I wanted to reply to everyone at the same time, so there will be no problem: as you know, I am French and English is not my first language, far from it. Before June 2015, I didn't speak english at all, I couldn't hold a conversation, I couldn't write or listening, speaking in english, nothing. I improved my english thanks to these fanfictions and friends, who help me as they can. I know I still make many mistakes, but for me, writing fanfictions is my way to learn english. Before that, I was using translation sites, today I only use my words and I'm still learning every day. I just wanted to ask you to be kind to me, or any fictioners that are making some mistakes in their chapters and whose native language isn't english. End of rant (this wasn't a yell but you get the idea).
I still hope that despite my mistakes you'll enjoy this chapter that I wrote with love and passion (and some 'I'll be AGAIN the devil itself'), and that you will leave me a review to tell me what you thought :)
Thank you very much for reading me!
CHAPTER 11: April 2005
Matt was in total panic, and they could hear this by the accelerated rhythm of the respirator, but also his heart monitor. His sister felt bad for him. He began to sign again, tears in his eyes.
What's going on ?
"Emily?"
The nurse almost jumped, focused on Matt. Christie didn't know what to say to his brother.
"Yes?"
"He's aking what's going on... And I don't know what to say..."
She burst into tears again in Kelly's arms, while the nurse approached Matt softly.
"You had an accident Matt. It did a lot of damage to your body, especially your brain. Your memory will come back soon, don't worry."
She smiled at him, although she didn't want to. Slowly but surely, Matt's heart rate lowered, and his breathing steadied.
What happened to me?
Emily turned to Christie, requesting translation.
"He's asking what happened to him."
She nodded and turned back to Matt, smiling to try to calm him down.
"You had a car accident. You've opted to save your girlfriend, but it was you who was hit by the car.''
Matt looked at the ceiling, trying to sort through his memories.
In my memory, it's Andy who has been hit.
"He says that in his memory, it's not him but Andy who has been hit."
"Oh my God..."
Everyone turned to Kelly. He had passed his hand over his mouth.
"What is Kelly?"
He opened his mouth, unable to speak for several seconds.
"April 16th, 2005. This is the day when Andy, our third brother, has been hit by a car when we had been called on a house fire. Matt, this is it? This is your last memory?"
Matt took the time to nod. He had lost his memories on nearly a decade.
How is Andy? Matt signed, eyes closing dangerously.
"Hey Matt, Rest the time it takes, okay? We'll have this conversation later. You have to regain strength", Christie explained.
He shook his head 'no', but he struggled not to close his eyes. Kelly approached him and patted his right shoulder slightly.
"Don't struggle. Rest, you need it."
Matt didn't have the strength to stay awake anymore. He closed his eyes, plunging into a deep sleep. At the same time, the ventilator sounded briefly. Emily approached the screen to see what was happening.
"He sleeps deeply", the nurse stated.
"And you can say that according to the respirator?"
"He's not breathing on his own and doesn't fight tu tube.''
Kelly opened his mouth but no sound came out.
"He... I should call Shay. She uh... She's at Lakeshore."
"I have to go to work. You keep me updated?'' Christie asked wiping the tears that were streaming down her cheeks.
He nodded, while Emily put her hand on his shoulder.
"Press the button if necessary. I'm on duty until tomorrow morning.''
Christie went out, followed by Emily, who turned abruptly to Kelly.
"And try to get some sleep. You look like a zombie."
She smiled and went out too, leaving him alone with Matt. She was right, he was very tired. Then he laid his head on the sheets near the left hand of Matt, and closed his eyes to sleep...
Matt opened his eyes again two hours later, almost completely awake. He turned his eyes to Kelly who was sleeping peacefully his head on the bed, snoring slightly. He wanted to smile: he had never heard Kelly snoring. It was a quiet song, invading the space, but peaceful. Not without difficulty, he raised his left arm and placed it on Kelly's head, ruffling his hair affectionately. He heard a groan and the snoring stopped. His head straightened as he rubbed his eyes, and Matt frowned while his left side ached horribly since Kelly had straightened. His heart beat faster, in harmony with the pain. He closed his eyes, squinting and letting out a tear, a tear of pain.
