Kim decided to do her daily examination of her sister-in-law before any of the rest of the family filtered their way to the hospital. While Kira had shown some response to pain she still hadn't seemed to get any closer to waking up. Kim hadn't told the rest that once Kira had reached the one month mark without reviving that her prognosis for her eventual recovery was no longer as optimistic. The longer that Kira remained in her coma now the less chance she had for a full recovery.
Kim carefully went about her examination while telling Kira what she was doing at each step along the way. She started off with her pin light and shone them in Kira's eyes. It was a routine act that she's done countless times, not just for Kira but for other patients as well. This time she paused as she processed what she wasn't quite sure what she saw. Kim waited a moment then flicked the light back across Kira's field of vision once more. Finally, after more than a month, her pupils reacted. Not by a lot, but it was an ever so slight reaction.
"Kira? I'm not sure if you can hear me but I have to believe that you are fighting to get back. Keep fighting. Alright? That's something that I know you have done your whole life so I know you are a fighter. So I'm askin' you to keep fighting." Kim moved to test Kira's reflexes and was a little disappointed when there was no reaction. Still, she had to hold on to the fact that she had seen a positive result when she checked her eyes. That was one more step to recovery. "I'll be back in a couple of hours, Kira. I know that Jebb is bringing the kids by before they head to see his parents for the holidays. I even think that the kids have something special for you."
Kim rolled Kira onto her side, giving the impression that the woman was hugging her extra pillows, and checked to make sure that she hadn't developed any new bedsores. "If you asked me, though, I think that the only thing that those kids want for Christmas would be for you to wake up. You keep workin' on that and I'll do what I can to help you when you do, alright?"
Kim then left the room while saying what had to be the millionth prayer since Halloween. How had it gotten to the weekend before Christmas already? At least she could share with her husband that there was a small change today. She knew that he worried for his sister and tried to reach her several times a day. She wasn't sure about the ins and outs of their connection but she somehow felt that Bo would likely be the first to be able to really reach Kira. The fact that even he hadn't in the months since Kira's attack had been perhaps the most disheartening in the whole ordeal.
Jebb carried Crystal as the boys walked out in front of him as they walked the halls that had become a part of their daily lives. He barely even noticed the decorations that lined the halls that were meant to make the place more cheery. When the small family entered Kira's room the boys walked over and gave Kira a hug each in greeting.
"Hey, Momma. We came to bring you a Christmas present." Mikey held a gift box that was wrapped haphazardly in paper with snowmen and snowflakes on it.
"You said I could open it!" Crystal said as she wiggled from her father's arms.
"I know that!" Mikey rolled his eyes and handed the present to his sister to open.
Crystal pulled the paper back from the clothing box and opened it up to reveal a new nightgown. "Tada! Since you are spending so much time in bed we thought that you might like a new one! Feel it! It's soft!"
Crystal held the gown to her mother's face and rubbed it against her cheek to let her feel how soft it was. Jay watched and saw his mother's eyes close for a moment before opening back up. He found it eerie that his mother's eyes could be open at times but she still wasn't awake. Was it wrong of him to wish that she'd keep her eyes closed until they left?
"I'll help change you into the new gown before we leave," Jebb said as he took the gown and laid it across the bed. "I just wanted to make sure that you got to be with the kids before we left out to see my parents. They're staying the week. I'll be back after Christmas, though."
Jebb and the children settled in for a visit, the boys taking their turns at reading The Christmas Carol. Jebb made sure that they'd finish the story today before they headed out of town for Placid County. Jebb sat next to the bed, holding his daughter with one arm while he instinctively reached out to hold Kira's hand while listening to the old Christmas story. As Jay read out the last line something caught Jebb's attention. He felt the feel of Kira's hand change ever so slightly.
"Kira?"
"What is it, Dad?" Mikey asked as he watched his father set his sister to the side and and focus on the woman in bed.
"I could have sworn that your mother gave my hand a slight squeeze." Jebb lifted his eyes to see that Kira's eyes were open. "Kira, if you can hear me, try to do that again. Just a little bit of pressure on my hand."
Jebb watched as Kira's eyes closed again, he wasn't sure if it was from concentration or if she had closed them coincidentally at the same time. That's why he didn't ask her to blink. She'd been doing that already. She hadn't tried to grab his hand before. Or whatever else it could be considered when he felt that pressure from her hand change. He watched for what felt like an eternity and was about to believe that he'd imagined the feeling of Kira's hand moving ever-so-slightly. Just before he was about to remove his hand to turn back toward the children he felt Kira's smallest finger shift on his palm.
Jebb sighed in relief and smiled. "I think I'd best go see if Kim's still here and let her know that you had another breakthrough."
