HESPERUS

The man is lying on that bed in the intensive care unit, attached to the machines that keep him alive. His eyes are wide open but still, his heartbeat slow and almost imperceptible, his breathing labored, aided by the artificial lung. No other signs of life. He's in a deep coma. Nothing suggests his mind is awake, but his thoughts are jumbled together like a kaleidoscope, fragments arranged in a thousand different ways. Questions he can't answer crowd his mind, and he begins to have some glimmers of awareness.

Where am I, why can't I move? I see nothing but blurry images, as if through warped glass. I hear the noise of cars and voices, but I can't make out what they're saying, who they are. Perhaps this is a dream, but then why can't I wake up? What's happening to me? Why is there so much pain haunting me?

Someone seems to be calling me. I see shadows leaning over me, hands touching me, then voices, close by, a woman and a man. They seem to be talking about me. I can barely understand their words. The woman is asking:

"Doctor, is there any hope?"

"Madam, your husband has been in a coma for a month now. We're doing everything we can. The burn wounds are almost healed, the rib fractures have healed, but the most worrying thing is the head trauma. He's not responding to any stimuli, his vital functions are at the limit. If it weren't for the machines he's on, he'd be dead by now. We've tried, but we no longer have any hope of saving him. We'll continue for another week, but if there's no improvement and no signs of recovery, we'll have to take him off the machines."

So I'm in a hospital bed, it's not a dream, it's a harsh reality, but I don't remember anything about why I'm here; from what I heard, the woman speaking was my wife. If only I could talk to her and she could tell me what happened, I want to live, I don't want them to abandon me, but what can I do? If only I could at least move my eyes, they'd understand I can still react if they help me.

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

 

The complete story in the book RACCONTANDO