While I Was Away(9)

Adele turned to look back out the window. They were getting closer. She'd never heard of that superstition before, and didn't really believe in wishes. But the day was already so far beyond bizarre, she was pretty sure the laws of physics and time weren't applying to her anymore.

So as the front of their car entered the tunnel, she took a deep breath and squeezed her eyes shut tight.

I wish ...





4




Charlie hurried around a corner, entering the ICU of the hospital. He'd bumped into River Reins in the cafeteria, who'd mentioned that Adele's doctor was in her room.

The first month and a half of Adele's coma, Charlie had been a daily visitor. But as his own physical therapy had become more demanding, and as he'd begun to get back into the daily swing of his old life, he hadn't been stopping by as often. He hadn't seen her at all in the last week, so after speaking to River, he'd decided to check in with her doctor.

“How's she doing?” he asked as he jogged into her room.

“Oh, hey there, Charlie, long time no see,” Dr. Martin chuckled. “We keep missing each other.”

Charlie didn't correct the doctor, he just nodded and looked at Adele. A week's absence hadn't changed anything in room 304, she looked the same as ever. Her bruising had faded away, her face looked normal again, and her leg was out of its cast.

Now if only she'd open her eyes, everything could go back to normal.

“Someone cut her hair,” Charlie commented, gesturing to her head while the doctor prattled off notes from her file. He glanced at Adele's hair and quirked up a smile.

“Ah, yes. A Miss Blanke, I think she said her name was. Also painted her nails,” he pointed out. Charlie glanced down and frowned. Bright red nails shined at the tips of Adele's fingers. It seemed almost inappropriate, something so garish and gaudy in such a tomb-like place.

Jesus, don't call it a tomb, you asshole.

“Yeah, that Blanke is a handy gal,” he muttered.

“Well. You're all caught up now, Charlie. And honestly, I'm glad you took some time away. It's healthy to carve out some time for yourself, you know. Wherever Adele is, she knows you love her, and that's what matters,” the doctor said, then patted him on the back before leaving the room.

Charlie gritted his teeth and went to his usual seat, taking off his jacket. He hated when people said that – “love”. Of course he loved Adele, and would always love her, but not the way everyone thought. If anything, he was beginning to wonder if they'd ever really been in love with each other.

He didn't want her to be in a coma, though, of course not. He would give anything, pay anything, for her to wake up. He would trade places with her in a heartbeat. He still cared about her very much.

But he simply wasn't in love with her, so he felt like a fraud. And every time someone mentioned something about him and Adele being in love, he just felt worse and worse and worse.

And the longer it goes on, the worse it'll be. I just need to confess, get it off my chest. They'll understand, they'll believe you ... or they'll think you're lying and they'll beat the shit out of you because you want to dump your girlfriend because she's in a coma, and god, Adele's in a fucking coma and I'm in hell, oh god, oh god, oh -

“Hello,” a nurse said, entering the room and moving quickly to Adele's side. “I was assigned to Ms. Reins last week, we haven't met yet. I'm Nurse Lund.”

“Charlie Kassen.”

“Ah, the boyfriend! Good to meet you, I've heard a lot about you, Charlie. You were in the accident, too, huh,” the nurse said, looking over Charlie's hand, which was still sporting bandages.

“Yeah. Yeah, I was wearing my seat belt. Adele wasn't.”

“Yup, those seat belts really make all the difference. Shame. She seems like a nice girl. I can't wait to meet her.”

Charlie didn't know how to respond to that, so they stood in an awkward silence. Just two pairs of eyes bouncing back and forth between each other and Adele's motionless form. Finally, the nurse coughed while waving a clipboard in the air.

“Well. If you don't mind, I'm just gonna go through her checks. Riveting stuff! You're welcome to stay, or maybe you'd like to go and grab some coffee, relax for a bit?”

Charlie saw the out he was bring offered, and though he'd come with the intent to spend time with Adele, he gladly took it and left the room. He'd come back later, or tomorrow. He'd make more of an effort. But seeing her again after a week away, it had been harder than he'd thought it would be. The whole situation was taking its toll on him, and he wondered how long it would be before he cracked.

She's still sleeping, and I'm still stuck in this goddamn nightmare.

*





OCEAN REINS SAT AT his sister's bedside.

His baby sister. A surprise pregnancy, she was eleven years younger than Ocean. And an unplanned pregnancy along with three young boys had meant both their parents had needed to work a lot. Long hours and multiple jobs had kept them away from the house for much of the day.

So Ocean had done most of the babysitting. Had driven Adele to and from preschool, had gone to her gymnastics classes, watched her volleyball games. Taken her shopping for her first homecoming dress, and then when her date had stood her up, had gone with her to the dance. Obligatory big brother stuff.