Silently, I nod my head and wait for the doctor to take me to my wife.  With every step, I beg God to let me take her place.

Chapter 11 – Greg

I thought I knew what it was like to live a nightmare.

When I lost Grace, I felt a pain that I hoped never returned.

When Cohen was kidnapped, I felt a hopelessness that crushed my soul.

When I saw my little girls, so achingly small, fighting for each breath, I felt a fear I’d never known I could possess.

When I walk into Melissa’s hospital room and see her hooked to machines, bruised and battered… I feel a little piece of myself die.

I’m living a nightmare that I can only pray I wake up from.

It’s hard to put into words how you feel when you see the love of your life like that.  I watch her chest rise with each breath, giving me the reassurance that she’s still with me, but looking at her so obviously broken has my knees buckling before I had make it more than five feet into the door.

I feel the doctor pause, waiting to see if he needs to assist me, but I wave him off.  Dropping my hands to the floor and letting my head hang, I pray.  I scream and plead, once again, for God’s mercy.  I can’t lose Melissa.  There’s no other alternative for me.  She’s mine, and I won’t let anyone take her.

I pull in a deep breath, holding it while I get my courage back together before picking myself off the floor and walking over to the side of her bed.

And that’s where I stay, holding her hand and caressing her soft skin while I listen to the doctor go on and on about her injuries.  I try to understand what he is telling me, but with each word that passes his lips, I realize just how very real this is.

His heavy hand settles on my shoulder, but I can’t look away from her beautiful face, I’m trying to see past the swelling and bruises to glimpse the woman I kissed goodbye hours before.

“… time will tell, Mr. Cage.  For now, we will monitor your wife closely for changes.”

I look up when I hear him leaving, the door closing softly behind him, and I sit there in the dim light of Melissa’s hospital room and start singing.  At first, it’s anything I can think of that she might like, but after a few songs, I just start the humming familiar melody Adele’s ‘Make You Feel My Love’ over and over.  The words start to flow without thought while my thumb rubs in small circles against her wrist, my tears rolling down my face unchecked.

God, what the hell do I do now?

Chapter 12 – Cohen

I don’t like this place.  It smells funny, and everyone looks sad.  I just want my mommy and daddy.  Aunt Izzy told me this morning that it’s okay to be scared and that she was there if I needed a hug.  I don’t need a hug.  I’m a big boy.

I’ve been sitting here for a really long time, long enough to watch three shows on Uncle Axel’s phone.  I hope Daddy comes to get me soon.

The doctors and nurses always run around here like they forgot to turn the oven off.  Mommy always does that a lot.  Uncle Axel and Aunt Izzy are here watching me, but Nate stayed home with Dilbert and Davey.  Aunt Izzy said that Nate is too little to be here.  Uncle Beck and Aunt Dee went to go get me some breakfast, but I didn’t want to go with them because I’m waiting on my daddy to come and get me.  I’m going to see my mommy soon.

I heard Aunt Izzy on the phone this morning when Daddy called.  She didn’t think I could hear her, but she was being loud like Aunt Dee gets when she talks about her silly shoes.  She told Daddy that I’m being such a good little boy and that she would take me to him if he really wanted her to.  It’s been almost two weeks since my mommy went to sleep and Daddy started sleeping at the hospital with her.  I don’t know how long that is, but that’s what Aunt Izzy said.  It feels like a really long time.

I miss them, but I don’t tell anyone because I’m being strong like Daddy.

I don’t know why I wouldn’t want to go to my daddy.  He makes everything okay.  I want to yell at Aunt Izzy when she calls me a little boy.  I’m not a little boy.  I’m a big boy, and I’m going to use all of my powers to make everything better.

Last night I came to see Daddy and I really didn’t want to leave.  My side still hurts, and I’m itchy where they had to tie my skin with little strings after Mommy’s car broke.  Mommy would have made it not hurt anymore.  Aunt Izzy doesn’t kiss my boo-boos like Mommy does.

Now I’m sitting here in the stinky hospital, waiting on my daddy to come and take me to see my girls.  No one will tell me where my sisters are.  Aunt Izzy says that they have to sleep in a special clear box like Snow White did so that the germs don’t hurt them while they get healthy.  I don’t like my girls sleeping in a box.  They need to get better so I can teach them everything I know.