Page 54 of Stone
“Mr. Garcia?” Dr. Chambers says, and we lock eyes, “only you can go in to see your wife at the moment.”
Kimmy sobs harder, and instead of letting her leave my arms, I hold her tighter, and I state, “Her parents and sister need to go in,” and he nods while William looks at me with respect, but I look away and kiss Kimmy’s head before pushing her gently towards her parents and I murmur, “Go see your sister, Kimmy.”
William takes his wife and daughter, both inconsolable, and leaves the waiting room, and Doc rasps, “Brother...” but I ignore him and walk out of the room, instead of going with my in-laws, I go to the exit, knowing what I need to do.
I never should have lied to her, I never should have brought her into this life.
I need to set my wife free of me, of the club.
Chapter 25
Rose – A Week Later
Beep, beep, beep.
I try to move my arm to shut off my alarm, but my body doesn’t comply, my body feeling heavy.
What…
“Sweetheart, you need to rest,” I hear my dad sigh, and I can feel my pulse quicken.
“I can’t, William. It’s been a week and she still hasn’t woken up! Why hasn’t she woken up?!” Mama sobs, and I try to open my eyes, but they won’t open.
Why won’t they open?
What happened to me?
“It’s only been three days since they weaned her off her medication, Karen, give her time,” dad whispers, and mamma snaps, “What about her husband? Where is he?”
Husband? I don’t have a…
Cage.
“You know Caleb is in here every single day,” I hear a woman whisper, bringing me back a little, the voice I don’t recognize, the beeping I now recognize as hospital monitors hitting my ears.
Why am I here?
Why would Caleb come here every day? Is he hurt?
Where’s Cage?
The woman continues, “He says he loves me, but he also loves you and needs you. Cage needs you, Rose.”
I try to move, to open my eyes, but my body doesn’t comply, and fear hits me.
Am I dead?
Wait, no, I can’t be dead, I can hear, I just can’t move.
Oh crap, am I in a coma?
Patients used to explain that they felt like they were in limbo when they were in a coma. They claimed they could hear their loved ones pleading and begging for them to wake up, but they couldn’t respond.
I never really believed them, but maybe I was wrong. Okay, there is no maybe. I can’t move, and I’m clearly in a coma, and I can hear, so yeah, I was wrong.
Damn, Doc is never going to let me live this down.
“Ashley?” I hear a man rasp.
