When Avery wakes up, it's to a world of muted colours — he can barely see a thing— a crushing pain in his chest makes him think if waking up is worth it.
His memories are blurred; hidden behind a thick fog and he struggles to remember why he's in a hospital or why his body feels sore.
"Mr Ford how are you doing?" He can make out an hazy figure in front of him — a nurse perhaps.
Avery tires to speak but he only succeds in letting out a hoarse and dry sound that seems like the groan of a wounded animal.
"I will call Doctor Watson, please don't panic." The nurse said gently.
Minutes later, Doctor Watson arrives with her usual sharp click of her heels.
"How are you Avery?" Amanda asked in that gentle voice of hers.
"I...chest...my...m..y...p...p..pain." Avery's words come out slurred and broken. He panics wondering what's wrong with his voice.
"Calm down Avery." Amanda said softly. "What you're experiencing is the aftereffects of a cardiac arrest."
Cardiac arrest, Avery wants to ask, but the words are easier to say in his head than working his stiff tongue into movement.
"A week ago you were injected with epinephrine— an hormone that releases adrenaline into the system— it casued you to suffer a heart attack." As Amanda explains, Avery remembers the night in flashes, to him it seemed like yesterday; but the doctor said it's been a week.
"Thankfully your coworker immediately dialed the emergency helpline and the security guard had been able to perform CPR on you which kept your condition from worsening." Amanda said. "Unfortunately, your heart attack developed into cardiac arrest a minute before professional help arrived."
"You have got a few broken ribs from the CPR, but it's a small price paid to live." Amanda chuckled lightly.
"W...ill....sta...ay...for...e....ver." His mouth cannot seem to formulate what his brain wants to say. His vision is blurred, and he wants to turn to Amanda; but it's as though his brain can't remember which part of his body is his hand and which part is his head.
"No, you won't stay like this forever." Thankfully, Amanda is able to understand his broken speech. "During that one minute, your heart stopped pumping blood and your brain was unable to receive oxygen which has resulted into a light neurological damage."
"Fortunately, the brain's oxygen was only cut off for a short time before medical help arrived, so you will regain proper control of your body soon." Amanda said soothingly. "Unfortunately though you will experience Ataxia— a condition were your brain is no longer able to coordinate your body's movement, dysarthria— loss of speech control, fatigue, low concentration, forgetfulness and low vision, but don't painc all these symptoms are temporarily and you will have proper support until you regain proper control of your body." Amanda explained slowly.
"Re.....co....ve...r." How long will he stay like this, unable to control his own body.
"Like I said, your brain wasn't deprived of oxygen for long so you will likely start regaining control in a week and by the end of a month or two, you will be back to normal." Amanda smiled gently. "In the meantime though we have nurses, neurologists, psychotherapist and cardiologists who will assist you during this period."
"We understand that the inability to control your body and your near death experience may be accompanied with issues such as anxiety, depression and PTSD." Amanda said. "This is not a death sentence or something of permanence, you will recover soon."
Her words did little to alleviate the worry in Avery's heart; it's like he's back to that time were all he could do was lie around and wonder if he's more of a burden to his family members. He won't ever admit it: but there had been a time where he wanted to die, hoping that it could unburden Tamara from the stress his illness caused.
"M...y..gr.....and.....fa...the...er?" Avery asked, he had remembered seeing Vicente whene he slipped into consciousness temporarily.
"Mr Emerson wouldn't leave your bed, stubborn old fellow." Amanda chuckled. "Miss Delaney had us sedate him, he's sleeping in the room next door, but I know he will come rushing in once he's awake." Avery smiled at Amanda's words— though the smile looked robotic and wide to be normal.
"Since you have suffered from a cardiac arrest, it will be easy to have another." Amanda said. "We think it's best for you to have an implantable cardioverter defibrillator surgically implanted into your heart chambers." Amanda seemed to read the panic in his eyes and smiled warmly.
"It's a low risk surgery, the incision will be made near your collarbone and we will run proper test before implantation." Amanda assured. "The ICD will store data for me to review during your checkups so I can understand your condition better." Amanda said. "It will also shock your heart if it detects arrhythmia— a mild shock will feel like a flutter in your heart and a heavy shock will feel like a painful punch in the chest— if you receive a shock up to three times is 24 hours then please come to the hospital." She noticed Avery's eyelids dropping.
"I will leave you to rest." Avery hadn't been able to answer when a heavy fatigue claimed him.
********
When Avery woke up later in the day, he noticed someone sitting next to him.
The scent of sandalwood and musk smelled familiar and soothing for a reason. Avery struggled to make out the blurry picture of a man sitting on a chair close to him — the striking red hair and white mask is impossible to miss.
"S...l....oa....ne." Avery manages the get the name past his lips with difficulty.
"How are you doing Avery?" Sloane asked in that velvety tone of his; Avery's name rolling off his lips with the smoothness of butter.
"You don't have to force yourself." Sloane said when he noticed Avery's difficulty in forming words.
A comfortable silence falls between them.
"Would you like me to read you a book?" Avery wants to nod his head but he can't seem to remember which part of his body is his head so he forces out a disorganized yes.
The book Sloane is reading is very boring— something about the respiratory system— but there's something about Sloane's voice that makes you want to listen to everything he's saying.
I could spend my whole life just listening to his voice Avery thought with a smile.
The air in the room feels light and warm, the silence broken by Sloane's lyrical tone and the sound of paper being turned.
The familiar fatigue creeps in and Avery is claimed by sleep.