"Each meeting occurs at the precise moment for which it was meant. Usually, when it will have the greatest impact on our lives."
- Nadia Scrieva
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Uhm where am I? I looked around and could see people just staring down at me every direction I looked.
"He's awake!!" I heard as I saw a lady run out the room. Followed by everyone else. I guess I must have been taken to the hospital at some point. Noticing I was only wearing a gown and felt slightly cold.
Everyone seems to be shocked I'm awake. How long have I been sleeping?
"Axel? That's your name, right?" Asked a man I could see with a mask on taking the lead amongst the many nurses in the room.
"Who wants to know" I replied.
"I'm doctor miles, you have been hospitalized for over a month and have been in a coma after your accident." He slowly said so I wouldn't go into shock.
"Accident?" I asked slowly then remembering back to that night with the meteor shower and the driver crashing into me everything was a blur now, I could feel my heart rate speeding up as I grabbed the side of the bed.
"Axel both your legs have been crushed along with your lungs on the verge of collapsing." Dr. Miles expressed with concern.
Suddenly I felt calm. I could see the nurse pulling back my bedsheet and gown just a little bit as she injected something into my leg but it's not as if I could feel it anyway. The pain I had been feeling around my torso was slowly subsiding though.
"It's a calming serum as well as pain medication so you don't feel anything abnormal or go into shock from what I'm about to say. I know you just woke up but it's hard to tell what can happen at any moment so it's best I inform you now. Any day could easily be your last, you should have passed away already." Doctor miles said grabbing my arm gently stopping me from pulling off the sheets.
He was right I couldn't feel or move my legs at all. What was I going to do run from the situation? I realized I wasn't breathing correctly either. I always thought that would be cool growing up to not need to breathe as I looked at the tube protruding out from the side of my neck. You know those movie scenes where they gasp in shock? Yeah, I couldn't even do that anymore. As I fixed my posture, so I didn't accidentally pull out my lifeline.
"Most of your friends and family have left you cards if you did by chance wake up one last time, they have all been visiting, when you have a moment you should read them." doctor miles said standing up and waiting by the door for a second examining my reactions and heart monitor.
"Cards?" I looked around the room to see a pile on my bedside and reached for the very top one slowly.
To our dear beloved son, you have experienced so much in such a short time. Your only nineteen years old and we pray every day that you will reach twenty despite the advice and predictions of what the doctors say. We will always wait for you and promise to see you again. Forever in our thoughts and in our hearts.
- Love mom and dad.
I felt a single tear fall from my eye as I saw doctor miles turn to exit the room, I guess I could do with some alone time. Mom and dad huh. I wonder how they're doing. I never found the time to talk to them as much and now I'm regretting not spending as much time with them as I would have liked too.
I hope they can help get these cards back to everyone after I reply.
Dear mom and dad, I'm alive! Ha-ha or so it seems as alive as I'm going to ever get again. As your only son I'm not sure what to really say besides I love you guys. Have more kids and forget about me, I never amounted to much anyways. I wish I could have lived up to a higher standard for you both and shown you things beyond what you expected of me, but now I might not ever get that chance. Just know I'm glad I was raised by you both.
- Love Axel.
I can't tell if half of me is sad, and the other half is…. Oh, that's right the other half can't feel anything.
I smiled to myself another tear gently falling down my face onto the card my parents sent me. Nope that's sadness I'm feeling right there as I wiped my eyes with the bedsheets.
As I read through the cards from friends I didn't even know I had, or who knew who I was I laughed and smiled a bit.
Get well soon! Feel better buddy, You got this don't let that truck take you out, hope you get reincarnated!
Seriously who are you guys.
It's not like I ever had an impact on the school or my classmates. I was sure most of it was negative though, from my sly remarks in class to people wanting to start fights with me. My life's been dull, but I guess others must have noticed me at one point or another. On the bright side I got out of that biology project that I got everyone else into. Wonder if he canceled it after my accident.
All these people, classmates, penpals, friends of friends maybe? without any idea just how many people cared or at least pretended too. It was still a nice sentiment to feel at a time like this.
I don't know if I'm happy or sad to have people care while I'm on the verge of death. I wonder what they would do if they saw me now. I looked around the room and could see more cards still and flowers scattered around the room, some wilted and dying and some fresh. I really have been asleep for a long time.