Kim went back to her office after speaking with Jebb and briefly checked on her sister-in-law feeling both hope and dread for the next few months. Kira was no longer in her coma but that meant that the hard work of recovery was about to begin. Knowing her sister-in-law the recovery was going to be more than just a bit nerve-wracking for her. It will be a slow process since it appeared that due to her brain injury from the attack that she'd sustained from Shawn Kyle as well well as the coma that she'll have to relearn to do much of what she'll need to be independent once more.
Kim told Jebb and the kids that they should still go to Placid for Christmas. Kira would want them to. Not to mention, it would give her and the other doctors time to see just where Kira was at now and come up with a plan on how to help her during her rehabilitation in the coming months. Another thing that Kim needed to do was that she'll test for while Jebb and the kids were out of town to check for any deficits in memory. Given the substantial brain injury Kim would be surprised if there wasn't at least some deficit.
Jebb and the children were planning to leave from the hospital to head to Placid; though they now were planning to leave out a little later than they'd earlier planned. Kim promised to tell the rest of the family of the latest news. They were all going to have dinner at Luke and Jo's so Kim could tell them all at the same time.
Kim gathered up her belongings and went ahead and decided to head on out to the farm. The drive home was non-eventful and she pulled up to Luke and Jo's and saw that she was the last to show up. Kim got out of her car and quickly headed inside, immediately appreciating the warmth of the house on the cold evening.
Bo looked up from where he was stoking the flames of the fire in the fireplace and smiled up at his wife. He'd known that she was at the hospital but he'd expected her back at the farm just a bit earlier.
"Long day?"
"Just a bit. I did see Jebb and the kids before they headed out to Placid." Kim glanced around and saw that the rest of the adults in the family were in the kitchen so she motioned for Bo to join her. "I do have something to share with the family," Kim said as she and Bo made into the room. Her proclamation caught the attention of everyone immediately, causing all other conversation to come to a halt.
"Kira. Is something wrong?" Bo since he immediately thought of his sister.
"No. In fact, I have some good news. She's out of her coma. She was able to respond to Jebb and the kids today. I'll test her tomorrow to see just how much rehabilitation she'll be looking forward to. But for now, the good news is that she's awake and aware of what's going on."
Luke's face took on a look of concentration before he asked, "Just what do you mean by rehabilitation? Or that Kira was able to respond?"
Kim took in a breath as she sat at the kitchen table. Daisy stayed at the stove to keep watch over the night's dinner but the rest of the Dukes joined Kim.
"She was able to respond by answering questions with a light pressure with one of her fingers. She's been in a coma for a while and she has brain damage, just how much hasn't been determined. She'll have to learn how to use most of her muscles again. I'll start the tests tomorrow to see just how much of her deficits today was from fatigue after having just woken up from her coma and how much is from actually being under it as well as the attack from Shawn. I know I don't have to remind you that he did a real number on her. Now that she's awake I hope to find out just how badly the attack affected her."
Bo listened with half an ear as he tried to reach out to his sister without any luck. If she was awake why couldn't he get her to respond now?
Jesse scratched his head as he asked, "Is there anything that we can do?"
"Just be there for her. She'll be frustrated, angry, and likely depressed when she can't just get up and walk out of the hospital. We'll have to be understanding of it. Help her see the progress of her condition even when she can't. But if this family is good at doing one thing its being there for one another through anything that can come at us." Kim smiled at the truth of her last statement. It was that truth that made her feel truly fortunate to be a part of this family.
Kim then decided to change the subject. "So, did Coy get home safe today? He was supposed to get there today, right?"
Jesse nodded, "Coy called a couple of hours ago when he got back. He also told me that he put the presents that I sent with him for my brother and his wife under the tree. I just hope Abner and Bess like them."
Jo assured Jesse that she was sure that they would before she added, "I'm surprised how much of the house was cleaned up with Coy's help. You guys were able to demolish the top to floors and do some clean up of the main floor a lot quicker than I thought that you would."
"No since in wasting time. The winter is the best time for us to get most of this done, anyway. Once the spring starts with the planting it will take a lot longer to finish up the rebuild." Luke said as he got up to get the dishes together as he noticed that his cousin was nearly finished with their supper on the stove. This sent the rest of the family to start getting the table set for their evening meal. "With any luck, we'll at least have the first floor back to normal by the time spring comes."
"And by the time that Kira is well enough to leave the hospital," Bo added with optimism. "I'll go get the kids and tell 'em to wash up."
Kim almost told her husband and the rest of the family that the whole house was likely to be repaired before Kira would be ready to leave the house but she decided to hold her tongue. Tonight was about optimism. She'll let the sentiment sit for right now.