Leaving Him - A Canem Story

CHAPTER 12 - In limbo again ...

Sanem literally froze. Can was awake! His eyes were open. They were blinking. However he stayed motionless, as if his body was pinned to the bed, unable to move. Why wasn't he saying anything? What was happening? Was it just some kind of reflex? Sanem's mind was rushing through every possible hypothesis but she was getting close to panic as time seemed to slow down. She caught sight of the emergency button behind the bed and she pushed it.

"Can? Can?" she asked tentatively, "Can? Love, can you hear me?"

Can blinked and opened his mouth but no sound came out. He tried to wet his lips: he was obviously in pain and had trouble to coordinate his movements.

"Would a sip of water be of any help?" offered Sanem.

He blinked again, followed by an almost imperceptible nod. She was half filling up a glass when a nurse entered the room. She had a quick look at Can and immediately assessed the situation and left in a hurry.

Sanem smiled timidly at him and raised the glass to his lips. She proceeded slowly, with care as water was dripping all over his chin. She put the glass back on the table and wiped his beard and neck. A knock on the door and the familiar face of Can's doctor appeared.

"So ... you're awake! Good ... good ... very good ... Welcome back!" then facing Sanem, he inquired about the circumstances of his awakening.

She explained how it had happened, also expressing her worry concerning his lack of mobility and voice.

"That's not surprising ... His muscles haven't been used for more than a month now, neither have his vocal cords ... We have to be patient. Everything should be back to normal within the following days, ok? Now, if you don't mind stepping out, I will proceed to check his vitals ... It won't be long, don't worry!" assured the doctor.

Sanem agreed, squeezed Can's hand and bowed to kiss him on the cheek. She mouthed "I love you" as she was moving her face away from him and to her utmost surprise, he answered her with a blink. She felt a wave of exhilaration sweeping through her as well as relief rushing into her heart! She would use the examination time to call up his parents and hers naturally.

In the meantime, Can had trouble adjusting to the situation. He couldn't understand how he had landed on a hospital bed when, just a few minutes before he had been ... he had been ... Where had he been exactly? The place was unknown to him, it was open and full of light. He couldn't remember the whereabouts but he would remember the scent of fresh wild flowers, the light breeze on his hands and the dulcet song of a bird that kept calling him over and over. Ignoring the bird's summon at first, he had become intrigued and decided to look for the bird capable of such a lovely melody. He imagined it to be quite small but adorned with beautiful feathers that would shine in the sunlight. He had followed the sound and suddenly there he was, face to face with Sanem ... Nothing made sense. His body ached everywhere, unwilling to obey him. He scanned the room, gauging the situation: a doctor was there examining him, Sanem had left, one of his arms was covered with a cast and so was his left leg.

"Mr Can? How do you feel? One blink for «ok» and two for «not so good» ..." instructed the doctor. "Two blinks ... Ok. Are you in pain?" continued the doctor, "ok, we will increase the dose of painkillers and you should feel relieved in the next hour or so. Try to rest and not strain yourself too much. Take your time and be patient. Don't hesitate to call up if you need anything. I will check up on you later today", he concluded, opening the door and allowing Sanem back in the room.

Can was hazy and disorientated. The only thing that made sense was Sanem's presence next to him. He tried to remember the events that had led him here but without success. He was only grateful to have her near, one of her hands on his and the other one in his hair, her chin resting on top of his head.