I'm still falling.
Wait, no I'm not. What?
I'm not falling. I'm lying on the hospital having an operation. I may be comatose but I know that much.
"Her heart rate is calming down," a doctor, says relieved. "Okay, move in to phase 4."
Phase 4?
Suddenly I'm not on the table anymore. Mentally, I mean. Obviously I'm still there, physically. But I'm suddenly I'm standing in a pale blue dress on the edge of a cliff, feeling the breeze blow past me, gently tousling my hair. I feel free. I hear distant laughter. I turn around and I see Trish, Dez and Austin at a park about 30 yards away. I watch them for a moment. Austin's on his guitar, running around the playground, singing. Trish is at the top of the climber, watching, laughing. Dez is... Dez is building a sandcastle. I'm watching, smiling.
AUSTIN'S POINT OF VIEW
"Ha," Dez yells. "I win! Straight flush." He puts down his cards, organized in to what I assume a Straight Flush is in poker.
"This is stupid," Trish says, putting her cards down.
"Yeah," I agree. "We don't even know how to play this game, Dez." I think I had 2 pairs, but I don't know.
"Now, hold on," Mr. Dawson says. "Dez, I have a royal flush." He puts his cards down to reveal it.
"Dang it," Dez sighs.
Trish and I laugh. "I'll be right back," I tell them. "I'm going to get another drink."
"I'll come, too," Trish says, getting up.
I smile.
Once we're out of earshot, Trish says, "Austin, what happened when you went to see her?"
I'm confused. "What do you mean?"
"I mean," she replies. "When I went in there before the surgery, she was kind of happy but scared at the same time, different from when Dez and I were in there." She inserts a bill in to the vending machine.
"Oh," I say. "I told her I loved her."
"You what?!"
"What, what's wrong?" I demand.
"Nothing," she says assuring me. "That's adorable."
I chuckle nervously.
"Did she tell you she liked you back?"
"What?" I yell.
"Oops," she looks around frantically. "Yeah, Ally likes you."
"For how long?"
"She just told before surgery. I think it just happened."
Wow. Ally likes me. What does all of this mean? "Oh," is all I say.
"C'mon," she says. We head back to Dez and Mr. Dawson.
When we get there we see them packing up the cards. "What's going on?" I ask.
"The doctor came out and said that the surgery is almost finished," Mr. Dawson says.
"And," Trish prompts. "Is she okay?"
He nods. "For now, at the very least."
Trish, Dez and I look at each other, somewhat relieved.
ALLY'S POINT OF VIEW
I'm still watching them. I envy their carefree lives. I smile. They look so happy.
I decide to go join them. But the second I move my feet, the cliff begins to crumble and I start to fall.
Again.
