Awareness

Adelyn and Margret explained to the doctors what had happened leading up to the hand movement insisting something has changed urging them to run more tests. "I'm sorry the results are not good, the MRI scans show an erratic pattern which suggests her mind is deteriorating. It's a wonder she has brain activity at all after what she's been through" the young doctor's soothing deep voice full of doubt.

"But she moved, she grabbed my hand. That's not nothing!" hope filled Adelyn's voice as she spoke to the doctor "Let me hold her hand when you scan her. I guarantee it'll be different, she's always responded to me." her desperation washed over everyone in the room.

"No unauthorized personnel is allowed in the room during the scanning process." The doctor refused immediately.

"Please! I know it'll make a difference. She's in there I can feel it doctor." her words seemed to burst out of her with only one thought in mind' Please save her'.

"Surely you can make exceptions to the rule just this once?" Margret chimed in, her expression saddening. Her eyes swelled up and swollen from crying so much already. Flushed and exhausted, her face conveyed her sorrow and pain loud and clear. He looked to Margret then to Adelyn, sighing "I'll see what I can do." he walks out of the room. Shortly after a few interns came in to take Sandra for more scans. Following behind the bed as it's wheeled down the long hallway, Adelyn walks briskly alongside holding onto the railing with the determination to prove her theory correct.

Once inside they set up the equipment and place a lead vest on Adelyn cautioning her of the effects of exposure to radiation and having her sign a waiver before continuing the experiment. Understanding the risks, she agreed to stay, her only thought 'if there is any hope at all, please Sandra, show me you're still here' she wraps her fingers around the limp hand that lay before her. Feeling somewhat awkward with everyone watching her mind goes blank 'What did I do to make her move last time?' she thought. Panic starts to set in as the blank faces stare at her expectantly. A few other interns came to watch the spectacle as they had all heard the rumors going about the hospital. Each one a different variation about the coma woman that thinks and feels despite her condition. Moments ticking by feels like hours as the faces of the crowd began changing from patiently optimistic to disappointed sighs. Five more minutes go by and nothing happens.

"What's with the vegetable? She's been here so long I would have pulled the plug a long time ago." an arrogant man, sporting dark bags under his eyes with gruff stubble and a loud mouth proclaimed as he walked up to see what the fuss was about. He banged on the window into the room 'BAM BAM BAM' "Hey! Nothing's gonna happen, your holding up the line for people who can actually be fixed!"

Adelyn startled by the loud banging looks up to see a guy yelling something inaudible, but seems to be very angry. "Come on Sandy, you can do this. Just like before..." she whispers into her ear. The interns surrounding the doctor began pointing at the monitors with questioning expressions as Adelyn continued holding Sandra's hand. The doctor switched on the intercom 'Click' "Do that again" an audible click then an electronic hum and a voice came over the speaker.

"Do what again?" Adelyn replies in confusion.

'Click' "Talk to her.... whatever you said to her had an effect" the faces now squinting at the monitors.

"Something I said? Ok um" she turns back to Sandra "Ok sandy, you can do this!" confidence in her tone "just squeeze my hand." she watches her hand intensely glancing towards the doctors hoping for something... anything that can prove that Sandra's still in there somewhere. Feeling a slight tug her thoughts are drawn back to reality, her eyes on the joined hands and the fingers that wrapped her own. "She is squeezing my hand right now" Adelyn's smile radiates as the shocked faces chatter behind the soundless glass.

The doctor walks into the room where Margret, Adelyn, Lukus and Suzanne were sitting around discussing their thoughts. "The new scans are something of a medical phenomenon, during the experiment Sandra's brain activity shown signs of actively conversing, not only listening but notes of understanding and replying. Their must be some disconnect between the mind and body that restricts the signals from transmitting into bodily action." the doctor excitedly reports.

"Are you saying she can hear us?" the fear in Margret's voice prominent "Does that mean she's been trapped inside herself this whole time?"

"Yes and no, for the most part she is in a typical coma but I theorize something has resonated with her inner consciousness which temporarily brings her to reality within that presence."

"What does that mean for Sandra?" Margret unable to find comfort in the doctors words.

"It means we have something we can work with that could possibly, with time, wake her up. I caution you though, it's very likely that she will have any number of defects from her current situation." the optimistic tone in the doctors voice resonated and eased Margret.

