Page 80 of Come Back to Me

JACK

Annie, is that you? Did I just hear that right?

A sense of awareness, like trying to come out of sleep but not quite being able to, washes over me and I wrack my brain for memories. I don’t know where I am or how I got here. I just remember Annie’s face in a doorway, before it faded out.Am I dead? Is that why I can’t fully wake up?I can’t move anything, but I can think. At least that’s something.

Was that really her I just heard? Or is my brain playing tricks on me?

I’m sure it was her beautiful voice speaking to me, telling me the words I’ve been praying for—that she loves me and asking me to come back to me. To who we were together.

I will, Annie. I swear on all that is holy that, if I have any control over it, I will.

As time continues, I become more and more aware of my surroundings. Voices I don’t recognize fill the room. At this point, I’m pretty sure I’m not dead.

I try to move my hands, but my wrists seem to be restrained.What the hell?Forcing my eyes open, though I meet resistance, I’m met with a vision that confuses me—a tube coming out of my mouth. I follow the length of it to a machine.

Then, like a wrecking ball, it all slams back into me and I recalleverything.

The fire, the little boy, trouble breathing, being rushed into the ER, seeing Annie’s face just before everything faded…

“Jack? Can you hear me? It’s Dr. Robinson. You’re in theBurn ICU on a breathing machine. We’ve been lowering your sedation since around four this morning and we think we’re ready to get that tube out and let you breathe on your own.”

I make eye contact with him, blinking several times to bring him into focus. When I do, my mom and dad are standing behind him. My mom smiles from ear to ear and then turns to my dad, grabbing his arm.

“Honey, look. He knows we’re here!” she says.

“Are we all ready to go ahead?” Dr. Robinson asks, looking at the nurse, who nods.

I nod fervently as well, and Dr. Robinson lets out a chuckle.

“Okay, Jack, when I pull the tube, give me a good cough, and then when it’s out, I want you to say the words toTwinkle, Twinkle, Little Star, got it?” Dr Robinson asks as he’s preparing to remove my breathing tube.

I nod eagerly, smiling around the tube.

He counts down from three and then, thank God, pulls the tube out.

I give him a strong cough like the good patient that I am and start singing in a raspy voice, “Twinkle, twinkle, little star…”

The nurse, my doctor, the respiratory therapist, and my parents are all smiling and clapping.

It feels so good to have the tube out of my throat and to talk again.

My mom and dad both give me hugs, and my mom is crying happy tears.

When the medical staff leave the room, I turn to my mom and ask the question I’ve been dying to ask. “Mom, this might be a weird question, but… was Annie here this morning?”

I swear I heard her talking to me this morning, telling meshe loved me, but I’m afraid it was the drugs making me hallucinate.

“Yes, honey. Annie’s been here sitting with you every day and she came this morning before work,” my mom answers, smiling.

ANNIE

This hellish day in the ER is finally ending for me, so I grab my things and head up to see Jack for the first time since I got in this morning. Shit, I should probably run home and let the dogs out first. Maybe I’ll text Julie quickly and see if she or Dan could let them out for me.

Me: Hey, Jules, I want to run up to the ICU to see Jack. Are you able to let the babies out for a few minutes so I don’t have to rush home?

Julie: No problem! I can feed them, too. If you want, then we can keep them downstairs with us. I think they’ve almost got Dan convinced we should get a dog. My master plan is working. Muhaha

Me: LOL, Thanks so much, you’re the best!

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