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There was a blinding light shining on me. I shielded my eyes and tried to look around. The place was stark white, like a clean room.

"Hello?" I called, desperate for a friendly face to explain things to me.

"Hello Abigail." A distant voice said quietly.

I jumped and looked around. There was a woman walking toward me. She looked very business-like dressed in a smart navy pinstripe suit and black heels. Her long dark hair has pulled off her face in a well-done ponytail. As she got closer, I could see details. She was young, maybe mid twenties, with bright emerald eyes.

"Who are you?" I asked. "Where am I? Am I dead?"

She gave a small laugh and smiled at me. "Do you remember what happened?" Her voice sounded like bells tinkling.

"Um…" I paused. "I remember the crash. Vaguely."

She nodded. "That's normal."

"For what? What's going on?"

"I'm giving you a second chance, Abi." She told me cryptically.

"I died?" I was suddenly scared.

She laughed again. "For a few moments. But, now, I'm allowing you to go back."

I gulped. "Will things be different?"

She looked at me, those emerald eyes piercing. "That all depends."

"On what?"

"On you, dear."

"Wait, what do you mean?"

She just smiled back at me and touched my shoulder as if she were trying to console me. "Good-bye, Abigail."
~ ~ ~
I woke with a jolt, my eyes shut tight.

"Doctor, she's back." I heard someone say at my side.

I opened my eyes and glanced around, breathing heavily. At the foot of my bed was a female doctor in a white lab coat, her stethoscope around her neck. She had been talking to two red-eyed adults in the corner. A voice echoed in my head, my parents.

"Welcome back, Laila." The doctor said gently, touching my shoulder.

That must be me, I thought. I'm the only one in a bed here. I just stared at her. I felt confused, altered. Why was I even here?

"Can you hear me?"

I nodded. There was something in my mouth preventing me from speaking and I began clawing at it.
"Do you want the tube out?"

I nodded again, frantic.

With a few tugs, and a horrible feeling in my throat, I was free of the breathing tube. I licked my dry lips and swallowed a few times.

"What-what's happened?" I croaked. It sounded like I hadn't used my voice in ages. I felt like a frog.

"You've been in a coma for two weeks, honey." My doctor informed me.

The woman I assumed was my mother nodded, her hand over her mouth and her face concerned. I felt bad for her, that I had worried them so.

"Why?" I asked. I knew it had to be a ridiculous question but I needed to know.

The doctor glanced at my parents quickly then looked back at me. "We're not sure."

I nodded, at ease for some reason. There didn't have to be an explanation; I was fine and nothing was wrong. I had just wanted some uninterrupted sleep.

"Do you feel any pain anywhere?" The doctor asked me.

I shook my head. "I feel…awake." I told her.

I heard a slight chuckle from her and my parents. Apparently that was funny, though it was true. I just felt wide awake.

The doctor patted my shoulder and checked a few of the readings on the machines. She turned to my parents. "Well, her heart rate and blood pressure is normal." She told them. "Considering she's awake and talking, I would say her brain is functioning normally. I'd like to run a few tests, just to be sure, and I'd like to take some blood samples just to be safe."

"Whatever you need, doctor."

Wow, my parents are passive and quiet. It felt like I had to remember that.

"I'll be back shortly, Laila." The doctor told me and she left the room, leaving my parents standing in the corner.

"Mom?" I said uncertainly.

She smiled and walked over to me. "Hi honey. How are you feeling? We've missed you."

I smiled back but felt no connection at her words. "I'm a little tired." I admitted.

Dad walked over next to mom and touched her shoulder. "Let's allow her to rest, Brenda." He said quietly. "We can get something to drink in the cafeteria."

I nodded my encouragement. "Yeah. I just want to get my bearings."

"Alright, sweetie." Mom said, kissing my forehead. "We'll be back shortly."

Dad leaned down and kissed my forehead too and I could see the tears that he refused to shed. I smiled up at him reassuringly and watched my parents leave, finally giving me space.

I looked around the room, noticing how boring it was; an uncomfortable looking chair sat in the corner where my parents had been, the walls were white and I could only see trees outside the window. I sat up in the bed, the IV tube moving with my motion and causing a sharp pain to shoot into my arm. I closed my eyes in pain and made myself as comfortable as possible. I watched the lines on my heart monitor as they continued to peak normally.

In the depths of my mind, I knew that I shouldn't be feeling so normal after coming out of a coma. I wasn't sure how I knew that, but I did. Yet, I felt fine. However, there was a lingering feeling of emptiness somewhere in me that I just couldn't explain. It hurt physically, but didn't show up on any of the monitors. I leaned my head back and closed my eyes, willing the pain to go away. But it wouldn't. I sighed and opened my eyes again.

The doctor came back in and closed the door behind her, smiling gently at me. Apparently I was fragile. I hated that and I wanted to tell her so.

"Well, it seems you are okay." The doctor said as she checked over pages in my file. She shrugged, apparently at a loss for an explanation. I didn't care. I wanted to go home, wherever that was.

"That's good to know." I said. "Can I go home?"

The doctor chuckled. "Maybe tomorrow. I want to keep you on observation tonight as a precaution. In case your heart falters or you need immediate medical attention."

I glanced at the monitor. "My blood pressure is normal, and so is my heart rate. The chances that I'll do anything but sleep tonight are slim."

Her eyebrows furrowed. "I wasn't aware you were into medicine, Laila."

I wasn't either." I muttered, wondering how on earth I knew any of that but knowing it felt right.

"Well, we'll be keeping you overnight. I can release you tomorrow. For now, why don't you relax and talk to your parents. They've been quite worried."

I nodded. They were my best choice if I wanted to find out what was going on, so I allowed her to shuttle them into the room.

I'll leave you all to your privacy." The doctor said and she shut the door, leaving me with two people I knew nothing about.