Road Trip To The Destiny

by pat-pijig

If you're destined to be somewhere, no matter which road you take, you’ll be there. He maybe lost, he may be sidetracked, but he’ll eventually find his way home.

15. Chapter 15

Road Trip To The Destiny - 15

Reba took a ride in the ambulance. She kept calling his name, hoping he would respond with no avail; Brock remained unconscious. As the paramedic wheeled Brock into emergency, Reba never let go of his hand.

"Mom, what happened?" Cheyenne, Kyra and Jake came to visit. Van, Barbra Jean and the young kids were waiting their turn outside in the waiting area.

"He's in a coma, 'cause by pneumonia. He didn't feel well when we were at the hotel, but he still went out in the rain when I had a fever to get me some medicine. He was busy taking care of me and neglected his own health. He used his body to protect me from the cold wind on the ride back home. He held on until he was sure that I was safe. And he collapsed." Reba explained to the kids while tears rolled down her cheeks. "I should have known; he was tired. He kept himself awake to make sure I had a good night sleep. I should have let him rest. I should have paid more attention to how he felt." Brock also had a broken leg; his bike crushed one of his legs when he fell. Barbra Jean and the kids took turns mentally supporting Reba. Brock was in a coma and under doctor's care, but Reba whom just recovered from the fever, wasn't going anywhere.

"Mom, you've got to eat!" Kyra tried to make her mom eat something after a whole day in the hospital. Reba didn't even have any solid food in her body. They had to drag Reba to the cafeteria because she couldn't eat in the Intensive Care Unit.

"But what if he wakes up and doesn't see anyone?"

"Cheyenne will be here to let him know that you're in the cafeteria when he wakes up."

"But I want to be here when he wakes up."

"If you don't eat, then he might not get to see you wake up. You need food and plenty of rest."

"But your dad..."

"He has a feeding tube, and he's sleeping. Don't you worry about him. Take care of yourself." Kyra persisted; she was worried about both her parents. Reba walked to Brock's side, and planted a kiss on his forehead.

"I'll be back soon, I promised." She whispered before leaving the ICU to get a quick bite to eat. She took half a spoon of soup and she rushed Kyra to get back.

"No mom, we're not going anywhere until you finish that bowl of soup." Kyra stayed firm. Reba almost shoved everything in her mouth to finish it as soon as possible to return to see Brock. But Kyra slowed her down. "Mom, dad wouldn't be happy if he knew that you didn't take care of yourself. You are doing this to yourself after he nursed you back to health? He put his sickness aside to make sure you're fine. How do you think he'd like it if he found out that you neglected taking care of the love of his life?" Kyra sighed. "If you love him, and want to see him again, you have to eat and rest. You don't want him to wake up to find out that you too are in coma, do you?"

Reba noted ever words that Kyra said; 'If you love him'. Of course she loved him. But she hadn't told him yet. Why didn't she tell him? She should have told him. How happy would he be if she had told him? Reba took the time to finish her bowl of soup, and she went back to see him. She sat and stared at him until a nurse told her to go home, visiting hours were over.

"I'll come back tomorrow. I have a lot of things to tell you, wake up and talk to me tomorrow, okay?" She whispered, hoping he would hear what she had to say. "I love you." She kissed him on his forehead before leaving with Kyra, who volunteered to take care of her. Cheyenne was pregnant, and she too had to take care of herself, Barbra Jean would take care of Henry and Jake. They all prayed for Brock to regain his consciousness soon.

Reba tossed and turned in her bed. She missed his embrace; she missed falling asleep in his arms. She missed him. She tried to rest, because Brock would only be upset if he knew she was worried about him and didn't take care of herself. She tried to think about the happy time they shared. That only brought tears in her eyes, why didn't she treasure them? Why did she let it pass? When they went to visit her parents, how many times did he try to hug her and she just struggled to get out. She wanted him to hug her now, but now he couldn't. If he could just wrap his arms around her again, she would never move, for fear that she would never have that chance to be in his embrace again. She looked at the pillowcase that said 'I wish I was here. Love Brock.' and she broke down. She wished he was here too. She couldn't sleep in her own room. She went and slept on the couch, but she took the pillow that was supposed to be his with her to the couch. She cuddled with it all night and fell asleep with teardrops hanging in the corner of her eyes.

At a crack of dawn, Reba got up and went to have shower before waking Kyra up to drive her to the hospital. She wanted to go see Brock as soon as possible, just in case he woke up in the middle of the night and didn't see anyone. Reba went to the ICU; there he was, still sleeping peacefully, no sign of waking up.

"Brock honey, please wake up and talk to me. I have yet to tell you I love you. Please wake up and hear me." She pleaded. All she got in respond was his steady breath that showed that he still alive.

