Consciousness started to filter into my brain, I was slowly becoming aware of noises around me, a steady beeping and the low sound of voices. Someone was holding my hand and I realised I was lying in a bed, half propped up. It wasn't my bed though, and I tried to open my eyes but my eyelids were like lead and I could barely move them. I tried harder, forcing them apart and slowly light began to filter in, softly at first then more harshly.
"What....?" My voice was croaky and I could barely understand myself.
"Nurse, Nurse," a voice called out, "he's waking up." It was my mother's voice and as I forced my eyes to open wider I could make out the blurred outline of three figures. Slowly they came more into focus as my eyes became accustomed to the glare, it was my parents and my sister. We were in a stark white room with bright fluorescent lighting and with a start I realised I was in hospital.
Slowly I took in more surroundings, I had wires attached to me and a clip on my finger, all leading back to machines standing by my bedside. There was a tube stuck below my nose and I could feel a soft waft of air coming from it. My mother's face was full of worry, and I could see that tears were streaming down her face.
A nurse appeared and I heard my mother again. "He's awake, isn't he? Please tell me he's OK." The nurse peered into my eyes and then shone a little torch into them making me blink again.
"Well the signs are good, I'll go and fetch the doctor, he'll conduct some tests, but I'm sure that now he's awake it won't be long before he's back to himself." She disappeared and my mother came and hugged me, her tears making my face wet. Dad too hugged me followed by my sister, all with broad smiles plastered across their faces.
"We've been so worried David," my mother said as the doctor came in, dressed in green scrubs with a stethoscope round his neck. He too peered into my eyes with a torch, looked at the readouts from the machines and then pronounced me fully awake, adding that I wasn't completely out of the woods yet but that it shouldn't be long.
"You've got a concussion, and some pretty bad bruising all over your body, but luckily nothing broken, so you need to take it easy for a week or so, and we'll keep you in for one more night, then I think you'll be able to go home if your parents can keep a close eye on you." My mother nodded vigorously. "We'll give you some strong painkillers, take them religiously for three days, then only if you really need them as they can do some strange things to you. Side effects can be constipation and perhaps a light headedness, a feeling of being a little spaced out. Absolutely no alcohol or drugs for a week."
"He doesn't take drugs!" My mother interrupted loudly.
"I'm sure he doesn't," the doctor replied, "just telling you that's all." With a final scribble on my chart he left.
"Why am I here?" I croaked as the nurse lifted me up slightly and allowed me a sip of water, tasting like the finest nectar as it slipped down my parched throat.
"Don't you remember anything?" My father asked as I shook my head, instantly regretting it. "You've been in a car crash, a car crossed the carriageway in front of you and hit the cars ahead of you. You hit the back of them and were then rear-ended. Luckily the air bags all activated and protected you, but the car's a write off, although don't worry about that now. We're just so glad that you're going to be OK."
"How long have I been here?"
"You've been in a coma for two days."
"Two days?" I couldn't believe I'd been out for that long.
"And Mum and Dad haven't left your side for that whole time," my sister, Jenny added as Mum squeezed my hand. The nurse came in again and I was able to look at her properly for the first time. She was perhaps early thirties and dressed like the doctor in green scrubs, she had bobbed blond hair and a trim figure. Her name was Julie I saw from the name tag pinned just above her breast, one of a rather attractive pair, I couldn't help noticing.
She gave me some pills then addressed my parents, "I have to get all these wires off him now and various other matters, then someone will come in and give him a bed bath. I'm sure he'd be grateful if you gave him some privacy for a while. In any event those pills I gave him will soon have him asleep and getting some proper rest. Don't worry, he won't slip back into a coma again now. Why don't you go home for the night and get some rest yourselves, you've done absolutely everything you can for him. He should be proud of you."
Mum, Dad and Jen all left, somewhat reluctantly, all kissing and hugging me and I was finally left alone with Julie. She started unsticking all the sensors, wrapping up the wires carefully. I couldn't help but peer down the V neck of her scrubs as she bent over me and was rewarded by a glimpse of her bra encased breasts, surprised that her bra was bright red. I wondered if her panties matched.
