1
The incessant beeping sound was what woke him. Then came the sharp jolt of pain that flowed throughout his body.
Why can’t I move? Why can’t I open my eyes? Everything hurts. He grew more and more panicked as he tried to move his fingers, to no avail. All he could do was listen to the distant noise and murmurs.
“It’s been almost two weeks. The doctor said the swelling of his brain has gone down significantly. Why isn’t he waking up?” The woman’s voice cracked, as if in severe pain. It sounded so familiar, but he couldn’t tell who it was.
Legs, he thought. He willed his legs to move, struggling with himself. But no matter what he did, he remained still.
Where am I? What happened?
The emptiness was paralyzing.
Why can’t I remember anything?
“His body is still healing, Mrs. Halloway.”
Kaye? Kaye, I’m here. I’m awake. In his head, he was screaming, begging his little sister to hear him out. Yet mostly silence filled the room, with his sister’s soft cries echoing. The Kaye he knew was not a crier.
Do I look that bad?
Before today, he had only heard Kaye cry so wretchedly when she miscarried. He remembered how she sat on the floor and lay her head on his leg, drenching his pants with tears. Now, with a baby on the way, he didn’t think he’d ever hear her cry this much again.
“With the injuries he sustained from the accident before and now, it’s hard to tell when he’ll wake up. Everything else is normal. Holden just needs to want it bad enough to wake up.” The voice this time was softer but firm. Her words replayed in his head like a mantra.
Accident. I was in an accident.
In his solitude, he tried to recall his last memory. As if his mind heard his plea for help, lights flashed and blinded him, bits of memories playing in his head.
I love you.
I love you, too. The woman in his memory smiled, but her face was lost in the fog, shrouded by darkness. Who is she?
Don’t say “too.” That’s like a templated response.
The woman giggled, facing him.
Fine. I love you. Period.
As the smoke wisped away from the woman’s face, a bright light blinded him, followed by a loud crash.
“Holden! Oh my God.”
“M-a-Ma-x.” A voice rasped. Was that me?
He fought with the heaviness of his eyes. His fingertips softly brushed against the bedcover, searching. The beeping sounds that woke him sounded louder, piercing through him.
Max. Max was with me. Was that her who called out my name? Is she okay? Panic coursed through him, thinking that like him, she may be in the hospital, too.
With his newfound strength, he struggled harder, fighting against the current driving him away from reality. As his eyes slowly welcomed the light, a silhouette appeared before him.
“H, stop moving, okay? You’ll hurt yourself. The doctor is on her way. Hang on.” A hand softly touched his arm, and he strained to reach out. Slowly, the blurry figure started to take form as his eyes opened fully. It was his sister, with her back to him. One of her hands remained glued to his arm while the other was furiously typing away on her phone.
“K-Kaye,” he called out. Kaye slowly faced him, her features almost unrecognizable. Her eyes were swollen from crying, with dark, deep bags that hid away her blue eyes. Her lips were dry and pale. She was sniffing loudly, he was afraid she’d pass out. As their eyes met, tears welled up in her eyes again. She punched him lightly, then grabbed his hand.
“I swore to myself that when you woke up, I’d give you an earful. What is with you and cars?” Then she burst into tears. She buried her head in her hands, her shoulders shaking.
He swallowed hard, ignoring the painfully rough sensation. His eyes scanned the room slowly, looking for any sign of Max.
“Kaye,” he called out again. “Max. Where is she? Is she okay?” He struggled through the words.
Max would have been there if she hadn’t gotten seriously injured. Was it a big accident? Is she-- No, I wouldn’t go there. Maybe she went home to rest. How long have I been out?
Kaye looked at him, confusion evident in her eyes. “Holden, Max…”
“Mr. Price.” The soft voice called him. He slowly tried to turn his head to the side and faced a woman in a doctor’s robe. Her short auburn hair bobbed as she walked, her heels clacking on the tiles. Despite her short stature, the doctor took confident, wide strides.
Holden observed her, his eyes squinting at the sudden surge of light. The doctor smiled at him, her eyes surrounded by fine wrinkles, like lines of wit and wisdom. His mom has those. He felt panicked again, realizing that apart from Kaye, none of his family was there.
The doctor stood beside his bed, checking the machines and scanning through what he could only guess was his medical record.
“You gave us quite a scare. I’m Doctor Sally Reynolds. We’ve been hanging out for almost two weeks.” The doctor chuckled softly. “You’ve been asleep for a while.” He watched as she grabbed a small penlight from her pocket and aimed it at his eyes.
“Do you know where you are?”
He swallowed. “Hospital?” He moved uncomfortably, wincing in pain. He wanted to sit back, but his body wasn’t cooperating. Kaye easily moved to his side, forcing him down.
“Stop moving, H. You’re gonna hurt yourself even more. I called Mom and Dad.” Kaye offered a small smile, twiddling her fingers. “Lance is coming, too. He’s just trying to get out of class.”
Doctor Reynolds shone the light on his eyes, and he shut them close on reflex. His body felt so overwhelmed, like it was taking in everything yet not absorbing anything.
“Yes, you’re at Cedars-Sinai. You were in a car accident, and you hit your head pretty hard,” she started to explain. “A few of your ribs were broken, and your arm went through the side window.” She pointed to his casted arm. “We were looking at internal bleeding when you were first brought in. But, thankfully, apart from your scratches and bruises, you’ll heal just fine. All your tests came back normal, and for the first time, you’re actually talking to me now.”
He sensed the relief in the doctor’s voice, but he was still so confused. His mind was blank, like it was struggling to piece together memories. “You still have to take it easy. Most of your stitches are still fresh.”
“My head…” he started, reaching out his hand to touch his head. He felt a large piece of gauze plastered on his forehead. “I don’t...feel right.” He didn’t know how to explain what he was feeling.
And Max. He still doesn’t know where she is.
Before his doctor could answer, the door burst open. He saw his mother and father, disheveled and out of sorts, rushing to his side. If he weren’t hurting like he was now, he’d have a field day seeing the normally poised and proper Athena and Nico Price looking restless and disheveled.
His parents engulfed him in a hug. It was tighter than what was comfortable at the moment, but he endured.
“Holden, thank God.” His mom brushed his wayward hair away from his face. “How are you feeling, honey?”
“Like I was hit by a car?” he joked. But his mom frowned.
“You are never going out ever again. I told you that truck was a death trap.”
Despite his pain, he managed to chuckle at his mother. “Mom, you can’t ground me at 34. It’s not possible.”
“Holden, you’re not 34.”