"But it's a chance, right? I could have my baby back?" the excitement and hope radiates from Margret's words with the optimism that has fueled her drive to keep Sandra alive despite the surgeries and tubes that riddle her daughter's body.

"S..s.so my sister... If she wakes" Suzanne's eyes dart to Margret who's face looks incredulous "When she wakes....what could be wrong with her?" her question full of worry and despair.

"The worst case scenario she will have a loss of memory, speech, motor functions. The best case she would have some muscle degeneration and a time gap, which can be difficult for some." the young doctor nonchalantly relays the facts to the group as if rehearsed.

"She'll come through, I just know it." Adelyn offered.

Lukus stood and watched the interactions not knowing what to say to comfort the women. He follows the doctor out the door to ask a few more questions and upon his return his face looked grim, he quickly shook it off but not without Adelyn noticing first.

"Hey, so when's your baby due Suzanne?" Adelyn offers to change the subject in hopes to lighten the mood.

"Actually it's set for may, so it should close to 4 more months if I remember correctly." noticing his wife was lost in thought Lukus decides to answer in her stead.

"Oh that's great!" the genuine excitement showing in Adelyn's voice.

"Yeah, we've been taking those classes uh you know where they show you how to breathe and what not." his tone lighter and a slight chuckle.

"Oh the Lamaze classes?" she asks hoping her knowledge from

"Yeah, that one. I'm hoping all that training will be worth it but I don't know what'll happen when it comes down to it." nervousness prominent in his voice.

"She'll probably crush your hand and you'll both poop yourselves" she let's out a small chuckle.

"Ha no way, wait does that really happen?" he involuntarily makes a face.

"Can we not talk about my pooping myself during birth guys? This is so embarrassing." Suzanne interjected, her face red and irritated.

A small knock on the door by the nurse indicating visiting hours are over interrupts their conversation.

"Well I guess I'll see you guys later" Adelyn walks out first feeling an array of emotions "So this is it, she will wake up and everyone will find out I've been lying. What's worse is I won't be anyone to Sandra....why does that even matter to me so much..."

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Sandra lay enveloped in darkness floating in a void "What's happening! I ..I can't move...it feels like swimming in molasses." alone with her thoughts she wonders how this came to be "how did I get here? Where is here? What was I doing?" all these questions raced around her mind as she drifted deeper into the black sky. Suddenly her body feels warmth against her skin, the hand that felt so cold before now radiates heat and stretches out away from a light that appeared suddenly. The light was dim but inviting as was the warmth she felt. The feeling of being pulled apart by the two unknowns became physical as her body began to stretch and contort. She looked down at herself only to see her own eyes looking back from within her body as it splits down the middle , emerging the eyes complete with it's own body, the hands clasped together with her own. Looking past the figure she notices many more figures emerging from other bodies the same way all connected by the hand. One by one the figures began to speak each once saying something different, the sound quickly became a roar of a crowd. Frightened Sandra released her grip, the reverberation of jumbled words came together to form a heart beat thumping loudly in her ears. The figures lined the paths in the dim light seemingly endless. Sandra looks left into the darkness then right into the light and decides to run perpendicular to both choosing neither. The roar of the crowd deafening as she ran but the crowd didn't disappear, instead it grew to surround her becoming a sea of bodies blocking her path.

"Bang bang bang" interrupting the screams of the crowd everything hushed and silence pored over her, she was alone once more except for a soft voice calling to her. "Come on Sandy, you can do this."

"Del? Oh God del I'm so scared." Sandra searches desperately for the direction of the voice she recognized only as del. A familiar scent appears seeming distant, she follows it as it begins to wrap her in a soothing comfort. Strawberry locks flowing from a far off figure draws Sandra's focus, her pace quickens as her heart beats fervently with anticipation of their meeting. Sandra's feet pick up to a run as the figures face comes into view, her strength leaves her when she finally reaches the figure "Del...please help me" she falls to her knees crying. Del leans over taking her hand attempting to pull her to her feet. "I can't get up. I feel so tired...so very heavy" every movement felt like she was wearing weights around her whole body, it had taken all her strength to make it to del.

"Ok Sandy, you can do this! ..just squeeze my hand." Del exclaims confidently.

"Ok Del I'll try" Sandra grips her hand as tightly as she can manage and pulls herself to her feet. The weight lifting from her body as she stood. Her hand still gripping Del's dainty fingers before she wraps her arms around the woman. The two standing in the emptiness embracing each other, connecting on a deeper level than ever before.