Comatose

CHAPTER 1

Gasping, panting, heart pounding, beads of sweat dropped on the pillow from her face. She drew in a full lung of air as she awoke from her slumber.

There was a moment of confusion but Upon seeing the familiar structure of her ceiling and taking in the familiar scent of her room, she slowly began to calm down. She sat up slowly and swallowed hard.

"What a nightmare!" Sophie exclaimed.

Turning to her side she saw her sister, Taylor sitting beside her.

"Taylor, you're here? Thank God. I'm pretty sure I'd have been having a panic attack now."

Silence

"You won't believe the dream I just had. It was ho..rr..ii..ble.. I died. Can you believe that?"

silence

"Speechless? I know, right?"

silence

"Hey, you're not saying anything. You okay?"

Still no response. She looked carefully at her sister and saw she was crying.

"You're crying? What's the problem sis?" She asked placing her hand on her shoulder but to her utmost bewilderment, her hand passed through her.

"Whooooooooooh" she screamed. Shock registering on her face as she pulled back.

"What the…. Taylor, something is wrong with me. Why can't I touch you?" she asked as she made futile attempts to hold unto her.

There was still no response from her.

"Taylor, you're scaring me. Did something happen? Why aren't you responding to me? talk to me. Helloooo"

Taylor sat still, sobbing. There was no reaction to Sophie.

"What is going on?" she asked no one but herself.

Suddenly, she caught a glimpse of something on the bed.

Feets? Whose were they?

Sophie turns, but too slowly to be normal. She tried to say something but her voice trailed slowly, like her words are unwilling to take flight. There is fear in her eyes.

When she could finally speak, she could only let out a loud shriek.

"That's me on the bed. How is that possible? I can't be….no,no,no. Maybe it's another dream. What is this?"

She got frightened. Her chest hurts, and she feels as though she's consumed too much coffee in her head. nervous and trembling. She starts to feel increasingly confined, as if the air around her were suffocating her. She wanted to flee, hide, and run.

She rushed to the door and tried to open it but she couldn't hold onto the knob.

"Haaaaah! This is not happening."

"Taylor, do something. Call the doctor" She yelled but got no answer from her.

"You can't hear me. She can't hear me. What do I do?"

She paced about the room. She had lost all form of composure.

She tried again and again to hold on to Taylor ; anything, to let her know she was here but nothing worked.

"TAYLOR". She screamed.

Just then the door opened and a group of four hurried into the room.

"Mum, dad, is she going to be okay?" Taylor asked.

"We don't know. Let the doctor check her." Mr Tony said.

The doctor went ahead to check her vitals and what have you. All the while Sophie paced about.

"She's not dead…

Everyone sighed in relief.

"Oh thank you Lord" The elderly woman exclaimed.

" … Yet. She's unconscious. In a coma you can say. "

"But how did this happen? She never forgets to keep her inhaler on her side stool or under her pillow " Taylor lamented.

"That's not what is important now, child. We're glad she's still alive. What do we do now? " Mrs May asked the doctor.

"Nothing much for now. We'll have to admit her in the hospital so we can keep close surveillance on her"

"Will she wake up soon?" Austin, who had been quiet since he stepped in, asked.

"Pray hard." the doctor said, throwing everyone in another fit of panic.

Seeing that none was yet to make any move the doctor said.

"The longer we wait, the higher the chances of losing her.

"What are you guys standing around for? Do you want me to die? " Sophie asked.

They sprung into action as if they heard her.

Mr Tony opened the door and the doctor walked out.

"Pick her up," May said to Austin.

"Why should I? What if….

"She's your fiancée for crying out loud " Mr Tony exclaimed.

Austin hesitated.

"Fine, I'll do it" Taylor said, trying to lift Sophie up.

With how jagged her emotions was, her movements were rough.

"Easy Tay, that's my body," Sophie said, seeing how Taylor moved roughly.

"Okay, okay, I'll do it. Move over."

Austin had no choice but to carry her but not without mumbling incoherent words.

***

The tears kept pouring as Taylor sat beside her unconscious sister.

"Soph wake up. You can't die on me. Soph please wake up."

"I'm trying kiddo," Sophie said.

She tried to get back into her body by laying flat on it, but it seemed not to be working.

It was as if Taylor saw this because the force with which she cried increased. It broke Sophie's heart.

"Stop crying kiddo. I'll find a way around this" she said stretching to wipe the tears off Taylor's face but again, her hand passed through.

"Arrrrggghhh" she screamed in frustration.

Mr and Mrs Silver stood by the door. They were heartbroken to see their daughters like this. One was lying unconscious and the other dejected. They were unsure of how to comfort Taylor.

"Tay, it's been over five hours now. Why don't we go back….

"No mum. What if she wakes up, I want to be here when she does"

"Do you think she'll be happy if she wakes up and sees you like this? You know she hates it when you cry"

"Listen to your mother Tay. I'll hire someone to watch over her. We'll be notified once she wakes up." Mr Tony added.

"Mom and dad are right. You should all go back and rest. I'll be okay" Sophie said.

Taylor looked at her sister.

"I'll be back Soph. Okay?"

After they left, Sophie tried time and time again to get back into her body but it was all a waste.

"This is crazy. What in the world is going on?"