Chapter 1
I could feel myself awakening from my slumber, though I wasn't quite sure if I was truly asleep or awake. An annoying, bleeping noise became clearer as it rang in my ears. The familiar sound of my heart monitor. It was the only thing that told me that I was awake, that I was alive, and not buried 6ft underground. The noise of my metallic heart became a comfort to me and, over time, a lullaby of reassurance. It reminded me that I was a fighter and I wasn't going to give in to death this easily. It told me to ignore death's bony fingers that gripped tightly to my shoulder. But I knew there was something else that needed me, someone that I knew I had to fight for. Mia. My darling Mia, my kitten. I couldn't simply give up on myself when she needed me so badly, just as much as I needed her. She was the only family I had left, the only thing I really cared about anymore. I was going to wake up, I was going to find her. Things had been going so smoothly until now. I had proposed to her, in what I believe was merely weeks ago. It had gone completely wrong, of course, but we had both laughed so much that it didn't matter. We were both filled with the feeling of ecstasy and both so excited, something we later expressed in our own way. I heard a pair of footsteps drawing closer to me, the sound of their voices echoing in the small room. Even though they were only speaking in whispers, they seemed to forget that I was still alive and able to hear perfectly well. Seeing, well, that was another thing.
"It's a shame about Mr. Armando" I heard one of the voices whisper. Their voice sounded like one of the nurses I had heard before, but I couldn't be sure.
"Yes" The other voice replied, a little higher than the last "I heard his girlfriend is going to be visiting again anytime soon." I heard my heart pick up a slight speed at their words. Mia, she as coming here again. I couldn't be sure how many times she had came, I may have been asleep during one of her visits, but I knew that she visited regularly. Nearly every time I woke up and was able to feel the sunlight from the window on the back of my eyes, she was here. The brightness of the room was my only clock, but it was good enough to tell me when she would visit again.
"Have you heard about her?" The first nurse asked, her voice lowering "I hear she's not eating well."
"She's been very pale lately" The other nurse agreed "She's been violently sick nearly every time she's been here.""And yet, she still comes." I felt my heart throb and my mind swim with visions of what she might look like now. It was my fault, my fault and I knew it. I hadn't been asked to be placed in a coma but I knew that she was constantly worrying about me, making herself ill, and there was nothing I could do about it. I wanted to curl my hands into fists, to punch my hand against the wall and rip out the IV from my arm. But, of course, this god forsaken coma restricted me from even that.
"Ah, Ms. Fey" I heard one of the nurses say, her voice louder. I felt my heart jump inside my chest, thrilled that Mia was here.
"Hello" I heard her gentle voice whisper. Her voice sounded rough and tired, not what I was used to. "He's still asleep" She sighed heavily, her voice cracking. It was a sentence she had said far too often, every time she visited. 'He's still asleep, he's still asleep, still asleep, asleep…' The words rang through my head, a continues torture.
"I'm afraid so" I heard a nurse say "You look rough" she changed the subject quickly.
"I haven't been sleeping very well" she admitted "Or eating very well or…anything."
"I understand" The nurse whispered "This must be hard for you." Mia was silent before I heard her begin to sob, her crying piercing me like a spear. I would have given anything, in that moment, to have been out of that coma. I would have been able to hold her, to stop her from crying. It literally killed me knowing that I couldn't comfort her, not being able to tell her I could hear her, that I was ok, that I loved her more than anything. "I'll get you something" I heard the nurse say, scattering my thoughts "I'll leave you alone." I heard the door close with a click and hear the scraping of a chair across the floor. I felt a cold hand press against my forehead and run through my hair. The feeling sent a shiver through me and willed to lean into her hand, but failed.
"Diego" I heard Mia whisper my name, her voice smoother than silk. I wanted to reply to her, I willed desperately to say her name, to hear my own voice. The hand ran down my arm, her fingertips playing gently on my flesh. I knew she knew that I liked that as the bleeping of the monitor sped. I heard her chuckle lightly, continuing to run her fingers across my skin.
"I know your awake, Diego" she whispered, a smile in her voice "You mustn't give up on me, never ever." She held her hand tightly in mine, pressing my palm to cradle her face. I felt her hot tears run across my knuckles, another stab to the heart. I felt like a piece of paper, being ripped over and over again until there was nothing left. But I knew Mia's words were true. I couldn't give up on her, I couldn't just take the easy way out. After all, the last thing on earth the mattered was depending on me.
"Don't think I'll go easy on you when you wake up" I heard Mia whisper, all sense of tears faded. I wasn't quite sure what she meant until I felt her run her fourth finger over my palm, the hard metal of her ring caressing my skin. "Remember? A honeymoon in Barbados, that's what you promised" She chuckled. I remember those exact words, the words I had said in what seemed like years ago. I had told her of our honeymoon, the beaches, the scenes, the champagne. I told her about how our wedding would be, how beautiful she would look in a smooth, silk white dress. How we'd cut the cake and she'd throw the bouquet. My words had painted a picture in her head, a picture she was not willing to give up. Nor was I. I would be true to my word, like any man should be. I wasn't going to back out, not after the promise I had made to her. Mia sighed heavily and I had a feeling she was thinking along the same lines as me. Imagining what would have happened, what could have happened, had I not been plunged into darkness but that evil bitch. Dahlia. I swear that when I got out of this coma, if I ever did, I would hunt her down and give her a taste of her own poison. No one had talked about her here at the hospital, so I wasn't quite aware of what the situation was.
"You look so peaceful when you sleep" Mia whispered softly, interrupting my thoughts. I wanted to smile at her words but no smile came to my face. I could easily remember Mia's face when she was sleeping and she too looked peaceful. She looked even more unbelievable beautiful when she slept next to me, her lips parted slightly, her chest rising and falling heavily. The thought made me sleepy again, hazing my mind. But I resisted, wanting to spend as much time with Mia as possible, while she was here.
"I got you a little something, Diego" She said quickly as I heard the unzipping of her purse, the rustling as her hand dug inside. I felt something cold and hard press against my hand, making me jump, inside my mind of course. "It's a magmata" She whispered dryly, her voice cracking a little "It's back from Kurain village, Maya wanted to give it to you. She said that it will help keep us close, while your far away." I listened intently to her words, focused on the cold thing on my arm. "She said that whenever we are apart, you'll be able to hold this, and feel my heart." I tried to move my fingers, to wrap them around the 'magmata' in my hand. But nothing happened. I was powerless against this long sleep. I felt Mia's hand gently squeeze mine, knowing that she was right next to me and yet, as she said, I felt so far away from her. I couldn't see her, I couldn't feel her, I couldn't kiss her. I felt like I was buried.
"I love you" I heard her whispered, pressing her forehead against mine, her sweet breath washing over me. She kissed my hair before I felt her flesh slowly move from mine, her hand slipping away, leaving the cold, smooth magmata in my hand. I tried desperately to grab hold of her wrist, to tell her not to go, but everything seemed pointless now. I heard the sound of her heels clack as she walked across the laminate floor, out of my tiny room, out into the world. Something I longed desperately to do. But I wish, oh I wish, of all the times I could've woken up, it would have been then. I so desperately wanted to wake up but I suppose, at the time, I didn't know. I was not only the fact that I didn't know that restraint me but the fact that I would fail even if I tried. I didn't know that it would be the last time I ever truly knew Mia Fey. The last time I knew her, alive.
