Page 75 of Alone

“Nick,” I say again, now feeling tears of happiness streaming down my cheeks. His face comes into focus and I smile wide at him. “I’m here,” I say, my voice still cracking. “I’m back.”

“You’re back,” Nick says as he smiles through tears. His eyes are red from crying, but he’s smiling. He’s happy that I’m here.

“I’m so sorry,” I say to Nick. “I’m so sorry for everything I said. I didn’t mean it. I-,”

Nick wraps me up in his arms. “I know,” he says. “I’m sorry too. Everything is okay. We’re going to be okay.”

“Mommy!” I hear Jenna shout as she rushes into the room.

“I’m so sorry,” the nurse says. “I tried to get them to stay put, but when they heard us talking at the nurses’s station about you being lucid..”

“It’s fine,” I say. I’m smiling and crying as Jenna climbs onto the bed and hugs me. My moody child is now wrapping herself around me, thankful that I’m alive. Spencer, Carter and Laura are brought in by another nurse and Carter’s eyes tear up when he sees me.

“Mom,” he whispers.

I extend an arm out and he walks up to the bed. “I’m okay, baby. I’m here.”

Carter begins to cry and I pull him into me. “I’m so sorry, Mom. I’m so sorry.”

“You have nothing to be sorry for.” I kiss the top of his head. “I’m the one that should be apologizing.”

The burning in my throat is starting to dissolve and I hear my voice getting closer to normal. It’s still catching, but it’s better than it was.

“I love you all so much,” I say, pulling them in close. Nick is talking to the doctor at the foot of my bed, but I know he won’t go far. His hand is on my leg as though he needs to make sure I stay conscious. Like he’s never going to leave my side again for fear of losing me.

“I’m okay,” I say again. “I’m okay.”

Chapter twenty-four

Is Your Name Megan?

I’msittinginmybed later in the day and the kids are eating jello on the chairs lining the room. The nurses were nice enough to bring in a few extras since the kids refuse to leave my room now that I’m awake.

“And then what happened?” I ask Laura as she tells me about the days at school she’s had since I landed in this bed. She goes on about all of her friends and tells me about the teachers and how she has a new favorite.

“This teacher gives us cheeseballs at snacktime,” she says.

“That’s definitely enough to make her a favorite,” Nick says, his hand still on my leg.

We spend some time talking about the days that I’ve missed and Jenna tells me all about how she aced her math exam. Carter is proud to announce he’s made the football team. And Spencer is still loving the fact that he gets whatever he wants by smiling.

“Aunt Rachel has been super helpful,” Nick tells me. “She’s actually helped watch the kids so I could be here with you.”

“Yes,” Rachel says, stepping into the room. “I have been.”

I cover my mouth and feel another round of tears welling up. “Oh God.”

She races to my bed and throws herself onto me. “Don’t ever do that again,” she says as she cries into my hair. “You scared the shit out of us.”

“I don’t plan to,” I say, laughing as I cry into her arms. She pulls away and picks up Laura, setting her on her lap so she can take a seat by my bed.

“I have new neighborhood drama,” Rachel says, knowing I need a new topic other than my being in a coma for over a week.

I smile at her as a way of thanking her for a mental break. “Tell me everything.”

Visiting time went quickly and everyone filed out of the room. The nurse said I needed rest and I argued the fact that I’d been asleep for a lifetime.

I lost the battle and they said they needed to keep me overnight.

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