Amnesia

Chapter 2

Five days.

Penny had been in a coma for five days.

An incredibly empty feeling fills her mind and she finds it difficult to grasp the prolonged loss of time. The events of the accident remain hazy in her mind; the only things she remembers being the sound of the deep voice (which she now attributes with Avi) and the sound of the wipers against windshield. Everything else is a puzzle with the pieces missing.

Emily comforts her after Avi leaves before checking various things on the monitors around her. The cuff around her arm inflates as Emily checks her vitals, simultaneously sticking a thermometer in her mouth. Emily mutters to herself, typing in her vitals before turning to something else. Penny watches, entranced, as she presses buttons on the four IV pumps, the soft beep of the keypad filling the air.

"You seem to be progressing well," Emily states, turning the faucet on and running her hands under the water before pumping her palm full of soap. "Are you up for trying to eat something?"

Penny nods, unable to trust her voice just yet. She licks at her lips, the moisture slowly returning, but still uncomfortably dry and sticky. "Water?" The question comes out barely above a whisper, but Emily hears her and smiles.

"Sure, let's try."

Grabbing a small cup and filling it with water, Emily sets it on the tray beside her bed and hands her a small green sponge on a stick. "Dip the sponge in the water and then put it in your mouth and suck," she instructs, grabbing a couple more green sponges.

Penny does as she's told, the strangeness of using her left hand slowing the process down considerably.  Getting the sponge to her mouth is easier and she sighs as the cool water hits her tongue, her mouth almost tingling in relief. She goes through two more sponges before her mouth almost begins to feel normal.

"Feel like you're swallowing okay?" Emily asks, cleaning up the water and sponges.

Penny nods and tries to shift in the bed, attempting to find a comfortable position. She flops back with a sigh, her legs itching to move. I just want to sit, she thinks.

She must have uttered the thought out loud, because Emily just smiles and begins moving the tray out of the way before sitting the bed up as high as it goes. The low, throbbing pressure in Penny's lower back starts to dissipate and she groans in relief. After much instruction, rearranging of equipment and use of muscles Penny hasn't used in days, she's finally sitting at the edge of the bed, slightly out of breath from her efforts.

"This," Penny huffs, "feels nice." Emily has moved the bedside table in front of her and Penny leans over it, stretching her back muscles, relishing in the slight burn.

"Still interested in trying food?" Emily asks, standing before her.

Penny's stomach feels somewhat full from the water, but the thought of food sounds appealing and her mouth waters a little at the thought. "Yeah, something light maybe."

Emily gives a small nod. "I'll get you some soup." She goes to leave, but pauses in the doorway and looks back at Penny somewhat hesitantly. "Do you want me to let Avi in or should I tell him to leave? I should warn you he's hard to persuade; he's barely left your side."

Penny utters a wordless "oh" and turns her thoughts to the beautiful sleep-deprived man and a pleasant, warm sensation spreads through her limbs. Nodding, she says, "Yeah, he can come in."

Emily smiles and taps the doorframe with her fingers before turning to leave.

This was going to be awkward.

+++

A small knock comes at the door several minutes later and Penny turns, the muscles in her neck protesting the movement, to find Avi standing hesitantly in the doorway. He's holding three cups of soup, all three stacked upon each other in one hand, his other still resting lightly against the door. Nervously, he clears his throat and asks, "May I come in?"