The Ability

Chapter 4

It was impossible. How can someone drop into a coma for a year and wake up after that? I pondered upon this question after the doctor and Grace left. I was snapped out of my thoughts when what happened the night before hit me. I looked to the bedside table, trying to figure out what the mysterious person left for me when he left the room. The table was empty, no sign of him coming here. I was just about to think that what happened last night was just a dream when I spotted something sticking out of the drawer underneath the table. I started to reconsider my previous thought. Who in the right mind would visit a random coma patient and leave a letter for them?

Pulling out the drawer, I took out an envelope. It didn't look weird in any way. Just a typical white envelope. I took out a small piece of paper. It looked like it was hurriedly stuffed insude the envelope. The tiny words on the paper wrote' Emily, please meet me at the alley next to your hospital tomorrow. No one is to come with you and you must not tell anyone about this. I shuddered in fear. What was about to happen? What am I going to do? Similar questions flooded my mind but at the end of the day, I was just a lost boat in the middle of a vast ocean. Sighing, I somehow knew that it was going to be a long day.

The day passed as slow as it possibly can go. Many older looking relatives came in and out of the room to visit me. Even the baby came. Except this time, she stumbled clumsily into the room sticking her tiny fingers into her mouth. The last time I saw her, she was still being cradled in her mother's arms. Just as I thought the day couldn't get any longer, it was soon sun set. I heard a knocked on the door, followed by a shuffling sound. I stiffened. Could it be the mysterious person that came into my room the night before? The door knob turned... and in came an old woman wearing a white dress. She also had a white cap on. It was just the nurse. I heaved a sigh of relieve. She pushed in a cart with some aluminium foils on it. An aroma wafted over to my nose. Smoke came out from the sides of the aluminium foil. Before I knew it, I started to drool. Just then, my stomach growled loudly. I felt my face heat up. The nurse probalby heard it as she gave me a warm smile. I returned the facour and diverted my gaze over to my fingers. That was embarrassing. When exactly was the last time I actually put food in my mouth? As soon as the nurse placed the foil on my table, I ripped open the aluminium foil. Porridge was what lay inside, steam coming off it. Licking my lips, I dug in. Spoonfuls after spoonfuls. Porridge was good enough compared to the long period of time where I was not able to taste food. The nurse smiled upon looking at me act like an anmal. That was a sign that I had really come to my senses.

I gobbled down the porridge and soon enough, I finished the whole bowl. While waiting for the nurse to clear the bowl, I stared at the ceiling, thinking about all the possibilities that could happen after meeting the mysterious person. I wouldn't want anyone suspecting I went out for something I wasn't supposed to do. After all, our parents have always told us not to talk to strangers. After what seemed like eternity, my food was cleared and I had gotten ready to go. Wait a minute. Hospital patients don't have anything to get ready with.

Tiptoeing out of the stuffy hospital room, my eyes darted around to check if anyone was looking. Why am I even being secretive? Its not like it's my fault. If I get caught, I can show whoever it is the letter that was given to me. I thought. I then pushed back my shoulders and regretted it immediately as a sharp pain shot through my nerves. My legs also felt a little weak. Sigh. The effects of sleeping for a year. I quickly made my way down to where I was supposed to meet whoever-it-is-that-came-into-my-room last night. Suddenly I heard footsteps. I swerved around only to meet someone much taller than me.

Could he be...