Son, you’re making excuses. Trust me. Follow your heart for a change.” She let me go, and I leaned in for that hug, taking her in my arms.
“Thanks, Mom,” I whispered to her before helping her into a cab. “Text me when you get home so I know you made it safe.”
“I will, sweetie. I love you. Let me know how Snow White makes out, now, won’t you?” She grinned at me.
“I will. I promise,” I said, chuckling that we were now all calling this girl Snow White.
Chapter 16
Jacqueline
“Well, Miss, we still haven’t figured out what’s going on with you, and there’s been no change. We’re going to keep running tests, though, until we figure it out,” a strange voice said to me. It wasn’t Jacob, and it wasn’t that crabby doctor, either; a new voice had entered my room. He continued, “I think we should evaluate again what kind of brain activity you’ve got, so that we can make sure there have been no change to your cognitive function since the last time.”
Well, I think you should wait for Jacob to come back and see what he thinks, I tried to say. Yet again, someone had come in here and not told me who they were. At least they told me what they wanted to do, but I didn’t really know what anything he was saying meant, so it wasn’t all that helpful.
I knew that Jacob wouldn’t be back until the next day, so I was pretty much left to my own devices. I had rested for awhile, well, more like spent my evening daydreaming. I missed my shop and the flowers. I had some roses and some peonies in the cooler, and I was worried about them surviving if I was stuck like this much longer. Jacob mentioned that basket of fruit, too. The last thing I remembered was picking out a shiny red apple, and then being in the hospital. Hopefully, the young lady I hired to clean a couple of days a week would come by soon and clean that up before I ended up with a bug infestation or something. I couldn’t tell how many days had passed or what time of day it was anymore, so all I had to go on were Jacob’s visits.
Becoming sadder, thinking about how the world was continuing without me, I became distracted by the sound of footsteps entering my room again. It was turning out to be a busy evening here.
“Hey, there, princess. I decided to come back after having dinner with my mom tonight,” he said.
It’s Jacob! Oh, thank goodness! My pulse quickened, which I could feel happening, and he must have noticed as well.
“I hope you’re not upset, princess. I noticed your heart rate increases when I come to visit. I don’t want to upset you,” he said quietly. It sounded like he was standing next to me. He seemed close. “If it helps, mine picks up when I come to visit you, too.”
Wow, he can tell that I’m excited to see him! Even though he wouldn’t see it, I was blushing at his remarks; at least it felt like I was. I couldn’t begin to understand how it was possible to be developing such a connection to someone I had no ability to speak to.
“I didn’t have time to go back home to get the book, so I thought I’d just come and sit with you for a while tonight. Maybe I’ll tell you a bit about more myself, and then when you wake up, you can tell me all about you. What do you say?” he asked.
It sounds wonderful! Tell me all the things about you. All of them! Ugh, it was so frustrating to be in this situation, wanting to encourage him to tell me all about himself yet just being awake on the inside.
“Well, since you can’t argue, you’re stuck with me for now. And when you wake up, you can send me on my way if you want.” He paused. “But I hope you don’t,” he whispered.
I won’t, I tried to whisper back.
“So, let’s see. I told you my name, but in case you forgot, it’s Jacob McIntyre. I’m thirty-four years old, and I’m a physician’s assistant in the hospital here. I have worked here for three years. I moved into the apartment above your flower shop about two years ago when I got divorced.” He grew quiet again, and I assumed it was a sad divorce. I wondered immediately if he had children.
Clearing his throat, he continued, “I don’t have any kids, and the divorce wasn’t bad or anything. We weren’t really in love and drifted apart.” He let out a little chuckle. “I’ve never sat down and told anyone all of this; it feels kind of good to get it out.”
I adored that he wanted to tell me about his life. I yearned to respond to him, telling him that I understood. I had agreed to marry my college sweetheart and then called it off when I came to the realization that we were just going through the motions. There was no passion or enthusiasm from either of us; it had just seemed like the right thing to do.
“So, I’m single.” He chuckled again, and it was adorable. He seemed almost sheepish about telling me these things. “I work all the time, because I haven’t really known what to do with myself in years. I usually work nights, and I read a lot, and I run and go to the gym in my off time, but that’s about it. Every day is pretty much the same for me. Or rather, it was, until you came into the emergency room.”
If I could move, my mouth would have fallen open with surprise. Not only was I flattered, but my feelings were so similar I couldn’t believe it. I loved the flower shop, I loved making arrangements for people to give to their loved ones, but I missed having someone. I had felt unenthusiastic about life and had fallen into a humdrum existence since my relationship ended. It wasn’t that I missed him, or even his companionship; it was that I realized that I was missing something much more. I longed for something to be passionate about; more like someone to be passionate about. I felt as though I had all this love to give, and I poured that into my work, but the glass was still never full and every day was the same.
In that moment, I realized that with all this time to think, it was Jacob who I was looking forward to hearing come to my room, and he was feeling the same way.
“I wonder about you all the time, Snow White. I wonder if someone is missing you. I wonder if you have a husband who is looking for you, or a pet that needs to be fed while you’re away. I have been thinking about how it’s possible that I’ve not met you until now. And I wonder why you’re at the forefront of my mind constantly since the moment you were brought in. Is that crazy?
It probably is, but I don’t care,” he said to himself.
I didn’t think it was crazy at all. I was a true believer of romance, and of love, and of destiny. We were meant to meet, and as strange as the circumstances were, it couldn’t have been an accident. We’d developed a sort of relationship over the time I had been here, and I couldn’t even communicate how wonderful I thought that was. I hoped that I’d wake soon, so I’d be able to sit and talk with him.
“I told my mother about you tonight at dinner. She didn’t think it was crazy, but my mom is a hopeless romantic, so she thinks that if visiting you and reading to you makes me happy, I should do it until you wake up and tell me to stop.” He nervously laughed again. All I wanted to do was throw my arms around his neck and tell him I wanted him to read to me every day, whether I was stuck asleep in this bed or wide awake.
“You’d probably like my mom. She’s one of the smartest and kindest women I know. Everyone likes her, especially my dad. My parents are still together and madly in love after a million years of being married to each other. But anyway, I thought I’d go ahead and tell you what was on my mind tonight. I felt like you should know. I’m sure you’re inside there wondering what in the hell is going on right now, but I promise you I’m going to find out how to wake you up. And then, if the stars align, I’m going to take you out for coffee, or tea, or whatever beverage suits your fancy.”
I would love that, Jacob. I wanted to cry not being able to tell him how much his words affected me. I felt like I was crying, but no sound was coming out, and my body was still immobile.
“Is that a tear?” he asked me, sounding shocked. A tear fell! He can see it! It’s a tear for you, Jacob! I want to wake up so badly and tell you how wonderful a man you are.
“You can hear me. I knew you could. Don’t be sad, princess. I’m going to figure this out, and you’re going to be home before you know it. And I know a guy who lives close who’s going to take care of you, if you’ll let him.” He got up, causing my heart to race again.