Toxicology reports already showed she wasn’t drunk. I knew in my heart that she was upset at me and lost control of her car, although they could never prove it.
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Ed emerged from Amanda’s room, just as upset as Elaine had been. I don’t know if they were expecting her to start talking or something, but the doctor made it clear that wouldn’t happen right away.
“You can go in now, Cedric,” he said, wiping his eyes.
I swallowed hard and walked into the room. Amanda was lying there just as peacefully as I last saw her.
“Hey, baby…it’s me. You look so beautiful. I hope you can hear me,” I whispered.
“Amanda, baby? You know what Iheard on the radio today in the cafeteria? Itwas our favorite dumb song by Hootie andthe Blowfish. You know the one that goes, ‘Ionly wanna be with you?’ The one that wasplaying the night we met? That one. Ismiled, baby, thinking of you. It’s the firsttime I smiled since we ended up here.” 512/727
I bent down and kissed her cheek and could see her eyelids flicker. Grabbing her hand, I placed it in mine. It was cold and clammy and I wished I could warm it up, but I needed to be gentle with her.
“I love you, baby. You’re gonna be okay. Can you hear me?” Amanda continued to lie still, her eyelids flickering again.
Suddenly, I felt pressure on my hand that was holding hers and realized she had squeezed it.
“Baby! You can hear me. You can hear me.” My heart jumped for joy that Amanda responded to my voice and a single tear fell down my cheek.
She stayed still, just breathing, for another
twenty
minutes
and
hadn’t
squeezed my hand again but I kept talking to her gently.
“Amanda…I don’t know how muchyou can understand…but baby, I want you 513/727
to know that when you get out of here…I want us to take a trip somewhere. Maybe Cancun…somewhere warm. You think your parents will let us go?” I smiled to myself. I knew her parents would probably let her do just about anything if she made it out of here okay.
“And baby—”
I was interrupted by an intense hand squeeze and lots of rapid eyelid movement.
Suddenly, her eyes opened.
Shocked and elated, I said, “Amanda, Amanda…it’s me…Cedric. I’m here, baby.
I’m here. You’re okay…everything is fine.” Groggily, she looked over at me and said
nothing.
Did
she
know
what
happened…why she was here?
I ran out of the room and called a nurse. The nurse came in and verified that what was happening was normal, that Amanda would wake up from time to time, but may not be aware of her surroundings.
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By the time the nurse and I made it back to the room though, Amanda looked fast asleep again.
I let her mother go in again and waited anxiously in the hallway.
After about an hour, I was able to go back in her room. Amanda had not opened her eyes since the last time and I hoped and prayed she would wake up again.
***
The next day, something amazing happened. Amanda opened her eyes and said ‘Mom.’
A couple of more days passed and Amanda was slowly regaining the ability to talk. Her physical condition, though, according to the doctors was still serious.
Amanda had a lot of internal bleeding at the 515/727
time of the accident and may have suffered some irreversible organ damage.
She acknowledged me only one time and it was the most precious couple of minutes of my life.
“Ce—dric.”
“Oh my God…Hi, baby…I am here. I am here!” I said.
“Love you,” she whispered.
“I love you too, baby,” I cried through tears.
“Cedric—help me.”
“Help you, baby? Help you get better?” I asked, sobbing now.
“Ye—yes. Help me…fi—
“It’s ok, baby. Don’t force yourself to talk.”
Amanda struggled to get the words out, then said, “Fi…Fi…Find…my sister.”
“Your sister? Baby…your sister…is that what you said?”
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Amanda looked like she was going to cry, nodded and then closed her eyes, dozing off.
Help her find her sister? That made no sense. I wonder if she was delusional from all the meds. My poor Amanda.
When I left her to sleep and joined Ed and Elaine in the cafeteria, I relayed what I thought she said to Ed and Elaine.
The way that Amanda’s parents looked at each other showed me there was something to what she said.
Ed coughed nervously and asked,
“Cedric…did Amanda say anything to you about her some news she received back in December?”
“What do you mean?” I asked.