VELOCITY (On Hold)

Chapter 2: Issues

I awoke in an hospital bed, I looked around, my mom was out the window talking to a stranger. There was a nurse in the room with me and I raised an eyebrow to her wanting to know why am here, or is it just really a dream.

The nurse smiled, took her tray and went out the door. I didn't hear anyone's conversation once the nurse was out.

Minutes later the doctor came in and assessed me. He checked heartbeats, brain function, spinal cord movement. I was about to ask him why he did all this test but he told me I was fine.

After the doctor went out my mum and the stranger came in. My mum hugged me while I wandered in my brain if I've seen this stranger before. I glared at him, the stranger, and he smiled at me.

"Oh thank God you're okay" My mom sighed still checking me all over. I hadn't notice a bruise I had until she touched it.

"What were you thinking you Mr Ian Anderson Hart" My mom frowned as she called my middle name.

"Uh uh where's John and Penny?" I asked avoiding my mom's question.

"They just went in to shop with aunty Katie for back to school equips." My mom looked at the ground.

"wait what, Dad just died two weeks ago and they are shopping for school, school is not even out until next week and we still got summer" my eyebrows knitted.

"Uh, Ian you have been in a coma for two months, summer's over." My mom hesitated.

"What?" I shuffled my head. I felt like I had a two hour black out. how come I didn't feel this. "two months?" My eyes raced from the stranger to my mum.

The stranger nodded. "Yes Ian, two months, John is so worried he doesn't smile he doesn't play he just cries after he finally understood your dad is dead and you sick, very sick. and well Penny misses you too" My mom quivered.

I knew she didn't mean the one about Penny but still "But..... but it feels like two hours" I looked at my hands now they were shaking, frightened and sad.

"what do you mean two hours, I sat on that chair all day and night watching you praying and hoping for you to wake up......" She pointed at the chair by the bed.

"And.. and we didn't even go on an holiday because.....  because of you" my mom sobbed.

"holiday? dad just died mum and an holiday? really mum? do you even care? say if I wasn't here you'd have taken us all out for an holiday, uhn?" I raised my voice angrily.

My mom let out into the strangers hands and cried out. the stranger stood there hugging my mom and patting her back to stop crying.

"And who is he?" I asked furiously.

"Am your mom's colleague at—" my mom stops him waving a hand.

"This is Malcolm Lawrence, we work together" my mom forced a smile.

"OK am sorry I raised a voice but I just really haven't gotten over dad yet and I think you shouldn't have" I sighed.

"yes I know I know son, but am doing this for you, my kids, I just don't want them to feel that loss of a father" she held her hair back.

"OK thank you we all appreciate it but him, him? seriously?" I pointed furiously at Malcolm.

My mom stopped pacing around, "what? I.....I just told you he works with me in the office"

I slept back on the bed "well I just wake up two months and two weeks since my dad died and I woke up to him" I pointed a raised hand in the direction of where Malcolm Stood before I flunked to the bed.

"Really? really? you wanna get me angry now uhn?" My mom was yelling now.

I sat up.

The Malcolm guy made a move to my mum hugging her and consoling.

"No no it's not okay Ian what do you mean by 'waking up to Malcolm'" She struggled away from the stranger wiping her tears with the back of her palm.

"Mom am really tired now mom, please I'd love it if you'd just leave now please, I need rest" I said looking through them waiting for a response.

"Oh I see, you are trying to make us leave" my mom breathed heavily. it's like I could hear their breathing clearly.

"No mom no am not trying to make you leave. Am just—" I held my nose bridge as she interrupted me.

"Yes that is clearly what you are doing" she swings her arm angrily.

"Mom I am really just tired" I said avoiding eye contact.

"No you are not" My mom implied.

I slept back to the bed "I tell you I am" I turned to the wall.

"Hey no Ian you will sit up and listen to me now, what do you mean by waking to Malcolm, are you trying to tell me that I don't respect your father's death, that am dating someone else, uhn?" my mom slammed her feet on the floor yelling.

"Yeah OK first, I never said anything about you defying dad's death, it's just—" I was interrupted again.

"just what? uhn? just what?" My mom scattered her hair. She seemed real mad now. She kicked at the walls.

I watched her in sadness. It must be hard to have lost a husband and then be accused of dating someone else.

"Yeah mum the nurse is here" I painted towards the door.

The stranger turned back to check the nurse but my mom just stood there headfirst to the wall.

She walked in with a tray containing pills and injections. "He's next dose is now" the nurse said looking at both adults differently.

"I don't care" my mom said head till glue to the wall.

"Ma'am please you'd have to leave now his vitals are low. He's really tired" the nurse took her attention away from the monitor to my mum.

The stranger eyed me hands crossed and I made the I told you so face.

"I said I don't care" my mom stood away from the wall.

"You'd I'll to live now or I'd make you live" The nurse stopped to look at my mom's deranged hair.

My mom won't budge.

"Okay this way" Malcolm walked towards my mom gesturing to the door.

"I said no am not going" she frowned at me.

"okay here we go" He carried her up to his shoulders. She struggled and hit at his back.  "ouch heavy, you are so heavy" he turned to look at me once they were out the door. Thumbs up.

And I nodded back.

..........................................

A week later I was discharged from the hospital. School was definitely starting on Monday.