Chapter 3 003. Hospital Stay

Leona

The first night in the hospital felt like forever.

I didn't sleep. Not even for a second.

I stayed in that small, cold chair next to Harryson's bed, holding his hand like it would keep him with me. The machines kept beeping-soft, steady sounds that reminded me he was still here. Still breathing. Still fighting.

But he didn't open his eyes.

He didn't squeeze my hand back.

The doctors told me that was normal. That he needed rest. That his brain was "recovering from trauma." I didn't understand most of the big medical words they used, but I nodded like I did. All I really heard was, We don't know how long it'll take.

I watched the sunrise from the window. The sky turned from black to gray to soft orange. I hated that the world kept moving while my whole life was stuck in this hospital room.

By the second day, I was already wearing the same clothes and had dark circles under my eyes. I barely touched the food the nurses gave me. I didn't want to leave, not even to shower. My body ached from sleeping in that chair, but I didn't care.

I needed to be there when he woke up.

If he woke up.

Around noon, a nurse named Jamie came in to check the monitors. She was young and friendly, always trying to smile even though I could tell she felt sorry for me.

"Still no change?" I asked quietly.

Jamie gave a small shake of her head. "Not yet. But his vitals are holding steady. That's a good sign."

I watched her scan the machines, type something into her little tablet, and glance at the brain scan pinned up on the screen near the wall.

She frowned a little.

"What is it?" I asked.

She looked over at me, biting her bottom lip. "It's probably nothing. I'm not a neurologist. But his brain scan looks... odd."

"Odd how?"

She hesitated. "There's something about the patterns. Like, the parts of the brain that should be slower right now... they're lighting up too fast."

I blinked. "Is that bad?"

She tilted her head. "It's not bad, exactly. But it's not what we usually see in patients with head injuries like this. Honestly, he's lucky to be alive after the way his car flipped. Most people wouldn't have made it."

I stared at Harryson, lying so still. His chest rose and fell, his face still bruised and bandaged.

"Do you think he's waking up?"

Jamie shrugged a little. "It's too early to tell. But if I had to guess... maybe."

Then she left me alone again.

A weird feeling settled in my chest. I wasn't sure what to think. It sounded like good news, but also kind of... strange. Like something didn't add up.

Later that afternoon, while I was wiping Harryson's face with a warm cloth, his hand twitched.

Just once.

But I felt it.

I froze and stared at his fingers.

"Harryson?" I whispered. "Did you just move?"

I leaned in close, my heart racing. I waited, holding my breath.

Nothing.

A few minutes passed. Then his hand twitched again. This time, it was stronger. More like a slow curl of his fingers.

I jumped up and pressed the call button. "He moved! His hand moved!"

Jamie rushed in with another nurse. They both checked the machines and examined him quickly.

"Try talking to him," Jamie said. "Sometimes hearing a familiar voice helps."

I leaned down, brushing his hair back gently. "Harryson... it's me. I'm here. Can you hear me?"

His lips twitched.

Then his eyelids fluttered.

Jamie gasped softly. "He's responding..."

I almost started crying.

Slowly, his eyes opened. Not all the way. Just a sliver at first. But it was enough.

"Hey," I whispered, barely able to speak through the lump in my throat. "You're awake. You're okay."

His eyes looked hazy and confused, like he was trying to figure out where he was.

Jamie smiled. "That's amazing. I need to get the doctor."

She left quickly.

Harryson blinked a few more times, then turned his head slightly toward me. His mouth moved, trying to form words.

I leaned in closer. "Don't push it, babe. Just rest."

But then he spoke.

One word. Raspy, broken.

"Leona..."

Tears streamed down my face. I grabbed his hand and kissed it over and over. "Yes, I'm here. I'm right here."

A few hours later, the doctor came in and ran tests. He asked Harryson to squeeze his hand, move his toes, follow a light with his eyes. Harryson did all of it, slowly but clearly.

The doctor looked surprised. "He's recovering quicker than expected. His brain is responding fast. This is... unusual."

Jamie was in the corner, watching. Her smile was gone now. She looked nervous.

After the tests, they let him rest. I sat beside him again, holding his hand.

"You scared me," I whispered. "So bad. I thought I'd lost you."

He blinked at me, still tired. "What... happened?"

I paused. "You don't remember?"

He shook his head slowly. "I was... driving... then lights... then nothing."

I bit my lip. "There was a crash. Your car flipped. The police said there was a masked man near the wreck."

His eyes darkened for a second. Then his brows furrowed.

"A masked man?" he asked, voice rough.

"Yes," I said softly. "They think maybe someone caused the crash. But no one knows for sure yet."

He looked away, like he was trying to remember something, but couldn't.

"It's okay," I said, brushing his cheek. "You're here now. That's all that matters."

The rest of the day passed slowly. Nurses came in and out. Harryson drifted in and out of sleep. Every time he woke, he seemed a little more alert. A little stronger.

But Jamie... she came back one more time before her shift ended.

I caught her standing outside the room, staring at the scan screen again.

"You okay?" I asked, walking over.

She jumped slightly, then gave me a weird look. "Yeah. I'm fine."

But she didn't look fine.

"What is it?"

She glanced at the room, then leaned in closer to me. Her voice was low.

"I've seen a lot of patients with brain injuries," she said. "But I've never seen anyone recover this fast. It doesn't make sense."

I frowned. "You think something's wrong?"

"I don't know," she whispered. "But... something feels off. Like his brain isn't reacting like it's supposed to."

"What do you mean?"

She looked nervous. "The parts that should be damaged are showing full activity. And there's something else. It's like-his brain waves are almost... too clean. Too perfect."

I didn't know what to say. I didn't even fully understand what she meant.

"Please don't worry," she added quickly. "It could be nothing. Just... pay attention, okay?"

I nodded slowly.

That night, when it was just me and Harryson again, I couldn't stop thinking about her words.

Too fast. Too perfect.

I looked at him, sleeping quietly. His face had more color now. His breathing was calm. His fingers were moving every now and then.

He looked almost normal.

But there was something in the back of my mind.

Something I couldn't shake.

Maybe it was just the fear still living in my chest. Or maybe... something had changed.

Either way, I knew one thing for sure.

This wasn't over.