Page 94 of Light in the Dark
I hear other sounds—a scrape, soles squeaking on tile, a door latching.
The Voice is close, now. "Wish I knew whether you're hearing me, Ember."
Ember? Who's Ember?
"The Cartwright sisters told me you’re studying to be a vet? Why didn't you say anything? I guess maybe it didn't matter. I dunno. I just…I wanna know everything about you, Em."
Em. Ember.
Emberly.
Is…is that…me?
He sounds sad. Scared. I just want him to know it's okay. I don't want him to be sad.
"Those weeks you were in California sucked, Ember. I know we didn't spend much time together, but…fuck, how do I put it? It meant a lot to me. I feel things with you that I've never felt. A connection that—it's just different, Em. And the longer you were gone, the more I…the more I missed you. The more I realized how stupid I was being for letting that bullshit with Amy hold me back."
California. The word feels heavy. Laden with sorrow.
Amybrings anger. Jealousy.
"I just want you to wake up so we can talk. I don't—I don't know if you read that message, but…I meant it, okay? I did. I know, I know, it's fuckin' nuts. But I fuckin' meant it." He clears his throat as if to swallow a lump. "I won't say it. Not until I'm looking into those big silver eyes, not until I know you hear me."
What did he say? What's the message? I need to know. For the first time since the sounds resolved into speech, I can understand, I feel impatient. Frustrated.
Now, the darkness feels more like prison than comfort. The silence becomes oppressive. I want out of the silence. I want out of the dark.
How do I get out?
Something implacable pulls me deeper into the darkness where the sounds are far away.
* * *
"…nota medically induced coma, so I can't just bring her out of it. She has to wake up on her own."
“You said twenty-four hours. It's been almost three days."
"I wish it was an exact science, Felix, but it's not. As I've said before, the human brain is, in many ways, still largely a mystery to us. We've learned a lot in the last few decades of medical research, but there are still a ton of question marks, things we just don't understand. Consciousness is one of them."
"The longer she's unconscious, the higher the chances of deficiencies…is that how it works?"
"It's not that cut and dried, I'm afraid. I've gone over her scans. I've compared her first scans to the results from this morning, and she's showing signs of improvement. She's breathing on her own. Her nervous system is responsive. Steady heart rate. Reactive pupils. Her body just isn't ready to wake up yet."
The Voice sighs. "I know I’ve asked you the same questions a billion times. I'm sorry, doc, I just…"
The Doctor Voice is understanding and patient. "I get it, Felix, believe me. The waiting and not knowing is the worst. Just keep talking to her. I truly believe she will come out of it soon, and we'll be able to assess better once she does."
Felix.
The name inspires complicated feelings. Blue eyes—paler than the sky, sharp and deep and piercing. Blond hair. Scruffy jawline. Hands like cinder blocks, nonetheless gentle. Lips that kiss.
There's anger, though. Confusion. Hurt.
Need.
Felix.
He’s the Voice.
