First things first. A huge thank you to Randi who assisted me with this story. Thanks also her wonderful editing skills. Any errors are solely mine and mine alone.
A note about the story. If you are looking for sex, this story isn't for you. It is a loving wives drama.
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It started as a twitch, an irritating impossible itch. It felt as if my eyelids were glued together, like there was an enormous weight bearing down. I couldn't explain if I tried; my eyes rolled beneath closed lids, then slowly the twitch became a movement and my eyes began to open. Slits of light filtered through the murky mud.
Light, blinding glaring light burst in, so bright I closed them immediately; why was it so bright? Slowly, I tried again. They opened and it was like emerging from beneath the icy cold depths of a deep dive and sucking in that first deep breath of life-giving oxygen.
I eased my eyes open again, this time slower, the heavy murky mud like molasses eased from the lids. Blinking, I allowed my pupils to adjust. If my eyes were heavy, my body felt like a thousand pound weight lay atop me; nothing worked, my head rolled to the side, the cracking of my joints so loud it sounded like gunshots. My lips parted and my tongue scratched across the dry moisture-less surface. Water, I needed water.
My head moved a little more; easing to the side, I made out a machine beeping, ink lines being scratched on a graph, a frame holding some plastic bag. I closed my eyes again, the bright lights created deep feelings of panic. With my emotions in turmoil, I tried again, this time the light didn't bite quite as much. My head moved a little more and I could see the machines, a hospital, I was in a hospital.
Why? Nothing made sense, my head hurt, I raised my hand like it was buried under a huge sand dune. I tried to sit up, but that wasn't going to work. My arm hit something as it slewed uncontrollably. God, I needed a drink, before my lips cracked.
"Oh, good heavens, Mr Lester, you're with us."
"Water..." I groaned groggily.
I heard rather than saw her getting me the drink. Her warm hand curled under my head as she lifted my head and raised the plastic cup to my parched lips. It dribbled everywhere, little rivers of water running down my chin, down my neck and pooling on my chest. But damn, it was cool, and wet, my lips absorbing like a sponge.
She lowered my head back on the pillow. I could feel my heart pounding as she leaned over me, her dark caramel skin, her huge almond eyes peering down at me. Then, blackness, the comforting envelope of darkness.
The next time I opened my eyes, there was chatter. I could hear it, there was talking. "Oh my god, Eric, you're awake."
My mouth was dry again. "Water, please, I need a drink."
"Get a nurse," I heard somebody say urgently. Next there was a woman standing over me, the same blue uniform as before, her hair tightly braided, her scent, lilac, or flowers. She raised my head slowly, and again the plastic cup, water trickling into my mouth. I must have resembled a drowning guppy as I tried to gulp down as much as possible, anything to slake my unquenchable thirst.
She lay my head down on the pillow before asking. "Would you like me to raise the bed, so you can sit up?"
"Yes." My voice was unrecognisable, raspy and thick.
As the motor whirred, I rose like a phoenix, and suddenly the people around the bed came into view. A very attractive woman smiled back at me, her cherubic face, like an angel, big green eyes, dark hair pulled into a very tight bun. Her neck impossibly long and slender, her skin glowed effervescently.
The smile turned to words. "Oh, my love, I can't believe my prayers have been answered. I was so scared you would never wake up."
I didn't recognise her. As I glanced around the small group of people, I didn't recognise anyone. "Why am I here?" I asked, hoping somebody could soothe my growing unease.
"Will, you were in a car crash, a really bad accident. You nearly died."
"Accident..."
"Yes, baby, an accident. You were coming home from work and a truck crashed into you."
"A truck... I don't remember. I don't remember anything."
There were confused glances between the woman and a slightly older woman, who had tears flowing from her eyes. "Son," she whispered, "don't panic, take your time. You have been in a coma for nine weeks. It will take time."
"Coma..."
I tried to make sense of it: who were these people; they obviously knew me, but... I didn't recognise a single person. Unable to process thoughts, I closed my eyes. I wanted peace, time to think, but their conversation cut through my desire.
