Chapter 12:
It had been a day and a half since I woke up from being in a coma in the hospital. The doctors ran multiple tests on me once I had calmed down. Maura never left my side. Neither did Ma or Tommy or Frankie. I don't think I would have been able to make it without them.
I still don't know all the details of went down on that fateful day, but I almost don't want to know. Maura told me that it was normal for a person who experienced something traumatic that they wouldn't remember everything that happened.
It was the middle of the night and I had just been jerked awake from a horrible nightmare. The dreams were almost always the same. People were getting shot and dying all around me. I would usually wake up when the shooter pulled the trigger to shoot Maura.
I looked around to see the four bodies that I had gotten accustomed to spread out on all of the furniture in the room. I knew Maura, Ma, Tommy, and Frankie were tucked nicely into their make-shift beds. The only person missing from the pile was dad. He was in Florida somewhere with little to no contact with us.
From what I could tell they were all still asleep. I rolled over to get out of bed to use the bathroom. I went to step onto the ground when my left leg collapsed because it couldn't hold my weight. Luckily, Maura leaped out of nowhere and caught me before I could hit the ground. It was hard to remember that I could only use one leg when I had been using two for the past fourteen years. "You trying to escape from this place?" She teased.
I chuckled and asked sarcastically, "Yeah, how did you know? My plan was kinda foiled though, couldn't you tell? It's not exactly ideal to escape with only one working leg." I looked away from Maura in shame. She could tell I wasn't playing anymore.
"Here Jane, let me help you up." She lifted me gently so now I could stand with my left arm wrapped around Maura's shoulder for balance. "Where are we going?" She turned her head the best she could to see me.
"Bathroom, good thing I only need one leg to do that." I said half sarcastically, half under my breath.
We walked over to the bathroom. Well, Maura walked. I sort of, I guess—hopped. She sat me down on the toilet and walked out so I could have privacy. She didn't close the door completely, though. Luckily, I was wearing the hospital gown so we didn't have to have an awkward moment of her having to unbutton and pull down my pants for me.
When I was done I called Maura back in to help me back to bed. She lifted me up and brought me over to the sink. As I washed my hands Maura couldn't help keeping her little scientific facts to herself. "It's always good to wash your hands as frequently as possible." I sighed, 'Here we go again.' "Germs can stay on your hands for as long as two hours, but they can stay alive longer under your finger nails. The moist environment is perfect breeding ground for them. Germs often enter our bodies when we touch our eyes, nose and mouth with our own unwashed hands. That is why it is crucial for a hospital to stay as sterile as possible because—"
I couldn't take her needless, but intriguing facts any more. "Maura-"
"What, are you in pain?" She looked me up and down with her brow creased in concern.
"Yeah, my head." I joked. "Why do you do that?"
"Do what?" She asked me with an un-doubtable look of confusion on her face.
"Why do you spout off these random facts?" I asked with a smile on my face.
She looked away as if I had just hurt her feeling. "I'm sorry. I won't do them again."
"No, no, it's fine." I reassured her. "I like them. I really do, but all the things that you spout off are just—are just too much. They're fine, really." We stood there in silence before I recommended that I be brought back to bed.
"Oh, I'm so sorry Jane. I didn't mean to…"
Once I was settled back into bed, Maura pulled up a chair and sat next to me in silence. I was the first one to speak. "How many times did I—die—on the operating table?"
"What makes you say that?"
"Maura," I said incredulously, "I know it happened. I was in a coma with a gunshot wound to my abdomen and spine damage. I know I've had to at least once."
Maura shook her head. "Jane, it's not tha—"
I cut her off and whispered to her sharply, "Maura, please, I want to know."
She kept her eyes trained on the ground when she answered. "It was four times." She tried to stop the tears from flowing. "Four times, it happened."
Neither of us looked at each other, and neither one wanted to speak. I don't know what Maura was thinking, but all I was doing was processing what I had just been told. Once I had processed as much as I could I looked to Maura to speak again. She was looking away at the ground.
"Maur," She didn't move. "Maura," Her eyes finally met mine. "Thank you. Thank you for being here with me. I know it must be hard to see me like this. And, I also know that you must be driving your parents insane to be able to stay with me day and night." I tried to lighten the mood.
"Actually, I'm not bothering my parents at all."
I looked at Maura confused. "What do you mean?"
She let out a sigh. "They're both in Paris. My mother is an artist and she has several shows this time of year, so she is staying there for a while."
"Oh, you must really miss each other."
"Actually, it is not unusual for them to be gone for long periods of time. I'm usually home alone anyway with just my butler."
I was surprised. "You have a bu—" I grabbed my head in sudden pain. Things began to blur, and I had become dizzy. I also felt sick. "Maura, going things on? I- I feel little a sick. Mau—" I could no longer see. The last thing I saw was Maura jumping out of her seat and—and maybe I heard an erratic beeping noise like an alarm.
I was slipping deeper and deeper away. I had no idea what was happening. I was falling farther and farther into the rabbit's hole. But this time, it wasn't getting brighter.
Alrighty, that's chapter 12 for ya. I hope you guys are still sticking with me. And, by the way, I love the comments. Comments keep me going. Anyway, as usual, if you have any applauds or suggestions or comments don't be afraid to post them. I hope you guys continue to stick with me and support me. Thank you.