Asleep Page 4

Stretching out of his sleep, Wasso noticed that instead of Mark and Linder by David’s side, David’s parents were there. If what Mark had said was true and the Shine’s hadn’t come until three, Wasso had been asleep for a few hours.

Mrs. Shine noticed that Wasso was awake and smiled over David’s bed at him.

“Brendan. I hope we didn’t wake you.”

“No, Mrs. S. You didn’t wake me. I hadn’t realized I fell asleep. Hi Mr. S.” Wasso said as he walked over to David’s parents’ side.

“Wasso,” Replied Mr. Shine, “I have to admit I was glad to see you sleeping. Mark told me he was able to get you to eat a little as well. That makes both of us feel better; we were almost as worried about you as we are about David.”

Mrs. Shine briefly touched Mr. Shine’s cheek then reached over to take a hold of Wasso’s hand. “Mark said he’s already given you the lecture so I won’t repeat it but please, we need you to take care of yourself. It’s hard to come in here and see David like this, but it’s impossible to come in see David in this bed and see you as you were the last couple of days.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to worry you. It’s just….just…” stammered Wasso not realizing he had reached down and laid the hand holding onto Mrs. Shine’s hand on her shoulder.

“We know dear, we know.” Mrs. Shine interrupted ignoring the tears welling in Wasso’s eyes as well as her own. “Mark and Linder are in the waiting room at the end of the hallway. Why don’t you go join them and maybe head outside for a bit? We’ve got all of your phone numbers and we’ll call if anything changes. Go show Mark and Linder that they don’t have to worry about you. They worry enough about David. I don’t think I ever realized how much David and you meant to Mark and Linder. The two of them have been here for hours every day. It’s a shame this is what made me realize how close all you boys are.”

“They mean a lot to me and David too. I’ll go and be with them for a bit.” Wasso agreed.

Wasso let go of Mrs. Shine’s hand and leaned over the bed to give David a kiss. “I’ll be back soon kid. I’ll leave you with your parents. I’m sure they have a thing or two to say to you. I love you David.”

Wasso stopped at the door as he walked out. He looked back at David and his parents. Mrs. Shine was wiping tears from her cheeks and Mr. Shine was leaning over talking to David. Feeling like he was leaving his heart behind, Wasso left the room to find Mark and Linder.

***

Two weeks later, David was still asleep. Wasso stayed by David’s side as much as possible but went out every day with Mark to eat, shower and get clean clothes. He refused to leave David alone at night and, ignoring the cot provided by the hospital staff, had taken to crawling into bed beside David and holding him through the night as he slept.

Each day that passed without David waking up left Wasso feeling emptier. The worry lines burrowed deeper on the faces of David’s parents. Mark and Linder were showing the stress of it as well. The talk around David’s bed had digressed until everyone just sat around avoiding each others eyes.

It was Linder who finally broke the heaviness that had settled over David’s room. He showed up one day with a backpack. Linder pulled an Ipod and a stereo from the backpack in front of Wasso who looked on with an empty gaze. Linder set the stereo on the little table beside David’s bed and plugged in the Ipod. Music quietly filtered through the room as Linder pulled other items out of his backpack. Linder placed a stuffed bear that Mark had won at a fair for David on the bed beside David’s head and placed a picture of the four friends on the table beside the stereo facing the bed so that if David were to turn his head, it would be the first thing he saw. The last thing Linder pulled out of his bag was a thick book. He handed the book over to Wasso who took it without saying anything.

Opening the book, Wasso looked at the front page and couldn’t help but laugh. The book was a scrap book of the last couple years. The very first page was a newspaper cut out describing how the figurines in the park by the high school had been rearranged into scenes the newspaper described as “lewd caricatures of Shakespearian plays.” It was a prank that David and Mark had thought up two summers ago.

Still smiling and no longer looking out of empty eyes, Wasso glanced at Linder.

“I thought David would like to remember some of the stupid times we’ve had together.” Linder said quietly, “The music on the Ipod is a mixture from all of our computers, but mostly David’s favourites. Mr. and Mrs. Shine added a couple songs that they said David would remember from his childhood.”

Linder had a tendency of hiding in the background or behind Mark and Wasso had forgotten that it was usually Linder who came up with the best ideas for the group even though they were often filtered through Mark.

“Thanks Linder.” Wasso said, “Thank you.”

Linder blushed and mumbled something resembling a ‘you’re welcome’. Without looking at Wasso again, Linder pulled up a chair next to the bed. Still blushing and avoiding Wasso’s gaze, Linder started talking to David, telling him a story about how some guy had been trying to push Linder around on the bus but, unfortunately for the guy, Nick and Mark had been on the bus with Linder.

Wasso smiled as Linder described how Nick had come onto the guy who, trying to avoid Nick, had back up so far that he ended up falling into the lap of some big trucker looking dude.

Settling into his chair more comfortably, Wasso kept up the talk with Linder as they swapped stories about the times that Mark, Nick or Wasso had interrupted others from beating up Mark and picking on Linder. Soon, the two boys were laughing at the uniquely embarrassing punishments Nick and Mark tried to come up with.

When Mark showed up at a couple hours later, he noticed a distinct change in everyone gathered around David. Instead of feeling like they were waiting for the worst to happen, it felt like David would wake up any moment. It no longer seemed painful but instead hopeful.

***

The first thing David noticed was the music. He heard the Beatles singing about turning to Mother Mary for comfort. He’d heard the song almost every night when he was growing up. It was one of his mother’s favourites and she would often sing it to David at bedtime.

