Beyond Her Lies

HER middle finger came into motion. Twice. The tall brunette nurse in the green scrub, scribbling something on a notepad noticed the movement in her hand and paused for a moment to observe the patient in bed before going back to the notepad.

Then her index finger where the pulse oximeter was placed came into motion. It tapped the bed twice and went back to being zilch in a matter of seconds. No sooner did both her index and middle finger move simultaneously, but the nurse failed to notice any of this as she was arranging the pet bottles containing her tablets, a jug half filled with water and a mini pill crusher in the small cart she had her colleague wheel in earlier.

Then there was movement in her eyes as she blinked compulsively on opening them; slightly, but enough to track the retreating figure in the room. It shuddered close almost immediately as the brightness of the well lit room hit her.

When they came open again, the room was dim. The lights had been turned off.

The nurse was just by the door rolling away the cart. She glanced over her right shoulder to take a good look at the woman in the bed before exiting the room. This was when she noticed her eyes.

Quickly, she rushed over to the bed side, crouching down beside it while she allowed her eyes do a thorough examination of the woman's face; she was blinking, her fingers were moving and did she just make a sound?

A wide grin appeared on her face and she exclaimed incredulously. "You're awake!?"

Almost like she could not believe her own statement. More affirmatively this time she cried out, "You're awake!"

The next thing, her long legs were sprinting out of the room, down the hall and into the elevator. She continuously tapped the button for the fifth floor until the elevator doors jammed closed. When it flew open again, she dashed through the hallway in search of the doctor whom she found outside his office conversing with a man. He gave her an eerie look when she halted right in front of him just before the man walked away. Her hands were placed on her knee with her head down as she panted heavily. Though she managed to find her words.

"She is awake!" she whisper yelled in between breaths.

"Adelina Delgado is awake!"

...................

Manuel and Lupe Delgado fared into the office in fret, although Manuel did well to conceal it. Lupe's on the other hand was glaring. Both of them took the seats across the desk while they awaited Tony, who was speaking with the interim nurse that had been checking Adelina's vitals before her awakening.

Lupe was visibly agitated at the thought of their daughter awake and just as much, dreaded the news the doctor might reveal. She had been in her kitchen, making dinner when Manuel rang her from the office to inform her of Dr. Tony's urgent request for a meet up today.

Fear gripped her.

The name Dr. Tony and the word urgent seemed to create quite a scene in her head about her daughter. What could be the reason for this?

Without thinking any further, she raced out of the kitchen, into her room, threw on a long black gown with a similar black scarf she placed over her uncombed hair and in no time, had the driver speeding them towards the hospital.

Manuel arrived just in time to see her alight from the car and together, they proceeded to Tony's office to hear the news that will either make their hearts dance in joy or leave it broken forever.

Lupe was becoming impatient with waiting for the doctor to attend to them and the million and one questions she wanted to ask. Noticing her restlessness, Manuel covered his palm in hers soothingly, and with the other hand, rubbed the small of her back softly.

"Be calm, miel. I am sure our daughter is fine."

Her shoulders fell reluctantly. She did not want to hear what the doctor had to say. Although, her curiosity took over the better part of her, while she prayed silently that it would be good news.

Just then, Tony walked into the office with a smile on his face which gave the Delgado's a bit of hope.

"I am sorry for keeping you waiting," he apologized before taking his seat in front of them.

He leaned forward with both hands placed on his desk. That smile was still plastered on his face.

"So. . .?" Lupe jeered impatiently. "How is my daughter? Can we see her?"

Tony emitted a soft chuckle.

"In time, Mrs. Delgado. As we speak, she is being transferred to another room," he tried to mollify the anxiety of the woman.

"As for how Adelina is doing," he halted, looking for the right words to sum up the explanation, which earned him a frown from both Lupe and Manuel.

"She is fine," he decided to go with that as he could not have described her situation any better.

"Recall that about a couple of years ago, she entered a minimal conscious state after her four months in a coma?"

To this, Manuel and Lupe nodded in affirmation.