"Mum, what's happening? It's like he didn't even know who I was," the young beautiful cherub cried in anguish.
"Calm down, darling, lets not forget, he has only just woken from a coma. The doctors did warn us it might take a while for him to return to normal. We have to expect this."
I lay there listening to these people talk about me, as if I wasn't there. It caused concern, because it didn't mean anything, the names meant nothing, what they were saying did not compute. I tried to turn it off, all I wanted was some peace. Opening my eyes I rasped, scratchily, "Can you people all leave me alone, please? I need some quiet."
"William, you are just disoriented," the older woman replied, a worried concern framing her words.
"I just want some peace, please, can you just leave me alone?"
The nurse reappeared, and said quietly, "Sorry, folks, perhaps we should take a few moments. Mr. Lester is obviously tired. The doctor will be here shortly. Go and get a coffee, or go for a walk." When there was no reaction, she said. "Please, I don't want him to become agitated."
"But he's my husband." the pretty young cherub hissed.
"Just go for a walk, let the doctor see him, and then come back." She shepherded the small crowd out, and there was a young girl that I hadn't noticed.
I closed my eyes again enjoying the quiet, interspersed with the constant beep from surrounding machines.
I was roused by the sweet voice of the nurse. "Mr. Lester, the doctors here to see you."
I opened my eyes to see a young curly haired man in a white coat, his heavily hooded brows hiding dark eyes.
"How are you feeling, Mr. Lester?" he asked as he leaned over me.
"I don't know, I don't understand anything."
"Yes, it can be difficult, coming out of a coma. You have been out for a while."
"I can't focus, I can't remember anything, I can't get my mind to focus."
"Yes, the nurse mentioned you didn't recognise your family." He gave me a questioning look. "You do not remember anything, your name, the accident?"
I shook my head, the noise of clicking joints loud in my ears. "Nothing, it's just blank, there's nothing."
"Hmmm, I see, What do you do for a living, William?"
I closed my eyes to think, but there was nothing but blank spaces. "I don't know."
"What about home, do you remember your house?"
Another shake of my head, I felt an impossible sense of fear and dread.
He picked up my chart from the nurse. He sat on the edge of my bed as he read carefully.
"William, this isn't completely abnormal for people coming out of a long coma. You did receive a really severe concussion in the accident. It may take you a while to get your head around it."
"What about the rest of me?" I asked.
"Well, two broken legs, several broken ribs, a broken arm, fractured collar bone. Lots of bruising and some lacerations. You were very lucky, William."
"Can I walk?"
"Whoa, slow down my friend. Both legs are still in a cast; they will come off within a week, and you have a catheter in. For the moment, you have to just lay back and rest. Tomorrow we will organise a CAT scan, maybe an MRI. See if there's something we missed."
The nurse came up and whispered in his ear. He nodded, glanced down at me. "Your family is very concerned, William, they would like to come back in and spend some time with you. Would that be all right?"
With no chance to say anything, the woman claiming to be my wife was beside me, my hand trapped in hers. "Oh, Will, It's going to be all right my love. We can get through this, we are here with you."
I swallowed a large lump in my throat, "I'm sorry, but I don't recognise you, I don't know you. This feels wrong." I tried to drag my hand from her grasping fingers, but I had no strength, and she wasn't letting go.
The woman who said she was my mother came in closer, she leaned in over the bed. "Darling, you are getting worked up over nothing. Let's just talk. Once we talk you will remember, the memories will come back."
I felt the panic gripping again, tighter than ever, my throat constricting. The emotions flowed out, The anxiety expressed as an angry retort. "Don't you people understand, I don't know you. I have never seen you before. I don't know anything. Can you all just leave."
The little girl who I realised was crying, sobbed. "Daddy..."
I stared down at her, then back at the others. "Can you please just go."
The woman, my wife, apparently, leaned in for a kiss, I turned away, it didn't seem right, I didn't know her.
Once they were gone I tried to get something to stick, there were images and emotions swirling around in my head. It was like trying to swat flies; nothing stayed in one place long enough for me to catch it, to figure it out.
