When I woke up a fine mist was still falling. My clothes were soaked and my head was throbbing. I slowly lifted my head to look around me and everything began spinning. My legs and arms were numb and felt as if they were weighted down. As I lay in the mud I attempted to figure out what to do but that wasn't possible. As hard as I tried to concentrate I couldn't focus. My head hurt and it felt so heavy. On top of that my vision was very blurry, I could barely see anything. I lifted my hand and rested it across my forehead. My head felt as if it was on fire. I moaned and that sent me into a fit of coughing. I laid there for almost an hour before darkness reclaimed me.
I am not sure how long I was unconscious; it may have been a few hours of days. From what others tell me I was missing for five days. I hardly remember anything. What I do remember seems like a horrific nightmare. Every tiny raindrop that splashed onto the ground sounded like a waterfall cascading down a cliff. With every movement pain shot through my body. My fever steadily increased and with that came delirium. Once I saw my father, at first he seemed so kindly so I crawled to him, but when I reached him he disappeared. I heard his laugh behind me. I turned and my eyes couldn't focus on him. I rubbed them and when I looked again he was gone. I tried to drag myself to the spot he had been but my body was unwilling to move. Mustering all the strength I had I managed to pull myself a few feet; but then I felt the ground dropping from beneath me. If I had been more alert I would have realized that I was about to tumble down a steep incline. I hardly noticed as I began crashing down the hillside. When I hit the bottom I blacked out.
Large raindrops began splashing against my face. I groaned as I slowly regained consciousness. I took a shaky breath and I almost blacked out again as a stabbing pain shot through my chest. My chest hurt incredibly but more than that I couldn't breathe. I tried not to cry as that would only intensify the pain. I didn't care anymore; I just wanted the pain to go away. I was miles away from anyone; there was no chance of me getting any help. I just wanted to die. I laid my head against the ground and allowed the darkness to take me away from the pain.
I opened my eyes and saw Hawkeye standing next to me. What is he doing here? He extended his hand to help me up. I grabbed it and he pulled me on my feet. Then I realized I was no longer in Korea but in the backyard of a lovely Victorian home. I looked around me and saw that to the right of the house there was a steep cliff dropping into the ocean. To the left there was a fence bordering the woods. Near the house there was a picnic table with dishes spread out around it.
"Come on." Hawkeye said to me, smiling. "I'm starving!"
I couldn't figure out what I was doing there. Was I dead?
"Lunchtime!" Hawkeye yelled loudly, towards the woods. Who was he calling? I sat down as Hawkeye scooted onto the bench next to me. He wrapped his arm around my shoulders and smiled at me.
"Is something wrong Margaret?" He asked looking at me curiously. I couldn't respond. What could I say?
The laughter of children caught my attention and I turned around. I saw two small children racing towards the table. My eyes filled with tears. I knew I couldn't be dead, those were my children. I turned and looked at the man seated next to me. No, they weren't my children…they were our children.
A loud clap of thunder snapped me back into reality. It was starting to rain heavily, but I tried not to notice. My lungs were on fire but I rolled onto my stomach and once again began to pull myself. I wasn't sure where I was headed, but I had to stay alive. I paused and looked around. I saw something in the distance. My heart began to race. There was a hut within fifty feet of me! I tried to call for help but the pain almost caused me to lose consciousness. I attempted to drag myself a little further but a dark fog began to enclose around me. I tried to fight it off, I was so close! There was nothing I could do. I collapsed onto the ground.
I began to regain consciousness much later. As I did I was aware of a blanket covering my body. I cautiously took a deep breath, it hurt but I could breathe! As I woke up I became aware of several other things. I felt a lumpy mattress beneath me, and my head was resting on a small pillow. I could hear two people whispering next to me. I tried to open my eyes but they seemed to be glued shut. I shifted my weight and a moan slipped through my lips. The whispering stopped suddenly.
"Margaret?" It was Hawkeye. Tears sprang to my eyes, which seemed to loosen my eyelids. "Margaret, can you hear me?"
He picked up my hand and squeezed it. I opened my eyes slowly, squinting at the bright lights. Everything was so blurry. I tried to focus my eyes, as I did they rested on Hawkeye. He smiled, bent down and kissed me gently on my forehead.