It was just last month that he tried to impress her. He gave her a day of his service, and she made him do all the dirty work. If only she would have that again, she would tell him to just hold her hand. He gave her 27 'Yes Dear' cards and he would do everything she commanded, and she said she would ask him to go away. Now she wanted to use all those cards for a minute that he would wake up and be with her. He gave her a jar full of messages saying why he loved her. She should have done the same and told him why she loved him. There was a scrapbook and a notebook that held their sweet memories and he said he wished they could do that again. If only he would wake up, she would make sure to recreate all those sweet moments with him.

"I give you my word,
I swear that I will;
Love you until,
time stands still
Forever I'm yours;
for better or worse
I'll stand before God and give you my word
Oh, I do... Give you my word"

Reba cupped his cheek with her trembling hand and sang to him, she didn't remember the whole song; she only remembered that part. And she gave him her word that she too would love him until time stood still. He asked her to slow dance with him and she said no. Now she wanted to dance with him, but he wouldn't be able to dance with a broken leg. She shouldn't have said no. She should have just stepped into his arms and indulged every second with him.

'It is better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved at all. But it's even better when you get the love you thought you've lost back in your arms.' She could only pray that God would give her another chance, and she would make sure not to lose him again. She would hold him tight. And there's also a jigsaw puzzle he gave her, she would put the last piece in and make it a complete picture, and she would show it to him when he open his eyes. She could picture his reaction when he see it; he would smile, and he would pulled her into his arms and kissed her tenderly. Lord, how she yearned for him to kiss her again.

He always loved kissing her. Reba smiled through her tears thinking about the bill for the meal he lovingly prepared. She paid it with an IOU. She should have paid it with loving kisses when she had her chance, and she should have given him plenty of tips.

"When you wake up, I'll pay you for every meal I ever ate, every snack I took. It'll take me eternity to pay off all my debt. But I don't mind. And I'm looking forward to you collecting every single one of them." Reba determined while planting a loving kiss at the corner of his lips. If he wasn't in coma, he would turn his head over and try to deepen the kiss. She knew, he always tried, and from now on, she would let him. She wouldn't mind if he would steal a kiss or two, and maybe she would steal some from him too.

"I hope you can hear me saying this. Reba misses Brock, and Reba loves Brock too, with all her heart." She whispered next to his ear. A tear dropped next to his pillow.

She remained by his side for him to wake up and tell her he loved her again, and she would reply with the same statement. Dear Lord, how she longed to hear his voice again. However, four days went by, still no sign of him regaining his consciousness. The family began to worry about her health. She hardly ate, and she hardly slept. She would come to see him the moment they let her in, and leave only when they asked her to leave.

"Mom, please don't do this to yourself." Kyra plead. Her mom woke her up to drive her to the hospital like every day. She didn't mind, but she also wanted her mom to have a good rest. Reba had been sleeping on the couch since Brock was in the hospital. She was exhausted.

"He would wake up today Kyra, I know he would. I want to be there when he wakes up so he wouldn't feel all alone." Reba had been telling herself everyday that today he would wake up. However, it had been five days now, and she continued to hope. One of these days, he would wake up. Kyra drove her to the hospital, and like every day, Reba would tell her to go back home, she would be fine being left alone with Brock and to pick her up after the visiting hours. Kyra would come back at lunch, to make sure her mom had something to eat, and again at dinnertime. As Kyra was leaving after dinner, one of the nurses approached her and told her not to come back for her mom. They would let her stay overnight with Brock.

Reba never lost hope. She sat by his side talking to him as if he could hear her. She told him that she loved him, and would continue to love him even after that fake rose died. She kissed him just about anywhere she could. She fiddled with the ring he gave her; she reminisced about the night they walked along the beach under the moonlight, listening to the sounds of waves hitting the shore. He sang a beautiful song to her before putting this ring on her finger.

I give you my word,
I swear that I will;
Love you until,
time stands still
Forever I'm yours;
for better or worse
I'll stand before God and give you my word
Oh, I do... Give you my word

"You mo-ron, you promise me you'll grow old with me, then why don't you get up and do what you promised?" Reba buried her face in his chest; soaking his hospital gown with her tears, weakly pounding his shoulder. "I don't want to be alone, I want you here with me. Please wake up and tell me you love me as much as I love you. Please open your eyes and look at me... Please..." Brock's chest still heaved up and down steady and no sign of gaining his consciousness not matter how much she cried and begged. He still didn't respond. All Reba could do now was pray. She prayed that God would return him to her, to give her one more chance, just one more chance, and she would never take him for granted ever again. She would treasure every second with him as if it was the last.

"Heaven please, don't take him away from me." She was down on her knees and she prayed. Dear Lord, please answer her lonely prayer.