Chapter Three – The Second Chance

Slowly Brian opens his big bright blue eyes to the sight of brightness, so bright it is actually painful to his eyes. Looking around all he can see is electrical equipment that he doesn't understand. Only adding more to the confusion these machines create is the fact what he could see, he was seeing in black and white. Because of this he lay back leaning on his arms and closed his eyes until a nurse spotted that he had moved on which she instantly acted upon by bursting through the door with her first words being “Oh thank god your awake!” which startled Brian into shouting “What the hell?!” from this somehow a conversation is stricken up which continues for a good 10 minutes until Brian finally asks,

So I guess what I should have asked to begin with is, why am I in hospital?” To which after a short chat with him the nurse simply replied, “Well honey you've been in a coma for the past three months, everyone kind of presumed the worst which is why I was so shocked when I had noticed that you had moved. All we know is that you were found in the street lying unconscious face down in the middle of the road with multiple laceration wounds around an inch deep across your chest, which is the main reason for all those bandages.” the nurse sat and smiled slightly looking at Brian, who to her expectations was quiet for a moment pondering what scraps his mind could uncover and piece together. After a short while Brian returned the smile and explained, “Wow I had figured I must have been attacked because of the bandages but... Three months ago? To be totally honest, I don’t remember anything at all except for the last ten minutes and stuff over six months ago.”

the nurse looked away through the window momentarily then resumed smiling at Brian but this time it was more reassuring as if she was saying “That sucks, but it will all turn out fine I know it” although instead of that she simply said “Well I'm glad we had this chat, and I'm glad you're okay but I should go and inform a doctor that you're awake. I'll be back shortly.” Brian simply smiled, gave a slight nod then relaxed back however wincing momentarily due to his chest.

          The nurse, returning with a doctor no more than ten minutes later casually walked back into the room with the doctor close behind and gave Brian a quick smile before turning to the doctor to say “I noticed he had moved so I came in and made sure he was okay and knew why he was here, I came to find you when I was certain he was okay.”

The doctor simply looked at the nurse, blinked once or twice and muttered under his breath “You know you should have come to me first...” then said with a volume Brian could hear easily “Thank you Nikki, much appreciated by me and I’m sure our patient appreciated the short time of company. Now if you will please leave me to talk with the patient-” he looked at the clip board at the end of Brian's bed, “Ah Brian is it, alrighty then Brian-” he paused and glanced back to Nikki who was stood smiling at Brian, “Nikki, you can leave now, thank you.”

Nikki blushed slightly as Brian smiled back with a chuckle as Nikki turned and hastily retreated to the safety of the corridor where Brian couldn't see her rose red cheeks, Brian still lay on the hospital bed smiling with some sense of accomplishment which the doctor noticed and chuckled, his first words after glancing back at the clip board, “I see you've taken a liking to Nikki eh? Haha I don't blame you, she's a nice lass with a great personality as you already know. So what were you two talking about before she came to find me?”

Brian glanced at the doctor's chest, at his name tag “Well Doctor... Brown, I guess it was just about how I got here or more to the point why I'm here in the first place, although I won't deny I think she's a great girl but I've some things hidden.. You won't know what I mean though.”

Dr. Brown, looking puzzled didn't question the statement he just said “Well to begin with, call me Alan I prefer a friendlier relationship with my patients, and also I won't ask what you mean by hidden things but from what I could figure she likes you. Anyway back to the matter at hand here!-” He chuckled slightly spotting Nikki walking past the window glancing in at Brian, “There she goes again. Heh, anyway I'm not sure whether she informed you of why you are wrapped with around 5” of bandage... If not I'll explain now, under those bandages you have multiple laceration wounds each around an inch in depth-” Brian sharply interrupted him “She's explained this, along with that I was found unconscious on the road side, how long till I can be out of here doc... Or how long till I can do anything for myself?”

Smirking the doc retorted “Well you're an eager one aren't you, you would be surprised how many people want to stay here as long as possible.-” Chuckling he whispered “You just want to know how long till you can go for a drink with Nikki don't you” he proceeded to give Brian a smile that said “I'm only joking” Brian smirked, not denying anything nor confirming it.

The doc just looked, thought for a while and said “Well Brian, depending on how your feeling you could be out within the week, I don't think there was any other injuries that haven't already healed, we just need to make sure you know how to walk, you know with you being in that coma for 3 months..”

Brian smiled looking happier than ever then proceeded to glance out of the window into the corridor to see Nikki walk past and glance in again; he turned to face the doc and just nodded.

          A couple of days passed, each day Nikki dropping in keeping Brian company whenever she could find an excuse, slipping him a smile through the window on her way past. Nobody else seemed to visit Brian that didn't work for the hospital; Nikki noticed this so asked on her next visit “I never seem to see anyone that doesn't work here visit you...”

Brian looked puzzled as to why she cared but answered her anyway “Well... I'm not sure whether I have any family left although if I do they probably couldn't care less if I had died from these wounds...”

Nikki sat with a look of disgust on her face due to what Brian had just said “Well it seems your family weren't much of a family... Am I right?”

Brian blankly replied “Well, you could say that I guess. Due to a couple of things that I had no control over I guess they just stopped caring.”

Again with the look of disgust Nikki remarked “Well at least you have one person that cares about your wellbeing” and smiled at him... Then after realising what she had said she looked worried waiting for Brian's response, to her relief Brian smiled then whispered “Thank you... So, uh, would you like to go for a drink sometime? Obviously after I get out of here.”

Nikki looked with a face of astonishment as if her dreams had just came true trying not to seem too eager she simply nodded her head as she spotted the doctor wandering past the window she reminded Brian “It's time for your walking lessons-” she laughed jokingly then proceeded to help Brian up from the bed and supported him down the corridor.