I Will Wait For You

As I open my eyes, I’m taken aback by the lighting. I’m surrounded by too-bright fluorescent lights. As my eyes adjust, so do my ears and it comes to my attention that there’s a beeping coming from somewhere near.

I look around to find that I’m hooked up to all sorts of machines. I start to freak out, and kick off the blanket that’s on my legs. I grip the side of the bed, ready to swing my legs over, and get up, but as I hold my arms out, I realize they’re covered in bruises, some new, some fading. I’m ready to start screaming, until I realize this is probably one of my sick dreams. Any minute now, I’m bound to wake up.

As I adjust, and start to lie back in the bed, a nurse comes in with a clip board. Once she’s sees me sitting up in the bed, she almost drops her clip board. She catches it just in time, then proceeds to stare at me for a few seconds with wide eyes.

“Lakyn, you’re up.” She says, sounding very unsure of herself. She comes over to me, and helps me lay back. “You need to relax, just lay back and relax.” She repeats herself. “I’ll be right back. I have to go get the doctor, and tell your family and friends.”

I’m very confused now, but before I have time to think about anything, she’s back in the room with a doctor in tow.

“Lakyn, we are all so glad you’re awake.” He smiles at me. “How do you feel?”

Is he joking? “I… uhh… I feel alright, I guess. I’m a little confused.”

“I’m sure you are. We will explain everything in due time, but first, would you like me to go get your parents?”

“Umm… sure.” My parents are here? What the Hell is going on?

He leaves the room, while the nurse fiddles around on her computer, and messes with the machines around me. He returns with my parents, after a few minutes.

“Lakyn! Oh, honey, we were so worried.” My mom comes over to the side of the bed. This is the most emotion I think I’ve ever seen her have.

“Mom, what’s going on?”

“Honey, you’ve been in a coma for over a month now.” My father responds first. I still can’t believe he’s here, too, standing right in front of me. I don’t remember the last time we talked.

“What? Why? What happened?”

“You and Alexa were involved in an accident a little over a month ago, when you guys got into Huntington Beach.”

“Alexa?” I’m starting to freak out. Is she okay?

“She’s fine, honey.” My mom says, putting her hand over my own. “She sustained only minor injuries. The truck hit on your side. You were in a pretty bad condition, when they called us to come here.”

“Where’s Alexa?” I know they said she was okay, but I want to see her to make sure.

“She’s out in the waiting room; would you like your father to go get her?”

“Yes, please.”

My dad leaves the room, and my mom continues on. “Do you remember anything of what happened?” I try to rack my brain for information, but I’m drawing a blank.

That’s when I remember it.

I remember everything, me driving, Alexa and I singing in the car to Guns N Roses, the stop light, the bus coming at us, spinning us into traffic, the lights, the crash, the pain. I wince remembering that last part.

This whole time I’ve been living in a dream state.

I never met the guys from Avenged Sevenfold.

I never had a relationship with Matt.

None of those things happened. Nothing.

This whole time I’ve been living a dream, thinking that I was crazy, that something was wrong with me. In all reality, my body was trying to tell me something this whole time, trying to wake me up this whole time.

The dreams were reality, the bright lights, my parents talking. They didn’t think I was going to make it. They didn’t know how much longer they could wait for me to wake up.

As all of this reality sinks in, I start to cry.

“Honey, it’s okay. Everything is going to be okay, I promise.” My mom sits on the side of the bed, and tenderly wraps her arms around me, careful not to hurt me. I lean in to her, and let myself cry.

“Lakyn?” I hear Alexa, before I see her. I tear myself away from my mom, and wipe my eyes. There she is, standing at the end of the bed.

“Alexa.” I say, crying all over again. She comes over, and gives me a hug.

“Lakyn, I’m so sorry.”

“It’s not your fault, Lex. I’m sorry I put all of you through all of the worry.” I say, looking around to my mom and dad.

“Honey, we’re just glad you’re back with us.” My dad smiles at me, wiping his own tears away.

“I’m sorry, Lex. I should’ve been more careful.”

“It wasn’t your fault, you can’t blame yourself.”

“So you remember what happened?” My mom repeats her question from earlier.

“Yes. It was terrible.” New tears are falling, again. “Am I going to be okay?” I look at my mom for answers, like she knows everything.

She looks unsure, but she says yes anyway.

The doctor comes back in the room, and explains everything to me that happened over the past month. He tells me that he’s sure I’ll make a full recovery, a very amazing fete. He also tells me there are a few other people that are asking to see me. My mom, dad, and Alexa all look back and forth to each other.

“Is everything okay?” I ask, concerned.

“Yes, honey.” My mom says, not meeting my eyes. “We are going to leave the room for a few minutes, while the other visitors come in. If you need anything, just press your button there on your remote.”

“Diane, I think you’re overreacting a little bit.”

“Bill, they almost killed her.” I hear her whisper, as she turns to him.

“It wasn’t them; it was the driver of the bus. And even he wasn’t the one who ended up causing the damage.” He says, as the three of them disappear out of the room.

The bus. They must be talking about the bus that hit the back end of my car. The bus that ran the light. The bus that sent us into oncoming traffic.

The door to the room opens, once again, revealing some familiar faces. Five familiar faces, to be exact.

Notes

One more chapter!