Page 64 of Wintertime Heat (Holiday 1)

There was someone talking.

“…it’s been three days! Why hasn’t she woken up yet!?”

Wasn’t that Steven’s voice?

I opened my mouth to call out to him, but I couldn’t move my mouth.

In fact, I couldn’t even open my eyes.

My body felt heavy.

“She’s in a coma. We don’t know how long this will last? The bullet hit a very vital artery, Mr. Tanner. She’s still in a critical condition.”

Why did their voices sound so muffled, as if they were underwater?

“I didn’t fly you all the way here if you can’t even save her!”

Why was he shouting at this person?

I had never seen Steven lose his temper like that. Were they talking about me? Was I dying?

A familiar small hand wraps around mine, and I felt something hot and wet fall on my hand and a voice choke out, “Please don’t die, Abby. Please! I’ll be very good, I promise. I’ll eat all my vegetables and I’ll drink two glasses of milk a day. I promise!”

I hear a muffled sob, and something burrowed its head next to my still body.

“The doctor man said that if you don’t wake up quickly, you will never wake up. Please don’t leave me and Dad. I don’t want you to go.”

Aaron’s words reach me, and my chest ached, as I struggle to tell him that I could hear him.

But my mouth wasn’t responding to my brain.

My eyes burned, and I felt a hot tear slip out.

“You have to wake up, Abby. You have to!”

The sound of a door opening and Steven’s voice, “Come on, Aaron. You shouldn’t be in here.”

Shuffling of feet and a sob, “Dad, why won’t Abby wake up?”

“I don’t know, son. I don’t know.”

I could hear the frustration and pain in his voice, and I wanted to reach out and soothe him.

“I don’t want Abby to leave us, Dad. Can’t you make her better?” A child’s plea.

I could hear the sharp intake of breath, “I would give up everything, for her to just wake up. But it’s up to her.”

Up to me?

How on earth was it up to me?!

Why was this man so infuriating?

Didn’t he know I was trying to wake up?!

As I struggled to wake up, the inky darkness rolled at my feet, trying to drag me back into its soothing depths.

More voices.

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