Next to my bed I saw a note attached to a box. It was different from the rest of the cards I've seen so I decided to grab that one next. It was a moderately sized box as well.
It's lonely without you here Axel. Never thought I'd cry over a guy when no girl has ever even broken my heart yet. I pray for your safe return - Lex.
Best friends to the end huh. I can't believe he said yet as if he's waiting for a girl to come and break his heart. He would have to get out their first before he could experience that I thought to myself smiling Big. Opening the box, I saw the latest handheld system made by Wintendo I could not afford this. I guess being a game tester has its benefits sometimes. Alongside it a game I have never seen in stores before and one more note was attached to the small cartridge.
Had them release one copy for my friend who might never get the chance to play it.
Another note from Lex. Oh man I'm sure playing this right now. The last thing I need to hope for is that the serum they injected into me doesn't make me drowsy so I can enjoy something for once.
Not sure if this is depressing or amazing, I wondered as I popped the game cartridge into the system. I started it up and read through some of it for a while.
"Developed by Square. In memory of Axel. If you're reading this, we have released this game early per request of young Lex and it's still in production for a while, but we hope you enjoy it. There won't be another copy like it anywhere." The game read to me.
This is amazing I never would have expected something like this. As I started to get lost in another world so I could finally get away from mine.
A few hours passed.
He sure knows what I love. A beautifully made RPG easily on par with games the developers at Circle Next could create. As I looked at my character who has gone on a long journey to find himself. I was just about to go back and play the rest of my night away. Until I heard rustling coming from my bedside window. I'm on the second floor of the hospital I figured it was just the trees hitting my window.
"Axel?" I heard in a faint voice coming over from my window. Who left my window open anyway? Don't they have their own air filters in the hospital what do i need ventilation for. As I looked around my room once more seeing nothing else. Did someone climb the tree to get in here. Hopefully if they know me, they aren't here to finish me off.
"God? Is that you" I said pretending to be half asleep not aware I was even still among the living with the constant strange things happening.
"As in God your stupid?" I heard in a quiet pained voice. I looked up to see Katie crying.
Nobody insulted me as much as this girl has. I looked at her hair blowing in the night breeze. She looked like she ran here straight out of bed. Wearing a crop top and some shorts. My heart monitor started to beep a little faster.
"Man, your still here even after I passed away?" I said smiling. "Some people go on to haunt you forever, I guess."
"Dummy you're not gone yet; they wouldn't let me see you only your family could, so I snuck in" she said firmly grasping my hand. "Who leaves the window open anyway? I know you're on the verge of dying but you're not dead yet." she said looking over at her entryway.
I'm glad we both are on the same page about the window situation it's cold enough as it is. Not like I can get up and close it. I thought.
"The doctors notified your family about you waking up and they told me 3-4 hours ago and I hopped on the next train here even that wasn't close enough so I sprinted as fast as I could. Good thing we used to climb trees as kids." She said still facing the window with a gentle smile on her face.
Next train? Where the heck am I anyway.
"You're wondering the same thing as me about that window too huh, not the best hospital" I said laughing.
She turned to look at me closer. I could smell her sweet aroma mixed with the night air bringing back some memories.
"Oh, are we replaying events from your house I won't fall for that again" I said turning away and crossing my arms.
"You really are stupid stay turned that way." I could feel her arms wrap tightly around me minutes felt like hours right now. She finally let go looking at me. "I'll take this card back since your alive and well." As she grabbed the top card off my table in the dimly lit room. If it wasn't for the moonlight, you probably couldn't see anything.
"Yeah, I'm barely alive and if you can call my legs being broken doing well? then sure I'm doing great." I said laying down slowly and closing my eyes for a second.
I could feel the warmth from her hugs making me feel alive again.
I heard footsteps approaching. I opened my eyes, but Katie was nowhere to be seen.
"Who's In there!?" As one of the doctors opened the door while checking on patients. Katie was already hidden amongst the curtains by the window.
"Oh, hello doctor sorry you must have heard me talking to myself just reading some of these cards one last time" as I fake sobbed.
The doctor looked saddened "I'm sorry to interrupt you" he said as he closed the door back walking away.
