It's Explained (The Story of John Winston: Part 5)

“This is sick”, I yelled some more. “I have been in a coma for six months, Mary is out there at home probably crying her eyes out, and you’re here telling me that some strange woman is my wife! I demand you get Mary in here right now!”

“That woman is your wife. There is no Mary, John.” Dr. Song was trying his hardest to keep his cool. However, I could see his nerves going wild behind his eyes.  

“Get out”, I demanded. I was not going to be made a fool by this lot. The doctor nodded and made his way out the door. I slammed my head back onto my pillow. My fingers ran themselves through my hair. They got tangled between a couple strands for a moment. Breaths came and gone quickly and shakily. Anger stuck in my throat. Lips quivered under my suddenly stuffy nose. Tears blurred my vision. I couldn’t hold it in anymore. I started to sob uncontrollably. It was all too frustrating. I just wanted to see my wife. Why wouldn’t they let me? Eventually my crying had taken up whatever energy I had. Traces of sobs were still present as my eyes started to flutter shut. Within minutes I was fast asleep.

My sleep didn’t feel like it lasted long, but when I woke, the television was on the news channel for the next night. There was a little girl sitting on the chair by the window looking through the channel guide. In the chair next to my bed was a man who was writing something down in a notebook.

“Oh”, he said when he looked up. “You’re awake.” I just looked at him confused. “I’m Dr. Noble. I’ve been here to” he paused for a moment as he carefully chose his words. “Observe you”.

“Observe me? What in the world do you need to observe me for?”

“Mr. Winston, my field of study is psychology.”

“You’re a shrink?”

“Yes, I am a… shrink.”  Dr. Noble didn’t seem to like that term. “I’m here to help with your memory problem”. I just looked away from him, and shook my head. “Mr. Winston, what is the last thing you remember before you went to the store the day you got hit?” I took in a breath. I decided that I might as well play along for a little bit.

“I woke up on a Sunday. Mary had brought me a cup of tea to help with a headache I was having. She wanted me to go get ice-cream for our movie day, so I went to the store. You know everything from there.” The doctor just sat there and nodded.

“How long have you known Mary”, he asked.

“Well, for as long as I could remember.”

“And how long is that?” I wanted to say my whole life, but I couldn’t. I couldn’t remember meeting Mary, or even marrying her. The more I tried to remember her, the less I actually could. “Do you know anything about her childhood, or maybe her job?” Dr. Noble just kept asking questions about Mary I couldn’t answer. Eventually, He realized that I wasn’t about to answer, and left the room. I saw his shadow, plus some others through the frosted glass window.

The channel on the TV changed to Disney. A Mickey Mouse short was on. Mary loved Mickey Mouse. I remember that. Without looking at the little girl, I said, “I like Mickey. He was my favorite as a kid.” Out of the corner off my eye, I saw her nod her head as if to say that she agreed.

A couple minutes passed and both doctors and Tasha returned.

“Mr. Winston”, Dr. Noble began. “After running a few brain scans while you were a sleep, and a few hours of observation, I hate to inform you that Mary is just a figment of your imagination.” I opened my mouth to talk, but he cut me off. “Let me explain. While you were in your coma, the part of your brain that creates dreams stayed active. Your subconscious created a whole new life for yourself while you were under. That’s why it is so hard to remember things about her. It’s like trying to remember a dream.” So many trains of thought barreled down the tracks of my mind at one time. “Mary never existed, Mr. Winston.”

“You mean to tell me that the utopian life I had was all fiction?” the look on his face gave me my answer. I put my hands over my face.

“It will take some time to get used to regular life again. However, you have me and your family members to help you adjust.” The trains derailed.

 “I don’t want to adjust! I want my life back! I want Mary back!” my hands returned to my face.

“Tasha”, the voice sounded young and familiar. “Why does he keep yelling?” I spread my fingers just enough to see Tasha as she responded. She put out her hand as she said, “Clara, come with me.” That’s when I looked up to see the little girl from the picture (now in a purple flower dress) grab Tasha’s hand, and leave.

Where is My Wife? (The Story of John Winston: part 4)

The door suddenly flung open. In walked a nurse. She just stared at me for a moment. Then she turned and ran out into the hall calling for a doctor. I just kept looking around the room until the woman came back. She came with another person. I assumed it was the doctor she was calling for.

“How interesting”, he said as soon as he saw me. “Welcome back Mr. Winston.”

“Who are you? How did I get here?” I just kept throwing questions like this at the doctor. Then the most important question came out of my mouth. “Where is my wife?” the doctor turned to the nurse.

“Go and get Mrs. Winston.” With that the nurse was gone. The doctor turned back to me. “Hello, I’m Dr. Song.” he had olive skin, and wild curly hair pulled into a pony tail. “You’re here because you’ve been in a coma for six months. This morning you declared brain dead.” I quickly looked away from Dr. Song.

“If I was considered brain dead, than how am I still here? How can I be talking, and seeing, and alive?”

“Well, that has me amazed as well. I guess it was just a true miracle.” She gave me a smile. A smile that was warmer than any smile I have ever seen. It felt more real.

“How did I end up in a… um.” I couldn’t bring myself to say that word.

“A coma?” I nodded. “Six months ago, you were in a tragic accident. You were leaving a grocery store when a car hit you.”

“I remember that”, I said as I nodded.