"Hey Matt? You're in pain right?"
He didn't wait for an answer, he knew. He had felt Matt's hand on his hair, and he had risen quite sharply, probably causing this pain he felt. He pressed the button and a minute later, Emily came into the room.
"We can not ease the pain? He is in pain right now."
"Unfortunately he is already at the maximum level of painkillers."
The nurse felt bad for Matt. She couldn't give him more painkillers. She came up with an idea in mind. She looked into the cart next to the bedroom door, then came back when she found what she wanted.
" What is it?" Kelly asked.
"I presume he moved his left arm? Since it's no longer in its place."
"Yes, he... He woke me up. Why ?"
"Some days ago when he had that little infection in the arm..."
"Yes, so?"
"It takes time to heal you know? A wrong move or too suddenly can cause painful spasms."
She raised the syringe she was holding in her hand.
"I can not give him painkillers, but I can give him muscle relaxant."
She injected the product in the IV and let it take effect. After a few endless seconds, Matt's heart rate decreased, his eyes opened again without a frown this time. Emily smiled.
"Hello!"
He closed his eyes and moved his head toward Kelly.
"You move, you're in pain. So don't move. Alright?"
He feigned a nod, trying to make him understand that he understood.
"Good ! Are you awake enough to call the doctor?"
Matt frowned. Kelly pursed his hand so he turned his head towards him.
"You feel ready to see the doc?"
Again, Matt talked his way. He coughed along the tube stuck in his throat, which made Kelly laugh. "He is ready!"
Emily didn't fully understand how these two friends were communicating, but she knew, in her heart, that Kelly was right. He was ready.
"Just by couching, you know he's ready?"
''Let's see : he has apparently associated to the doctor to 'remove this tube to my throat'. So yes. He coughs, he wants the tube out."
The nurse smiled, finally understanding why Kelly had laughed.
"Unfortunately, we can't remove the tube right now."
She called the doctor and took the opportunity to check all the machines around him and his bandages, particularly his left side. By putting the bandages out slightly, Kelly let out a cry of horror. Part of his scar tissues had broken, probably when he had straightened while Matt still had his hand through his hair.
"That's why he was in pain.''
Matt tried to understand, but as he didn't see his left hand, he frowned again.
"Your skin is fragile here. Hence the pain. "
Seeing that Kelly was trying to communicate as simply as possible, she did the same, wishing that Matt understood what she said. The door opened and let Dr. Riley appear. Matt turned his head slightly, saw him and coughed once again, which made the doctor smile and laugh.
"I'm glad to be remembered that way!"
He approached the breathing machine and noticed that Matt was breathing almost normally, without additional help.
''Can you breathe for me?''
Matt didn't understand what was happening, at least not really.
"Trust me, just breathe."
Despite the fact that he still had this tube down his throat, Matt tried to take a deep breath.
"Hep hep! Just... Small and shallow okay? Not too deep. Your injuries don't allow it."
Matt obeyed and took some small breaths.
"I'll do some tests, okay? To see if I can remove the tube easily."
Matt blinked, allowing the doctor and the nurse working on him. Riley took his stethoscope and placed it near Matt's heart.
"Breathe as normally as possible."
Matt was very nervous. He iddn't go often to hospital, and he felt uncomfortable when he was there as a patient. But he still obeyed once again.
"Good. I think it's time. This tube can be removed."
Matt's gaze brightened aimmediately.
"I'm not agreeing doctor."
The doctor turned to the nurse with a dark look.
''Excuse me?!''
"You don't see it as he is conscious, but when he is asleep, he isn't breathing at all. There are no reflex. Extubate him now will cause much damage. Moreover, he tolerates this mode."
"This mode?"
"The smart ventilation".
"Well... Alright. We will wait a little. I'll come back later. Mister looks very tired."
