Surviving ||On Hold

Awake

She had took a week's long leave from work. Six days had passed and Themba was still in a comatose state, and she had to return to work. The idea didn't excite her, but she knew that was what had to be done, and there was no way to avoid it.

She had returned to work the day before she got that call. What call? Well she was just sitting in her desk, trying to sort through the insurance claims the company had received in the previous week when her cell phone rang.

Whoever said it was impossible to miss what you've never had, never almost had you bo-oy-

The music broke the silence in the workroom and immediately people turned to look for the source of the noise. "Hello" she quickly answered the call without looking at the caller Id. "Hello, Mrs Ndlovu, this is Carol from Mash hospital-"

She was immediately sitting up straighter in her chair, why would they call her. The hospital only called to inform of bad news, or if no payments had been made. The medical aid was covering all the bills so it could only mean one thing... No it couldn't be that, he couldn't be dead.

She hadn't realised she had been quiet for far too long. "Ma'am? Can you hear me? Hello?" the lady from the hospital was now panicking. "Um, yes I'm still here" she quickly recovered from her initial shock.

"Ma'am I called to inform you that your husband woke up about two hours ago. His doctor would like to have a word with you regarding his condition." She did not even wait for the lady to say goodbye, she had hung up the call and was already out of her seat.

"Where are you going, it's only past eleven? The last time you left before lunch... I'd rather not remember. So where to?" Kamo asked with concern in her voice. Boitumelo didn't stop, she pulled her bag and threw in her keys. "Themba is awake." And those two words were enough for Kamo, to let Boitumelo go home early.

"Go on, I'll tell Gerald you had an emergency. Besides he understands that your husband is in hospital. Just keep me posted, okay?"

It always stunned her how Tumi could rush off and leave whatever she was busy with whenever Themba needed her. She sometimes envied their relationship, if only her ex was like Themba. Maybe, just maybe, her son would grow up with a real dad and not an absent father.

If only she knew.

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Thankfully it was before the lunchtime rush and in less than 20 minutes Boitumelo had made it to the hospital. She rushed to the reception area, where the reception was already familiar with her and told her to wait for the doctor.

Five minutes later she was sitting on the black office chair across the dark brown wooden desk in the doctor's office waiting for Dr Oleso, who had been monitoring Themba's progress.

"Ah missus, how are you today." the tall Nigerian doctor asked as soon as he opened the door. He always spoke to her like they were childhood friends who hadn't seen each other in ages. She simply smiled and said, "I am well."

"Well then let's get onto business. Your husband. I'm sure you are aware that he woke up,more than two hours ago." He continued, once he noticed Boitumelo's concerned look
"He is well. His memory also seems to be good, he just doesn't remember most details from the accident. I wanted to warn you, to take it easy on him and refrain from mentioning it."

Huh? How could he not remember the accident? How is it possible for him to remember everything else but forget that? "Is it some sort of condition, does he not remember everything? Is he suffering from amnesia or something?" she asked, trying to grasp what Dr Oleso had said.

"Well, not really. He could have what is called selective amnesia, where his brain chooses to lock up certain memories or events that are too traumatic for him. This is temporary in most cases."

As if noticing the wheels in Boitumelo's head turning, or smelling her fear. He continued to explain Themba's medical condition.

"No need to get worried, see your husband's brain seems to be functioning in order. It is like a DVD, it may be perfect but have a tiny scratch. So it plays the entire movie but happens to freeze and jump during the part where the disk has a scratch only."

"It could also be attributed to the fact that he has been comatose for a while. It is not uncommon for people who have been out of it for some time to have memory gaps. Which is why you have to be there to fill those in."

She was speechless for a minute, it was all too much to take in. Swallowing the lump in her throat, "Can I go see him?" she asked in a raspy voice. He simply nodded and stood up, signaling for her to follow him, he then led her out towards the elevators.

The doctors offices, or rather consulting rooms, were on a different wing of the hospital. Nearly ten minutes of silent elevator rides and taking strides along the plain white hospital hallways.

The room looked the same, the flowers she had brought on her last visit sat in a vase on the side table. The blinds were open and a few rays of sunlight were entering the room. Themba lay peaceful in his bed, without the many tubes and machines attached to him.

"Ill leave you two alone. Just remember to take it easy, don't give him too much to digest all at once." the doctor who had been quietly standing next to her, gauging her reaction announced. As soon as he left, Boitumelo slowly moved to sit on the visitor's chair besides the bed.

She just took his hand in hers and looked at him as he slept peacefully. 'We will get through this, I just have to be strong - for your sake' She thought to herself as she continued caressing Themba's hand.

She looked up at the dull, white ceiling and her lips stretched into a grateful smile. "Thank you." she muttered in a low voice.

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~Bee♡

**Sorry for having been MIA for so long, don't hate me. Please. Let's blame school, exams are starting and unfortunately I will be unable to write much. You can expect more chapters around the end of June.