Amneisa

Amnesia XLVIII

It had been four months and three days since Addison went into a coma. Caiden marked off the 18th of April 2017 on the hospital calendar, he had forgotten to do that yesterday. It had been two months since Doctor Reed had told him that there was brain activity. Caiden should have known better than to get his hopes up. Clary rushed to the hospital after hearing the news. She was the reason why Caiden truly believed that Addison would wake up. Clary had been so sure that she would. She was wrong. Two months had gone by and there hadn't been much more progress.

Caiden found himself engulfed with school work and taking care of Maddison after she came home from school. Dean Eaton had suggested that it would be better if Caiden stayed at home rather than in the Elite wing until Addison recovered. Caiden didn't protest. After his lessons, he would either go home or straight to the hospital.

Maddison accompanied him to the hospital occasionally. Those were the visits that were filled with laughter and smiles. Maddison would sit by Addison and tell her all about her day and the problems she was facing. Today she spoke about her friend Gracie and how they had got into a fallout. "She ate all of my cookies! It was my favourite triple chocolate one with the gooey centre! I am never talking to her again. We are not besties anymore!" Maddison proclaimed.

"Isn't she coming over for a sleepover tomorrow though? I thought dad was taking you both out to the Wacky House and then for ice cream," Caiden inquired.

Realisation dawned on Maddison. She had been looking forward to tomorrow for weeks. The Wacky House was her favourite place in the whole of London. It was every child's dream house. There were bouncy castles, slides, ball pits, a floor made of trampolines and a whole selection of chocolates and sweets. "Oh yeah... I guess we can be besties for a bit longer then."

Caiden chuckled and shook his head slightly. Kids.

"I wish Ari could come with us tomorrow. It would have been so much fun. When's she gonna wake up Cay?"

Caiden's expression faltered slightly. He hated these moments. Every now and then Maddison would ask when Addison would wake up, he never really knew what to say. "Soon," Caiden replied.

"That's what you always say, Cay. How soon is soon?"

"Soon enough munchkin."

"Can't we help her? I miss her, I want her to be awake. Cay can't we do something?" The desperation in Maddison's voice broke Caiden's heart. He wanted nothing more than for Addison to wake up at that moment and tell them both that everything was going to be okay.

When that didn't happen, Caiden picked Maddison up, sat her on his lap and hugged her. "I miss her too Maddie but we need to be patient. She'll wake up very soon."

Maddison didn't say anything. Her grip on her brother was strong for a four-year-old, it was like she was afraid to let go. "I know," she whispered into Caiden's shoulder. "One of the girls from my class told me that Ari is in a coma. I asked my teacher what that was but she didn't want to tell me. First I thought that was mean but then I knew it was because she knew about Ari. Everyone does, but me. Eden told me that his uncle is in a coma, that he has been for years. He said that he might never wake up.."

Caiden caught his breath. He could feel his shirt becoming damper and damper with the four-year-old's tears. Lorenzo had gone to Maddison's school a few days after Addison was hospitalised and told the teachers not to mention anything to her. It was Caiden's suggestion, his way of keeping his promise to Addison to always make sure Maddison was happy. However, Caiden and Lorenzo both knew that they couldn't protect her from the truth forever. She would hear about it if not from the media, then from the children at school. "Maddie.."