First Breath After Coma

Beep beep.


Beep beep.


Beep beep.

Nick woke up with a searing headache. The heart rate monitor calmly blipped in the background. His entire right side ached, and the right side of his face was swollen. He slowly opened his eyes, and blinked a few times to get accustomed to seeing light again. His head was set in place, but he was able to see most of the room from where he was. He was lying in bed in a mostly white, sterile smelling hospital room. His arm was hooked up with an IV and his right leg in a cast. After his vision finished adjusting, he could read "Wake up soon" written on the top of it. He smiled, trying to grasp what had happened.

Beep beep. Beep beep.


The last thing he could remember was being in the backseat. Cody and Corey, twins, were in the front seats of the car. The three of them had grown up living next door to each other, going to the same school and being in some of the same clubs. Graduation was just a few weeks away, and they had just left Taco Bell Thursdays that they always did. Jessie was in the backseat to his left. Nick had finally gotten the balls to ask her out just the week before, and was thrilled that she had said yes. Things were running so far so good for the two, though Cody and Corey couldn't resist poking fun at them the whole time while eating.

They were cruising through town, on their way home. Cody got the green light at the intersection and was halfway through when the world became a screaming whirlwind of flying metal. They spun around, ending up facing as if they were in the middle of a left turn. They were there for less than a second, just enough time for Nick to look over to Jessie's frightened face when the second hit came to their right.

Beep beep. Beep beep.

Nick was in and out of consciousness from there, waking up to sirens on their way and people asking if he was alright. He groaned, waking up again when being put on the stretcher. The paramedics' faces were obscured by the bright flashing lights nearby and Nick's blurry vision.

Beep beep. Beep beep.

How many days was he out? One, two? It felt like he hadn't moved in years, and didn't dare try to shift in the bed. It was quiet in the room, the only sounds coming from whatever machines that he was attached to. He waited another ten minutes before a nurse came in to find him awake. She was surprised to see him awake, and told him that everybody he knew was worried sick. After Nick's doctor came in to check on a few things, he let in Nick's family and friends.

His parents and little sister came in, then Cody pushed in Corey in a wheelchair with Jessie coming in last. The three had a few cuts and bruises, and Corey's leg was mangled but salvageable, but they were overall alright. Apparently the doctor didn't have much faith in Nick making it through. The second car, a diesel engine toting truck, had hit squarely on the back where Nick sat, and should've done much more damage than it had. The pictures of the wreck were terrifying, and Nick wouldn't have given himself much chance to live. He sighed, glad to be alive.

Beep beep. Beep beep.

----------------

I wrote this in one of my notebooks a month or so ago, then promptly left the notebook at a Waffle House. So it's pretty much as good as gone. I tried to rewrite this from memory, but I know it was much different than this. The names were different, and it's not the exact same story as I wrote it initially, but the general idea is at least the same.

Usually when I listen to most of the post-rock I've got, I come up with stories in my head. I apply some to my first story while others are more independent. Like this one - the name of the song and the siren-sounding guitar about seven minutes or so into the song gave me this idea. To time it out just right, I usually pictured the crash in slow motion.

The song is First Breath After Coma, by Explosions in the Sky

Thanks for reading!