Chapter 5
Jack's feet carried him back and forth into the corridor of the hospital, one hand into his hair and another to his mouth – he occasionally bit on his right thumb nail in impatience. He soon wouldn't be having much of a nail anymore. He didn't usually do this, nail biting.
He sat himself down on one of the chairs against the wall and suddenly thought of something. He easily reached into his pocket with the hand that had been ruffling through his hair before then and retrieved his phone. Chloe would like to be informed… but maybe he should wait for more about Renee's condition. He immediately noticed the screen gone inanimate. His damned phone must have turned off by lack of battery… so no one could be informed until it had gotten recharged either way. Jack couldn't possibly reproduce any of the oh so many numbers sitting in it himself.
Jack looked up and back down the corridor in search for any indication of time, but found none within sight. Renee had been alone with the doctor and one of the nurses for quite a while already. He sighed, eyes directed down to his toes.
Jack's head shot up at a sound nearby… but it wasn't Renee's door. He nodded, to a woman in mid-fifties leaving the room next to Renee's. He quietly followed her with his eyes, wondering whom she could have visited – having been there for about a week now, almost 24/7, had made him more compassionate about others in the same situation.
Jack began rapping his fingers onto his thigh. He didn't quite get why he couldn't have remained with Renee. The nurse that had come, had gone to fetch the doctor immediately at the notice of Renee's eyes open, restlessly flashing around while being overwhelmed by basically everything. He had caressed her hand, while talking to her in soft tones. It had pained him to find her not recognizing him; eyes wide and scared.
He sighed. It hadn't been that odd at last maybe: him having been shushed into the corridor. While doing his best to reassure her, the three words had left his mouth, "I love you." Upon that, Renee's hand had squirmed into his, not quite energetic enough to retract, and her eyes had filled with tears. She hadn't been able to reply him. Jack now realized that it must be awkward to hear someone say that whom you didn't even recognize. That's right when the nurse had returned with the doctor, and of course she had thought it better, to let him leave the room for a while.
He began tapping one foot as well, and the other joined in soon, as he quietly leaned back his head and looked up at the ceiling. The sound of yet another door shutting behind someone immediately made his head refocus on Renee's hospital door. The nurse and doctor that had been with Renee, carefully shut the door behind them. Jack rose, attentively directing his eyes at both: first at the nurse and after that at the doctor, while waiting for either to do the talking.
The nurse gave him a smile, then left. The doctor began divulging, Jack's full attention directed to him. "She's calmer now. Ms. Walker's eyes have motioned here a couple of times, so I would assume that it is okay to see her."
"How's she?" Jack questioned, as anticipated.
"She's incapable to react to most stimuli," Dr. Madé admitted. "I'm not quite sure how much she's going to regain yet, or how fast this is going to happen. Some abilities she may regain faster than others. That shall become more obvious with time, but there's a chance she'll never be the old again." Jack sighed, defeated. "She's, however, still young and healthy," Dr. Madé continued. "And she's been into the coma for less than ten days. That of course gives her better chances to regain everything, without any lasting damage. I, however, must say not many are that lucky, and therefore I'm bound to give you every option." Jack nodded. "Her day and night rhythm has most likely gotten disturbed. It could take at least a couple of days for Ms. Walker to fall back into that pattern and divide day and night. Therefore, it is very normal if she rests at day and is awake at night. She'll, however, be asleep most of the time for now either way. She'll be taken to another, individual hospital room on another ward later today."
Jack nodded again, as the doctor in charge disappeared into the same direction as the nurse had earlier. Instead of going back to Renee, he remained alone in the corridor for a while, just letting everything penetrate. Of course he had known, that there would be the chance that Renee wouldn't be the old, loveable one ever again, no matter if modifications took effect physically, intellectually, or psychologically.
The thought of that, in fact, scared him, even though nothing would make him discontinue loving her. He quietly walked into the room and found Renee asleep like Dr. Madé had warned. A smile came across his lips for a second as Jack awkwardly sat down on his seat beside her bed once again. That was where he really needed to be right now. Chloe would have to wait.
He lovingly watched her while asleep. She momentarily twitched, as Jack almost automatically reached for her hand like before. She then allowed his touch and rested. Jack's ocean colored eyes fixed on her, as he laid another hand upon hers, too. He tenderly bowed his head, letting his forehead rest against his lover's hand, like he had done more than once in the past couple of days.
Please, he begged, to no one in particular.
"I love you," he whispered. "I love you so much." And this time, she didn't begin panicking upon hearing these words. And Jack hoped that next time that he would say them, his Renee would be as peacefully undisturbed as now and awake. He didn't quite think about hearing her return it yet. He already got that first she needed to get used to being awake again: to see, to hear, to smell, to feel everything again. He imagined, it must be quite overwhelming. He would have to give it some time. For Renee, he would give the rest of his life.