The Cinderella | Wattys 2016

Chapter Thirty-One

Chapter Thirty-One

The doctor checked her pulse rate while the nurse recorded the doctor's readings. Mom's gaze was fixated on me, a grim smile gracing her face. She held my hand weakly due to the little energy she had, as the doctor analyzed dilation of mom's pupils. I gave her hand a light squeeze asking her to relax since she looked a bit panicked. "Mrs. Johnson, it's good to see you up." The doctor said, smiling down at mom.

"Doc, is everything all right?" I asked apprehensively. Blake put his hand around my shoulder supportively.

"Everything looks fine, as of now." The doctor said. He turned towards mom, who was looking around the room in confusion, "Mrs. Johnson, you were in an accident when you were brought here. I'm going to ask you a few questions, feel free to stop me, in case you need time to rest." The doctor said with an encouraging smile.

Mom blinked her eyes a couple of times before she faltered, "Al..all right."

"Do you remember which year are we in?" The doctor asked.

"Yes, 2015." Mom answered. The doctor and I shared a worried look realizing there's a long way ahead for mom's complete recovery. "What is the matter? Grace, is everything all right?" She asked hesitantly. I looked at the doctor with panic coursing through my veins as I was in a fix, not being able to decide if I should be brutally honest with her.

"Mrs. Johnson, we are in 2016, as we speak." The doctor stated curtly.

Hysteria washed over mom, as her grip over my hand tightened. I dipped down to the level mom lay and tenderly placed a kiss on her forehead, in an attempt to calm her trepidation. "Mom, hey, look at me." I said, cupping her cheeks in my hand. "It's fine, I'm right here." I said with a weak smile.

"What's going on, sweetie? I'm so lost right now."

"Mrs. Johnson, you were in coma for a year. You had a brain hemorrhage, the primary reason you slipped into coma." The doctor said. "We'll be keeping you under observation until we know you're stable and good to go." The doctor stated putting his hand on mom's shoulder and casting an assuring smile. Blake and I observed mom with worry who nodded her head in agreement. "She'll be fine, Ms. Johnson, rest is all she needs right now." He said with a nod, before he exited the room.

"You're gonna be fine soon, mom." I said, kissing the back of her hand. "We're just gonna make a call and be right back." I said with a smile. She nodded her head weakly at me and closed her eyes, taking deep breaths in. Blake took my hand in his as we walked out of the room.

"I'll call up Amanda and ask her to bring Cassidy here." Blake said. I muttered a soft 'okay' as I felt him press his lips against my temples before trotting a little away, to make the call. I slumped down on the seat and rested my head on my palms as I let out an exhausted sigh. She has no memory of what happened. Her situation right now was extremely delicate. Her throwing questions about dad's wellbeing, was such a buster. Mom has all the right to know, but given her condition, it is exactly the wisest and the best thing to do. I looked out of the window observing the clear sky and ran my hand through my hair. I pulled out my phone from my pocket and sent a quick text to Maya and Emily and switched it off.

I turned my head towards the sound of the footsteps that echoed. Blake walked over to where I sat with two coffees. He handed me one, and settled down on the seat next to me. "Figured you'd need some." Blake said. He took his hand in mine and played with my fingers. "Why do you look so tensed, Grace?" He asked.

I rested my head on his shoulder and took a deep breath in, "I don't know if I should her about dad, Blake. She's just woken up and I cannot let anything happen to her, not when I just got her back." I mumbled.