“Well, that’s good.” He walked over to me and checked my vitals. Footsteps started to near the door. They were rushed footsteps. The nurse appeared, and behind her was a woman. My face lit up. Here comes my Mary. Then the woman stepped into the room, and my smile faded. The woman who stepped in had dark brown, stick straight hair. Mary had wavy locks of blonde. Mary had this cute dimple in her left cheek. This strange woman didn’t. The woman had stormy blue eyes, whereas Mary had vibrant green eyes.

“Oh my goodness”, said the woman. She rushed over to me, and threw her arms around me. “You’re alive. Oh my goodness, you’re alive.”

“Yes, I am.” I cleared “Um, who are you?” the woman instantly pulled away and stared at me.

“Johnny boy, it’s me Tasha.” I just looked at her confused. “I’m your wife.”

“No you’re not”, I said. The words came out a little harsher than I intended. Tasha walked over to me. Her hand went to touch my shoulder as she said, “John don’t you remember me?” I shook my head, and pushed her hand away. “I’m your wife Tasha, and we have a daughter named Clara. That’s her right there.” Tasha pointed to the picture at my bed side table.

“No, no I have only met that little girl once. She was standing on the hill saying the strangest things.” Concern was on Tasha’s face. “Nurse, get this woman out of my room, and bring me my wife like I requested.” Tension was present in my voice, yet no one moved. I snapped, “Now!”

“Mr. Winston, this is your wife”, countered Dr. Song.

“No she isn’t!” I was yelling now. I could see hurt well up in Tasha's eyes. “My wife’s name is Mary Oswin Winston. She has blonde hair, green eyes, and is waiting for me somewhere out there.” Tears spilled over onto Tasha's cheeks. The nurse took her out into the hall. I just looked straight at the doctor and said, “That is not my wife.”

“Yes, she is.”

To Be Continued

Where am I? (The Story of John Winston: Part 3)

Mary slowly walked to me. “John, are you okay?” her voice got a little higher like it does every time she is worried. I could feel my heart start to beat harder again. Deep breaths checked in and out of my lungs like they were a one second stay hotel. My eyes darted around the garage looking for something, anything that was strange or out of place. My gaze fell upon the rear view mirror of the car. Written in red sharpie was a sentence that I had to read twice. “She isn’t real.” An arrow was under the lettering, and it was pointing in Mary’s direction. Slowly I turned to look at her.

“John, are you okay?” she sounded more desperate for an answer this time. “John”, she said. My legs gave out, and I collapsed onto the concrete. “John”, she continued to call out. Over and over she called my name, but her voice started to grow faint in my ears. My vision started to fade. Before I knew it, the world around me faded into nothing but blackness.

The pounding in my head was unbearable whenever I tried to open my eyes. My hands clenched. Some sort of fabric folded inside my fists. At that moment I realized that I was in my bedroom. I heard footsteps and a clanking sound right next to me. Forcing my eyes open, I saw Mary standing next to me starting to put a couple of sugars in a cup, and stirring them into a liquid that smelled like tea.

“Good morning”, she said in her usual soft, soothing voice. She handed me the cup as I sat up. Feeling the warm, sweet liquid run down my throat made my muscles relax. My head started to stop pounding.

“Thank you, Mary.” Her teeth showed through a smile. “What happened?”

“You started to freak out in the garage, and fainted. I think you just needed a good rest.” I nodded in agreement. I did feel quite tired throughout the week. Maybe she was right and I did just need a rest. “So, how did you sleep?”

“Pretty well, except for the excruciating head ache I woke up with.”

“That’s what the tea is for.” She giggled a little. I never noticed how much she giggled. It was almost as if she was always trying to make everything a good thing. Come to think of it, I don’t even think her and I have ever been in an argument.

“How long have I been out?”

“Right not it is 8:00 AM, and you got home about 5:00 last night. About fifteen hours.”

“Wow, I was tired.”

“Yeah you were.” I took a moment just to breath. Then I threw the covers off, and started to get ready. “What are you doing”, asked Mary.

“I have been sleeping for fifteen hours, I feel fresh, and I want some ice cream. I am going to the store, and when I come home, you and I are going to have a lazy treat day.”

“Ooh, my favorite kind of day.” After running a comb through my hair, I grabbed the keys and started on my way to the store.

This sunny Sunday morning instantly made my day start off wonderfully. Everything was peaceful. Everything was normal. The streets weren’t too crowded, the store was full of weekend shoppers, and the ice cream section had a kid crying to his mom in attempt to get a tub of the delicious treat. I filled my carrying basket with two flavors of ice cream and a variety of toppings.

Once I got everything done and paid for, I headed outside. Everything was still operating as normal. I stepped down off the curb when the car horn sounded out. I turned and saw a car speeding toward me. Fear froze me in my place. My breath slowed and deepened. Time seemed to move like icebergs. People surrounded the event. I didn’t remember so many people being out and about this morning. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a flash of red. I turned to see what it was. I saw Clara in her red rain coat and boots. It had started to rain again.

When I turned to look back at the car, an immense pain shot through my stomach. I closed my eyes as I felt my body fly backwards. Every bone in my body was in agony.

As soon as I hit the ground, I opened my eyes. I was no longer lying in a parking lot right after being hit by a car. I sat straight up. There was something that was coming out of my mouth. It was a tube. My instinct reaction was to pull it out. As I did, I could feel it come up my throat as well. I pulled on it so quickly that it scratched my throat on the way out. Coughs hurled themselves out of my lungs. My heart was racing once again, and my breath was heavy. Looking around the room, I noticed a picture sitting on the table next to my bed. It was a picture of Clara in her same red rain coat and boots. She was splashing in rain puddles.

To Be Continued