After a few more hours, Leah’s parents were finally able to convince Sean to go home and get some sleep, before he quiet possible would go mad with worry. Adam had taken off a few hours before that, unable to miss work the next day, he had regretfully parted the sorrowful group.


On the way home, things were a bluff for Sean, almost causing him to have an accident himself, his head hardly in the game at all as his car zig zagged around the almost empty streets, of an almost empty city at 4 am. He did, however return safely to their small little townhouse in the middle of the big city.

Once inside he took a big deep breath, desperately trying to choke back the tears, although failing quiet miserably in the end. He didn’t know what to do but blame himself for her being out there, if only he hadn’t gone out, he thought, over and over again.

It was almost as if a cruel record was playing in his mind, reminding him of what he had done. He hadn’t a clue at this point how he would get any sleep at all, it was if he didn’t even deserve a few hours of restless sleep.

While stumbling around he found his way to the kitchen, and a glass of vodka, if he couldn’t work through the pain, he could at least drink some of it away, he thought to himself. Once he had a drink in hand he made it to the couch, where he found a picture book, something Leah had put together a few years back of all their happy times. He really hadn’t looked at it since she made it, but he was suddenly drawn to it. After so many years together, he never had felt like he missed her so much, as if he couldn’t go on if she wasn’t beside him.

Glass and book in hand, he sat there, looking at the pictures one by one. So many memories, so many happy memories, he thought to himself in his increasingly drunken state. 10 drinks and two hundred pictures later, Sean was passed out peacefully on the couch. There would be no dreams tonight, just cold blackness in a deep, alcohol induced state.

Back at the hospital, Leah’s parents sat and waiting for any more new of their daughter’s condition. Finally, around 6 am, when the sun rose and peaked through the trees visible from the cafeteria windows, the Doctor walked in and towards the grieving parents.

“Mr. And Mrs. Doreen?” The fresh faced Doctor asked, it was obvious to the couple that he had only come on to the shift, or at the least hadn’t been on long, because they hadn’t seen him the entire time they had been there.

“What is going on with my daughter” Mrs. Doreen asked softly, the first time in the last couple hours she had been calm about anything.

“Your daughter is in a coma, as you know, but it is a lighter one. While there is a chance of brain damage, or some memory loss, if she continues to improve, I have no doubt in my mind she will wake up soon,” he smiled down at the women, glad that he could be the barer of better news then the Doctor before him.

“Thank God” Her father whispered, as the doctor made his way out of the little cafeteria to go about his day with other patients in his care.

Back at their apartment, the sun began to stream in from the blinds, hitting Sean in the face. Even in his still drunken stupor, he could feel the light burning into him, until he was finally upright and somewhat sitting. He brushed his brown, and now matted hair back, the few strands he kept long, hung in his face like a persistent bug.  

When he was finally standing, he could barely keep from falling down. His head was aching, and his strong arms seemed weak and hung heavily by his sides. Hung over as hell, and looking about the same, he stumbled into the bathroom to get himself cleaned up so he could head over to the hospital. Although he didn’t know how he was to get there, being so hung over a cab didn’t even occur to him, as he tried to brush his teeth and take his now booze smelling clothing.

As he stumbled around, the door bell rang, just before his head would make an up close and personal visit with the closet door.  

“Shit!” he yelled loudly, rubbing his head from the pain of the impact.

“You need to be more careful, or less drunk,” Adam quipped, he reached over to give him a hand up. While at the door Adam had realized that in his friend’s state he had forgotten to lock the door. It was a good thing, he had thought, and that he was the only one looking to get in.

“don’t be such a smart ass,” Sean sneered, rubbing his still painful head, “this really isn’t the time for that, is it.”

“I was only trying to lighten the mood,” He shrugged and tried to help Sean get into his jeans. “Now don’t take this the wrong way, I am just trying to help you not fall down again.”

After some very comedic movements, and choice words between the two men, Sean was dressed and more presentable to go back to the hospital. He even had a ride, with Adam of course, which was much further then he had gotten this morning alone.

With some more comedic moves, more choice words, stumbling, and half dragging, Adam finally got Sean to the car, seated and even buckled. It was as if he had resorted to being a small child, although he had yet to cry, so that way something.

Sean watched the traffic zoom by him, hardly being able to make out people, let alone the car model. The street was much nosier and busier then it had been during the ride home, and all around him were smells of the big city. From the smell of food in china town, to the sulfur smell from the little factory on one of the oldest streets in town.

He watched people walk past on the street, although not picking up any details of their faces, what they were wearing, or even where they were going. It was like a lump of humans, nothing distinct about a single one of them, just one big mass walking together, with no where in particular to go.