"That was close, I think it's time I take my leave." Katie covered her face and turned to leave out the way she came in maybe I was just imagining it but as she was turning the moonlight went across her face was, she blushing? Or just extra red from crying.
Girl must think I'm stupid. I saved her card for last and switched it with one of the envelopes from a random classmate on the top. I didn't think she would come visit me or scale a tree, but I shouldn't be too surprised anymore with anything that happens.
Outside the hospital
Meanwhile Katie was heading back down the way she came being careful to not fall from the second floor. She began to jog back to the train station droplets streaming down her face onto the ground. "I hate to see him that way" she said looking back at the window in the distance. She just made it catching the last train she decided to catch her breath and take a seat towards the back looking out the window she could see the strange town in the distance now. Closing her eyes for a few minutes ended up being almost an hour the engineer woke her up as she was the last stop. She got off the train and decided to make a detour somewhere on her way home.
"This is going to be a special place for me now huh maybe one day we will return here again." She said looking at her reflection in the pond she had fallen in a month ago. "I gave him such a hard time that day, but it was fun."
Katie turned to walk away and headed back home.
"It's getting late" she said.
As she left the pond behind and made her way home. She kept thinking to herself about the things she would do differently in the future if she saw him again. As she opened the card she took only to read
- Fight back don't let those damn trucks win against you.
She dropped the card on the ground her face red with embarrassment and rage. "Maybe I'll keep doing things how I have been actually" she said shaking her head and opening the door to her house heading to her room.
Back at the hospital
Well, that was a nice nap I'm surprised I'm still having those and not full passed out forever. Said Axel trying to make light of the situation.
Axel wondered just why Katie had rushed over so fast anyway.
Was it to see me? I'm supposedly dying so that would make sense.
Was it to take away the card she left for me? That's highly unlikely but she did mention it, so I assume that's a bigger reason then I thought.
Or maybe some other reason.
What does this card say anyway? As I finally opened it to see. Holding it closer to the window for some light.
I will always care about you so don't die yet ok.
Ahh so it was to keep me from reading this card huh. Kind of short but still sweet for her to say.
Ha don't tell me that now stupid. Like I even have a choice in the first place to live it's only a matter of time. "I'm just waiting for the end I guess." I said leaning back staring at the ceiling. Now for the big question I'm sure everyone thinks the same thing to themselves at times like this. Who will miss me when I'm gone? That's not even a question to ask anyway, as I looked at the flowers and cards on the table. Everyone will miss me for a while. Life was interesting enough I guess I could say.
"You guess?"
I heard somebody say, As I looked around the empty room.
"You been sleeping so long I thought I was going to die too."
That voice again who's is it?
Is this coming from inside my head? Axel thought.
"Yes, inside your head human did your brain get damaged."
What the hell? "What's going on" I said out loud poking the side of my head.
I can hear your thoughts no reason to act crazy by speaking to your imaginary friends in the room. said the mysterious voice.
"I am Lumina a celestial being not of your world and the "accident" that hospitalized you for about a month was no accident you just happened to be the first living thing I could see to merge with. It was either that or die with how much energy I lost that night.
After the meteor crashed and broke open, I found myself in an ethereal form like what your people would call a ghost but a purer form of that. I came over to what I could see as a wreckage but the driver who caused it was already dead. You on the other hand were just severely damaged."
"Your legs bent in ways that shouldn't have been humanly possible I have no idea how they straightened those back out. I felt my life force draining and decided to merge with your body for now."
"I feel somewhat responsible for your condition but not entirely since your luck might just be straight shit. So, I'll present you with an option. Do you want to live or die?"
I reached for the plug on the machine connected to my throat to pull it.
"What...are...you...DOING?" said Lumina yelling directly into my brain I felt like I was close to passing out.
"Yeah, this is too much for me I'm going to take myself out" I thought aloud to myself I'm just crazy with terrible luck to boot.
"You are crazy. Crazy and pathetic go ahead kill yourself watch what happens." said Lumina.
I pulled the plug and took the tube out my neck as blood started pouring out of my veins and then suddenly everything stopped. The hole in my neck started closing and I could breathe just fine again. What on earth is happening to me.
"How brave of you, or incredibly foolish. This is only the beginning of what's to come."