The next thing David noticed was a weight across his chest. He tried to figure out what it was but couldn’t place it until he noticed the soft, steady rhythm of someone sleeping in the room. David realized that the weight of Wasso’s arm that Wasso had thrown around David in his sleep. Without opening his eyes, David took comfort in the feel of Wasso’s arm around him. David felt relief knowing that Wasso was beside him. David couldn’t figure it out but he had a feeling that, for one reason or another, he expected Wasso to be gone. Even though David tried to go back to sleep, the thought niggled at him. Why did he think Wasso had left him? Why was he so relieved to find Wasso there? In fact, where was he? The noises around him didn’t sound right. Instead of the usual nighttime noises of his house, the quiet clicks and whirrs of the appliances, that he was used to there were quiet but unfamiliar beeps and clicks. There was also an unfamiliar, almost antiseptic, smell to the air.

Puzzled, David opened his eyes. The ceiling was unfamiliar. He wasn’t in his or Wasso’s bedroom or any other room in his house. He wasn’t at Mark’s nor was he at Linder’s. Turning his head slightly, he saw Wasso sleeping quietly beside him. Turning his head the other way he saw an unfamiliar table beside the bed that held a picture of Linder, Mark, Wasso and himself in front of Mark’s house. The picture had been taken a few months ago at a party. The picture normally sat on a shelf in Mark’s room but David already knew he wasn’t in Mark’s room. Where was he?

David shifted a bit to ease the pressure that Wasso’s arm had put on his stomach. As he shifted, David realized he had something attached to the arm that wasn’t pinned under Wasso. Lifting the arm, David grew even more puzzled as he saw an IV running into his arm. It clicked in David’s mind that he was in a hospital. Why was he in a hospital? From the IV, it was obviously David who needed the hospital and not Wasso. David tried to think back to the last thing he remembered. He remembered eating dinner at Frankie’s with Wasso. He remembered that they had gone for a walk after dinner but why they were walking and where they were going was fuzzy. David couldn’t remember anything after that.

David heard Wasso stirring at his side and knew that Wasso would be waking up any minute. David hoped that Wasso could explain things. David turned his head and watched Wasso’s eyes flutter open. Still mostly asleep, Wasso smiled at David and leaned over to give him a kiss.

“Morning love,” Wasso muttered sleepily, “How’d you sleep?”

“Wasso, where are we?” David asked.

“We’re at the hospital. There was an accident, you’ve been asleep. You’ve been….” Wasso suddenly stared wide-eyed at David. “David. You’re awake. David. Oh my god...David, you’re awake.”

Wasso sat up and gathered David into a bone crushing hug. “Holy shit kid, you’re awake. Oh god David. David. Oh god, you’re awake. Oh god…”

David was even more confused as he realized that Wasso had started to cry. Pulling out of Wasso’s embrace, David looked at Wasso. He noticed that Wasso had dark bags under his eyes and looked like he had lost weight. Wasso continued to cling to David and seemed unable to stop crying.

“Wasso?” asked David, “Wasso what’s going on? Hey…hey. Stop crying Wasso. Wasso? Please. Stop crying. You got to tell me what’s going on? Why am I in a hospital? What happened?”

Wasso took a deep breath and pulled himself together as much as he could. He knew that he had to get it together because there were things to explain to David. But first, Wasso had to get David to let the questions rest for a bit so Wasso could get a doctor and call David’s parents, and Mark, and Linder…

Suddenly smiling, Wasso pulled David into a hug again. This hug was gentler than the first one and Wasso knew he’d have a hard time letting go of David long enough to find the doctor.

“Oh god David, I was so scared. I didn’t know what I was going to do. But…but… you’re awake. Oh man, you’re parents are going to be so happy. So are Mark and Linder. We’ve got to call them. What time is it?” Wasso babbled as he grinned at David and hopped out of the bed. “Shit, who cares. We’ve got to call them.”

“Wasso...Wasso, look at me.” David said trying to get Wasso’s full attention, “Wasso. Why am I here?”

Wasso looked at David’s face and stilled. Wasso realized that David wouldn’t wait for answers. David was getting freaked out. Gently leaning over to kiss David, Wasso ran over David’s head smoothing his hair.

“There was an accident David. Do you remember anything?” Wasso asked gently.

“No. All I remember was going out to dinner with you. Everything after that is a blank wall.” David said getting upset and struggling to sit up, “What happened Wasso? Why can’t I remember?”

“Shhh, kid. It’s alright David. I promise you. Everything’s alright now. There was an accident. A driver ran a red light. He…he hit you David. It was bad, real bad. But, you’re awake now. That’s what matters kid.”

Helping David sit up on the bed, Wasso continued “You’re awake and that means that everything is going to be okay. I know you’re confused. I promise I’ll try and explain everything to you but right now, I have to tell the doctor that you’re awake. We need to make sure that you’re fine. While, he’s doing that, I need to call your parents. They’ve been so worried. I’ve got to call Mark and Linder too. They’ve been here every day. Please babe, try to calm down. I’ve got to get the doctor.”

Wasso waited until he knew that David had calmed down a bit. “I’ll be right back. The nurses’ station is just down the hall.” Looking down at David on the bed, Wasso felt weak. He leaned down and touched his forehead to David’s.

Closing his eyes, Wasso said very quietly, “Oh god kid. I was so afraid I had lost you. Oh god David, I love you very much.” Wasso lifted his head and kissed David very gently. “I’ll be right back. I’m just going to get the doctor.”

Wasso started to leave the room but stopped at the door to look back at David. Taking a deep breath, Wasso smiled and walked out of the room towards the nurses’ station.

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