Unsettled

Suspense Stories | Sep 25, 2011 | 6 min read
64 Votes, average: 4 out of 5
His eyes bolted open as the bright lights bore down on him.

He tried to sit up and speak but could not. "Am I tied down? Am I paralyzed? Where am I?" He just lay there, helpless; panic stricken.

Someone moved the light to the side and he could see two men and a woman in white coats talking above him.

The bald man said, "I thought I saw some movement in his eyes but I was wrong."

The other two nodded in agreement; he was still in a vegetative state.

"What were they talking about?" He moved his eyes about franticly to show them he was wide awake and aware of everything around him. "How could they not see that?"

His mind was all over the place as he tried to remember how he got here. The last thing he could recall was giving his wife a little smack on her behind as he did every morning. "Wasn't that this morning?"

The two men left the room while the woman stayed behind. She was talking to him, telling him what she was doing to him.

She said, "I am massaging your left leg, can you feel that Ben?"

Then she went to his right leg and then to his arms. When she was done she leaned over him and brushed his hair. He looked at her deeply, right into her eyes but she saw nothing. As she checked his feeding tube she told him his wife was coming for a visit today. She knew he couldn't hear her but she liked to talk to her comatose patients. This whole ward was filled with people in the same condition as Ben and sometimes it felt so creepy to her. Talking to them made it more palatable.

"Think Ben, think." Did he have amnesia? What had happened to him? He knew his name was Ben. He knew he was married to a wonderful woman, with two young children. He was an only child and a successful business owner on Long Island in New York. He remembered his whole life; his childhood, what schools he went to, the birthdays of everyone close to him, everything. Everything; except this.

He could hear the woman talking again. She was massaging someone else. He realized he was in a hospital and had a roommate in a coma. It was obvious the doctors believed he was in a one too.

Ben was sure that when his wife, Stephanie, got here she would know. She would be able to see it in his eyes. Then she could explain everything. She could tell them they were wrong.

He heard someone walk into the room and from the corner of his eye he saw a woman walk over to the nurse. The woman was out of his eyesight now but when he heard her voice, he knew it was his Stephanie. "Thank God, she has arrived."

The women were talking and he could hear the nurse say, "I heard that the two men who did this to your husband will be up for Parole next year. That is hard to understand. Only nine years in jail for what they did to Ben, just horrible."

"I know," Stephanie sighed. "It doesn't make any sense. They should have gotten life for what they did to my husband. They will be living their lives, while Ben…."

The nurse admired Stephanie for always trying to be so brave. Her heartache was evident, yet she never complained.

"Eight years? I have been in a coma for eight years?" Ben's thoughts were frenzied as he heard himself screaming at the top of his lungs, "I'm awake, I'm awake." How was it nobody could hear him?

Stephanie walked over and stood above him. He could see her shirt was rumbled and her face so tired and old. Ben moved his eyes around wildly but she looked right through him. She kissed him on his forehead and told him how handsome he looked. Her breathing was labored as she sat in a chair next to his bed. He thought she was holding his hand but he could not feel it.

She started to cry as she spoke to him.

"I love you so much, baby, I do. But I cannot do this anymore. The doctors are sure you will never regain consciousness; that you will never be more than you are right now. I just can't bear to see you like this. I hope you and God will forgive me what has to be done."

"What was she talking about? Oh My God, how do I let her know I am here?"

Stephanie changed Ben into the silk pajamas she had brought. The love she had for him was obvious, it would never leave her. Then she laid a single red rose on his chest and gave him a lingering kiss on his lips. He continued to scream at her as she walked out of the room sobbing. Stephanie never turned around.

There was a flurry of activity around Ben as tubes and needles were removed from his arms.

The nurse looked down at him and said, "It will all go quickly Ben. You were a good man, God speed."

Everything went black.

#

His eyes bolted open as he sat up drenched in sweat.

Ben was disoriented and furiously looked around to see where he was. Then he turned in bed and saw Stephanie stir. She put her hand on his leg and asked him if everything was okay.

"I had the most awful dream." he gasped, "I am still shaking."

Stephanie sat up and was shocked to see Ben soaking wet and crying.

"It was just a nightmare, my darling. Let me get you a cold compress," she said gently, as she rose from the bed.

When Stephanie returned, Ben seemed more composed. She cleaned the sweat and the tears from his face and eyes.

"Do you want to tell me about it?" she asked.

"No," Ben replied. "Let me get cleaned up and come back to bed and hold you."

They had a little while before it was time to rise for the day. He returned shortly and they held each other for a few moments while he kissed her hair. Her slow rhythmic breathing helped to calm him.

The alarm clock went off and Stephanie gave Ben a quick kiss on the cheek before she turned it off.

"Are you okay now, Ben?" she asked with concern.

"I am fine, let's get this day going."

"What is going on at the office today?" Stephanie inquired, as she got out of bed.

"I'm still working on that damn merger." Ben replied, "We will be at it for at least another month."

"My poor darling, I know how exhausting this has been for you," Stephanie responded. "Let's go out somewhere nice for dinner tonight. I will arrange for a sitter." "We can have date night," she teased.

Ben got out of bed too and gave Stephanie a playful pat on her bottom as she made her way to the bathroom. He loved her so. He knew he was lucky that she chose him. She stepped into the shower as Ben went downstairs to the kitchen to start the morning coffee.

When Ben got to the bottom of the stairs he could see into the living room. The place was a mess; drawers and cabinets were open and everything was strewn about. He couldn't imagine the kids were up already. They couldn't have done this anyway; heavy lamps were tossed off the tables.

He walked into the room and then he saw them. Two men caught in the act. His first thoughts were for Stephanie and the children. He told the men to leave immediately and there would be no repercussions. They laughed at him.

Ben became paralyzed with fear as one of them started to walk towards him. He turned to hit the alarm. As his hand touched the button he could feel the pain of the knife in his lower back.

Everything went black.

© 2010 Alice Badler - All rights reserved

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Reviews

Subha Feb 24, 2012

really really a nice story.

Akshay Sep 26, 2011

I read story very well. I like so much this story.

Amit Sep 26, 2011

wow. cool story... One of the best I've read

Anikhet Sep 25, 2011

nice work

Alice badler Sep 25, 2011

Thanks for the nice comments. Guess not THAT great a writer as my intention was for the reader to wonder what was the reality. Dream or coma? It ends how it begins.

Geeta Sep 25, 2011

nice story... as Jagrit has written, with the kind of start you gave, reader start expecting so much in the end.. but at the end I liked your story..

Jagrit Sep 25, 2011

Oh Alice... what a well written story... but what happened at the end.. you ended it so quickly... could have been a great story... but still i enjoyed the suspense...

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