Carson rubbed the back of his neck. “She’ll need physical therapy?”
“It’ll depend, but it’s usually recommended. She might also need speech therapy. We can’t be sure if she sustained any permanent damage in those cognitive areas due to the swelling until she’s awake.”
“How long will it take to wake her up?”
“Again, it depends. After we remove the ventilator and put her on oxygen, I’ve seen a person come out of it in as little as six hours.”
Carson noticed he didn’t give an estimate on a longer amount of time. “Can I be in the room with her?”
“Yes, as long as you understand that when she regains consciousness the medical team will have necessary assessment procedures to complete and you cannot interfere in any way.”
“I ain’t gonna get in anyone’s way. I just…need to be there with her when she wakes up.”
“Understood. We’ll get this underway and the ICU nurse will keep you abreast of every step.”
“I appreciate it.”
Carson watched the doctors leave, conferring in low tones. He probably should let his kids know where they were in this process, but he couldn’t deal with the questions he didn’t have answers to until Carolyn actually woke up. And if she woke up confused and irritated… He didn’t think their first interaction with their mother should be when she didn’t have any idea what was going on.
The better plan was to wait to tell them.
He was fucking sick and tired of waiting. He wanted his wife—and his life back.
The staff had brought a chair into Carolyn’s room. Like before, every hour he spoke to her, urging her to come back to him.
The first time she moved her hand, his heart leapt.
The first time her eyelids twitched, his entire body thrummed with anticipation.
Not long now.
Although the six hours he’d been sitting in the chair seemed like another six days.
At hour eight there was a flurry of activity, nurses coming into the room. They blocked the bed so he couldn’t see. It took every ounce of control not to jump up and demand to know what the hell they were doing.
Then he heard it.
Carolyn’s voice.
And nothing could’ve stopped him from going to her side.
Nothing.
He saw her eyes were open.
The nurse asked questions but Carolyn was too confused to answer. Agitated, she shook her head and winced.
When she noticed him, she blinked. The confusion remained in her eyes.
“Hey, sugar.” He reached for her hand and kissed the tips of her fingers. “I’ve missed you like crazy.”
Her hoarsely whispered, “Carson?” was the single most potent word he’d ever heard.
He let his tears fall, unable to make his vocal cords function, but also unable to stop smiling.
The nurses gently shunted him aside while still allowing him to hold her hand.
She asked for water. She asked to sit up.
He caught her wild-eyed gaze zipping around the room as she sipped from a straw. She lifted her other arm and tried to make a fist. When she could barely do it, she dropped her hand back in her lap. “How long have I been here?” she asked the nurse.