The nurse and doctor Riley left the room, leaving Matt to rest a little before continuing to run tests. Kelly continued to caress Matt's hand while he drifted to sleep. He took the opportunity to call Shay who was at Lakeshore near Gabby and Antonio.
"Kelly?"
"Hey Shay, you okay?"
"Yes, a little tired. And you and Matt?"
"Tired too, and Matt is asleep now. Dr. Riley wanted to extubate but the nurse convinced him to not do it."
"What do you mean?"
"When he's awake, he is breathing normally with the ventilator, but..."
"But what?"
"I..."
He did not know how to talk about his feelings.
"I don't know, I'm worried."
Waiting for an answer from Shay, he paused. But with no answer, he continued.
"He... Matt seems to have problems to understand. I mean, as soon as there are too many words or complex words, he didn't seem to understand what we say and every time, we have to simplify the sentence so that he understands. Riley thinks it's because he's too groggy, but I don't think the same. And when he sleeps, he doesn't breathe on his own."
"And... And you have spoken to him?"
"Not yet. We will see that when he'll run the rest of the tests he wanted to do."
At the other end of the phone, Shay was becoming worried too about Matt.
"And Gabby?"
"Uh... She uh... She's still unconscious. Doctors took him to run some neurological tests to find out why she doesn't wake up."
Shay was really torn between anger and sadness. She didn't know whether to scream to evacuate all the fear and anger inside of her, or cry to evacuate sadness. He hung up and looked at Matt. He was awake again, but was so groggy that he didn't even make the effort to breathe.
"Matt, you need to rest. Okay? We'll talk later."
Matt shook his head from side to side. Kelly sighed. Yeah, his stubborn little brother was back.
"Do this to your big brother Kelly.''
Matt closed his eyes. That made Kelly smile.
"That's one of the first times I've seen you give up against me!"
He opened his eyes. It was hard to understand, but at least see Kelly smile made him smile. He stopped and looked serious.
"Go back to sleep. If you want this tube out, you have to sleep and regain strength."
Matt tried to nod, but too tired, he closed his eyes without any gesture.
At Lakeshore, Antonio had just arrived in the room, surprised to see no bed, and so her little sister.
"Shay, where is Gabby?"
Shay jumped, she didn't even hear Antonio enter the room.
"Uh... Doctors took her to... Run some tests."
She wiped the tears streaming down her cheeks. She cried since Kelly had called earlier. Antonio frowned and approached Shay, sat down on the chair and took her hand.
"Shay... What happened?"
She took a deep breath and prepared herself mentally.
"Kelly called. And..."
She didn't even manage to finish her sentence. But Antonio realized it was serious. He picked up his phone and called urgently Kelly because Shay couldn't speak.
"Kelly?" called Antonio after the first ring when he answered.
"Hi Antonio", Kelly greeted murmuring.
"Why are you whispering?"
"Wait a seconds."
He waited a few seconds before having an answer again.
"I'm in the hallway. Matt is asleep. Go ahead."
"Uh... Shay is bad. And I don't know what to do."
"What do you mean ? I just have her on the phone."
"She's in tears, and she just said that you called so... So I called you. There is a problem with Matt?"
For several seconds there was no sound. You could have heard a pin drop.
"It's just that... Something's wrong. He..."
Antonio heard Kelly sigh. He seemed to search for words.
"When he is awake, he breathes on his own, but when he sleeps, he can't. And... And when we speak, if the sentence is complicated, he doesn't understand."
"Oh my God..."
He put one hand to his lips, shocked.
"It's not the worst."
"What could be worse than that? Amnesia maybe?"He tried to joke.
But when there was no answer at the other end, just silence, he realized his mistake. He understood what was happening.
"Oh no, don't tell me that-"
"It is" Kelly interrupted, almost in tears. "His last memory was in April 2005".
Antonio tried to gather all the pieces of the puzzle. And when it was done, he almost collapsed to the ground.
"Kelly, you mean that... that..."
"Yes. For him, Gabby doesn't even exist."
He slid his phone out of his hand, dropping it to the ground and it shatter. The world collapsed aroung him.
