Page 139 of From Nowhere

“Maren, you have a tube down your throat. Stay calm; I’m going to remove it,” a dark-haired woman in blue scrubs and a white lab coat says to me while my parents cling to each other behind her. “I need you to take a deep breath and exhale or cough as I pull it out. Okay?”

I cough, pressing a hand to my throat. It. Hurts.

Leave me alone. Stop messing with me!

I repeatedly fade away as people come in and out of view, some with smiles, others with pinched brows and tiny frowns. After a few days and lots of tests, I’m more aware of my surroundings, calmer, and able to talk.

The doctor proceeds to explain my injuries and the surgeries to stop the internal bleeding. Aside from two broken ribs, a dislocated shoulder, and a slew of lacerations, I’m in one piece and expected to make a full recovery, as long as I remain stable over the next few days.

When she exits the room, my parents breathe a collective sigh and converge on me.

“I’m in Canada?” I ask with a scratchy voice, adjusting the oxygen tube in my nose with my right hand since my left arm is in a sling for my broken collarbone.

Dad chuckles, rubbing my hand. “Yes. You’ve been here for a couple weeks, and you’ve been pretty upset the past few days coming out of your coma.”

“Where’s Ozzy and Lola? They came to Canada?”

My mom shakes her head, eyes narrowed.

“I heard them.”

“You heard them? In your coma?” Dad asks.

I nod.

“Jamie called them and put them on speakerphone,” Mom says, sitting on the edge of my bed.

“They must be worried,” I whisper.

“We all were.” My mom touches my cheek.

“But Lola lost her mom. Ozzy lost his wife.” I touch my neck and clear my throat.

Mom frowns. “We lost Brandon.”

My heart feels like it’s being squeezed. I’m so insensitive. It’s not that I forgot about Brandon. I just can’t think straight. “I know,” I murmur. “I’m sorry.”

Mom wipes her eyes. “Please don’t apologize. You’re alive. That’s all that matters. That’s all that will ever matter.”

“Did Jamie go home?” I ask.

Dad nods. “She stayed a week. Will was here for several days. And Fitz has been by twice. Your boss was here for the first two days. He’s paying for our hotel, but one of us is always here.”

“Jamie started a group text, so I have Ozzy’s number if you want to call him.” Mom holds out her phone.

I stare at it before nodding and taking it from her.

“We’ll take a walk and give you some privacy.” She pats my arm and nods toward the door while eyeing my dad.

“Be right back, sweetie,” he says, following her out of the room.

I press the green button and put it on speaker.

“Hey, Colleen,” Ozzy says.

“It’s me,” I say with a weak voice. “Maren.”

“Jesus,” he whispers.

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