“Richard, you’ve come.” Cassandra rushed from the first floor carrying a doll in her hands and a lady dressed in white running after her. “You see, I told you Richard will come for me and our baby.” She smiled, holding onto Mark’s arm, stopping him from leaving.
“Yes Cassandra, let him have some rest first.” Sasha’s mother took Cassandra’s hand forcing her to let go of Mark.
“So sorry for that.” Sasha’s mother held Cassandra. “They diagnosed her with dementia. Most of the time she makes things up and confuses people.” Mark looked at Cassandra wide eyed as she explained.
“Oh!” Mark took a step back when she tried to hold his arm again.
“Cassandra, let’s get the baby cleaned. Richard will be here waiting.” She coaxed her sister, directing her to the bedroom.
“No, I want to stay with Richard.” She pulled her hand off and hid behind Mark.
“It’s okay, I’ll be here waiting. Go have the baby cleaned.” Mark touched the doll and smiled at her.
“Look, he is not going anywhere.” Her sister took her hand as Mark nodded at Cassandra. “Get the medicine.” She whispered to the nurse as they took Cassandra away. A few steps up, she turned to smile at Mark, who stood in the hallway staring at them with his mouth half opened.
With a heavy sigh, Mark shook his head walking out of the house to his car. He somehow understood how hard it was for Sasha’s mother taking care of her family.
When he saw the car go up in flames, he felt like his entire world shuttered.
Lying on the grass thinking he had lost Melissa, his heart broke into painful tiny pieces.
As they held him back, he saw her face smiling at him.
‘You can’t take her from me. Not now.’ Was the only prayer in his heart.
He couldn’t imagine life without her. Without her sunny smile and those bright hazel eyes staring at him.
“Ah! I can’t lose her.” He tried to push Robert off him.
Without her, his life was over. Losing Melissa, he wished to die too. She was his heartbeat, his sunshine.
“I’m sorry, man.” Robert held him in place, holding back the tears in his eyes.
As the fire blazed, everyone believed Melissa was dead until he heard someone groaning in the bushes.
They saw the car burst into flames, but somehow she had fallen from the car.
Covered in her blood, she lay on the bushes groaning in pain, half conscious.
“Melissa!” Despite the pain in Mark’s body, he pushed his way to where she lay. “Help, help her.” He picked her up in his arms and almost fell to his knees, but Robert and David held him up as the ambulance came to get Melissa.
“Save my wife.” He begged as his body gave up.
….
For weeks he lay in the hospital bed as the doctors treated his injured back watching and hoping Melissa would wake up.
Now flying back to the country, he prayed for her to wake up. He longed to see her gaze at him lovingly, as she always did.
With a heavy sighing, he looked at his emails and messages, checking if anyone had contacted him in the last twelve hours he had been away from her.
Physically, the doctors said, nothing was wrong with her after the several conclusive tests done on her by different specialists. Their theory was she didn’t want to wake up. That some fears in life stopped her from waking up and if it goes on for long, they might lose her forever.
Closing his eyes, Mark still remembered the last doctor’s words a day back.
“She probably feels she has nothing to come back to. Her health is worsening by the minute and we may not be able to get her back. I suggest you bring her loved ones to come to see her often and talk to her. That may encourage her to come back.” He had proposed.
And every day from then he brought Tommy to spend time with her, but she still didn’t wake up.
....
“Mother, father, ah...” Running to meet her parents, Melissa stopped clenching her stomach. “Ah, it hurts.”
“Melissa, honey, you need to go back. The pain is increasing because it’s not your time yet. Your family needs you now.” Her mother smiled at her, helping her up.
“You and father are my family too. I want to stay here with you. Most of the people close to me got hurt because of me Mother. Staying here will keep them safe. I have to stay here.” She insisted as the pain intensified.
“Melissa, honey, none of what happened was your fault." Her mother touched her face and wiped her tears.
“We love you so much and will always watch over you, my child. It’s time for you to go back. Think of your son and husband. Think of the pain he is going through.” Her father hugged her and showed Tommy to her. He sat beside her hospital bed with tears in his eyes, begging her to wake up.
“Husband!”
“Yes, Mark is alive. You need to go back.”
Turning her gaze from Tommy, Melissa saw Mark beside him, touching her immobile body with tears in his eyes.
“No! Mother, father? I love you.” She said holding onto her parents’ hands as the fog pulled her away into intense pain.