Project Lazarus

e

in the hospital

ep. Not even

d like it would keep him with me. The machines kept beeping-soft, steady s

dn't open

squeeze my

vering from trauma." I didn't understand most of the big medical words they used,

black to gray to soft orange. I hated that the world kept

der my eyes. I barely touched the food the nurses gave me. I didn't want to leave

be there whe

e wo

monitors. She was young and friendly, always trying to

hange?" I a

ad. "Not yet. But his vitals are h

g into her little tablet, and glance at the br

wned a

s it?"

ip. "It's probably nothing. I'm not a neur

d h

rns. Like, the parts of the brain that should be

d. "Is t

see in patients with head injuries like this. Honestly, he's lucky to be

ill. His chest rose and fell, his

ink he's w

t's too early to tell. But

left me a

what to think. It sounded like good news, but als

as wiping Harryson's face with

t o

I fe

stared at

hispered. "Did

heart racing. I wait

th

tched again. This time, it was stronger

d the call button. "He

urse. They both checked the ma

ie said. "Sometimes heari

r back gently. "Harryson... it'

ps twi

eyelids f

softly. "He's

started

all the way. Just a sliver

o speak through the lump in my th

nfused, like he was trying

's amazing. I need

eft q

n turned his head slightly toward me.

r. "Don't push it

en he

. Raspy,

ona

ed his hand and kissed it over and o

d Harryson to squeeze his hand, move his toes, follow a ligh

vering quicker than expected. His brain

atching. Her smile was gon

him rest. I sat beside h

ispered. "So bad. I t

, still tired. "

"You don't

"I was... driving... the

our car flipped. The police said th

for a second. Then

n?" he asked

k maybe someone caused the crash

was trying to remember

g his cheek. "You're here no

ut. Harryson drifted in and out of sleep. Every time he

back one more time b

tside the room, staring

I asked, w

then gave me a weird

didn't l

t is

then leaned in closer t

uries," she said. "But I've never seen anyo

ou think some

. something feels off. Like his brain

do you

showing full activity. And there's something else. It's

y. I didn't even fully u

d quickly. "It could be nothin

ded s

and Harryson again, I couldn't

t. Too

had more color now. His breathing was calm

d almost

omething in the

I couldn

ill living in my chest. Or ma

I knew one t

wasn'