Page 70 of Game Changer

AJ tried to squeeze his friend’s hand, to reassure him that everything would be ok. He’d only seen Jeremy cry once before, when his parents had passed away. His heart broke for his friend. As shit as things had been for him lying on this bed for however long it had been, once he’d figured out what was happening to him, while frustrating, it had gotten easier. He’d been able to channel all of his energies into trying to speak, or move. For his friends and family, however, from the snippets of conversation he’d overheard, until the slight movements of his toes and hands, there had been absolutely no change for them. Every day, for however many days, they’d arrived to ‘no change’ and ‘still in a coma’.

It must be so awful for them.

“You can’t die on me, man,” Jeremy sobbed. AJ barely recognized the hoarse voice of his very clearly distressed friend. “You’re all I have left, Age. My only family. You’re it.”

That’s not true, you just don’t talk to your brother anymore, Jer. Not that I blame you, but still.

He went quiet for a few minutes, but AJ felt tears on his arm and the bed shook intermittently from Jeremy’s sobs.

“You can’t die on me, do you hear that?”

I hear you, buddy. I promise I’m trying.

“I can’t lose you, too. I just can’t.”

You’re not losing me. I’m trying to wake up, Jer. I’m trying so hard.

“She can’t lose you either, you know? I’m saying this out loud right now, only cause it’s just the two of us, you understand? I kinda like her. Lisa, I mean. We’ve gotten closer over the last few days. I’ve gotten to know her. She loves you, so much. She’s so damn strong, Pim. So strong. And she’s funny. She’s kept everyone in good spirits while you’ve been asleep and she’s never lost hope that she’ll hear you sing to her again, soon. You have to wake up, AJ. We all need you back, ok?”

Lisa?

I hear you, Jer. I’m not sure who Lisa is, but I definitely know you. And I hear you.

After a while, Jeremy moved to the chair and AJ could hear him snoring. He’d slowly been working on more prolonged movement. The moves he had previously been making were continually dismissed by people as not being deliberate, AJ was working to change that, though it exhausted and frustrated him.

He heard the door to his room open and the Irish voice returned. “Hey there, mister. How are you?”

She chit-chatted at him for a while and fell asleep with her head on top of his hand, her warmth comforted him and AJ fell asleep too.

***

When he awoke, he felt a weight on his hand.

Is that a head?

Holy shit, is my hand moving?

He stroked the hair draped over the bed.

My hand is moving! Yes! Please be real and not a dream.

Ange?

He tried again.

Ange, is that you?

“Ange?”

The head snapped to attention.

You’re not Ange. Who the hell are you and why are you draped over my bed?

“Oh my God,” the stranger breathed as she cried, “your eyes! They’re open!” She gushed, “You’re moving your hand!” She stuttered as his hand came to her face and stroked her cheek. “You’reawake!”Realization struck, “Wait? Ange? AJ that’s not funny…”

“Who are you?” AJ demanded, wondering why he’d reached out and touched a stranger’s face.

Because I can move. I’m free. I can move! I can see!

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