Page 96 of The Last Straw

Unaware of Wyrick’s expectations, Millie paused to wipe tears from her eyes, and as she did, Wyrick saw Rachel’s chest rise as if she’d taken a deep breath, and when she exhaled the cannula in her nose shifted slightly.

It was at that moment that Millie looked back down and then gasped.

“Her eyelids are fluttering. Oh, my God, oh, my God!” She took off to get a nurse. They were back within seconds, and Millie pointed to Rachel’s eyes, seeing movement beneath the lids.

“Look,” Millie said. “I think she is trying to wake up.”

The nurse immediately began checking Rachel’s vitals and then called the RN.

Millie was beside herself. It was hard to keep her voice down, but she just kept talking to Rachel, wanting to hear her voice.

“Honey, it’s me, Millie. You’re in a hospital. You’re safe. You’re safe. You’re going to be okay.”

Rachel’s lips parted.

Millie leaned over.

At first she just felt her sister’s breath on her cheek, and then she thought she heard a word within an exhale.

“Yes, this is Millie. You’re safe, sugar. You’re safe. I’m right here.”

The word was faint, hardly more than a whisper.

“Saa...”

“She said safe,” Millie cried.

The nurses had to agree it was a cognizant response to what Millie had been saying.

“I’m sorry, ladies, but visiting time is over.”

Before they could challenge her, Wyrick spoke.

“Rachel...who hurt you?”

The RN turned and glared at Wyrick, but she wasn’t looking at the nurse. She was touching Rachel’s leg.

“Who hurt you, Rachel?”

“Time’s up,” the RN said.

“Sonnn.”

Millie gasped. “She said a name. She said Son. What does that mean?”

Wyrick felt Rachel’s triumph as if it had been her own.

“She didn’t say Son. She’s trying to say Sonny. Sonny Burch is the name of the man they’ve taken into custody,” Wyrick said and walked past nurses and patients, and out of the ICU.

The waiting room was emptying fast. Ray was standing, holding Millie’s purse, ready to take her down to the cafeteria to get some food.

Charlie was standing by the window, watching the gathering clouds. It was going to storm.

Then all of a sudden, Wyrick was at his elbow.

“She’s regaining consciousness,” Wyrick said. “She knows she’s safe, and she named him.”

Charlie grabbed her by both shoulders, gave them a squeeze and then immediately let her go.

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