Alex blinked slowly several times before looking down at her leg. She removed the ice packs and dropped them on top of the coffee table. She slowly ran a finger over the largest of the scars along her thigh. "You mean this?" she asked as she looked back up at her friend. At Sera's nod she continued. "I was hit by a damn Mercedes."
"What?" Pia gasped.
"I decided to go for a jog before meeting up with Emily for dinner." Alex shook her head, her eyes blinking rapidly for a moment. "I was…I…" She paused, ran her tongue over her dry lips, and swallowed several times. "I…I can't…" Giving her head another shake, Alex quickly stood. "Please excuse me." She headed for the bathroom, her head down and her eyes on the floor, as she fought to stay in the present.
Once the bathroom door was closed behind her, Alex slowly slid to the floor. She stared straight ahead, her eyes unable to focus on her surroundings as the memories of that fateful day overwhelmed her, pulling her in deeper. The memories flowed through her mind like lava from a volcano, slow and hot, as the pain once again burned through her body. She managed to locate the toilet seconds before her stomach revolted. She emptied its contents and flushed away the evidence, before crumpling to the floor. Part of her brain registered the smooth, cool tile under her cheek while another part felt the rough asphalt from long ago. Moisture began to pool under her cheek, running from her wide, unblinking eyes as the darkness began to descend upon her.
Nikki watched Alex walk towards the bathroom. She heard her sister begin to tell the story and turned back to listen. Dani told Pia and Sera of the accident and the ensuing coma, stopping to answer several questions. When the conversation finally wound down, she realized more than fifteen minutes had passed and Alex still had not returned. She looked over at Pia and said, "Could you please point me towards the restroom?"
"Of course." She stood and led her across the room and down a short hall, pointing to a closed door.
Nikki stepped up to the door and knocked lightly. "Alex, honey, are you okay?" When she didn't get a response she tried the knob, pushing the door open. The sour smell that hung in the air was overpowering and explained Alex's sudden departure. She gasped when she saw her lying on the floor. She rushed to her side and quickly began to check for injuries. "What happened?" When she didn't respond, Nikki paused. She leaned down, nearly pressing her face to the floor, and looked into her eyes. She noticed they were properly dilated, but unfocused. "I need some blankets," she called over her shoulder, hoping Pia was still nearby. She carefully checked for any blunt force trauma that could have caused her to lose consciousness. When she didn't find anything, she gently rolled her onto her back, scooped her up into her arms, and slowly stood. When she turned, she saw Pia standing in the doorway holding several blankets to her chest.
"Is she okay?" Pia asked as she followed Nikki back to the living room.
Three sets of eyes looked up at Pia's question. Sera gasped, quickly placing her hand over her mouth. Dani and Rachel stood, making room on the couch. Nikki softly deposited her precious cargo, and, taking the blankets from Pia, covered Alex's shaking body. She sat down on the floor and leaned back against the cushions. She looked up at everyone and shrugged. "I don't know. All we can do right now is wait. There doesn't appear to be anything wrong, other than the fact that she's completely unresponsive."
Rachel stepped up and placed a hand on Alex's cheek, staring into her eyes. "I think she's stuck in a memory." She looked down at Nikki as she said, "Sometimes she's unable to control the memories and she gets pulled into them, reliving them. I've seen it a couple of times before, but it's never lasted this long. At least not when I've been around."
Dani sat on the couch at Alex's head, placing one arm across her chest, her hand resting on her shoulder. She began to gently rub her shoulder, attempting to soothe both herself and the comatose woman. Rachel lifted Alex's feet and sat, placing them in her lap. She took her bare feet into her hands and began to warm them.
Sera watched the three women care for her friend and a faint smile rose to her lips. "You all love her very much, don't you?"
"We do," Rachel replied softly. "She's very special, and we are blessed to have her in our lives." She looked over at Dani and smiled. Together they began to explain some of the reasons why they felt the way they did.
Alex struggled through the darkness that surrounded her, searching for an anchor as she drifted in the sea of pitch-black. She fought to remember what happened to her before the darkness overtook her. She heard screeching tires in the back of her mind, and shuddered as she tried to distance herself from the memory. She felt a hand begin to gently rub random patterns across her shoulder and sternum. The touch was comforting, and calmed her racing heart. As she slowly became more aware of her body, she felt warm hands lightly kneading the soles of her feet, and two more holding her hand.
Focusing on the love she felt from the many hands that touched her so tenderly, she relaxed knowing she wasn't alone. Soon she noticed a muffled noise and strained to identify it. After what felt like several minutes, she noticed it was getting louder. Moments later she was able to decipher several different voices. It wasn't long before she recognized the voices and could clearly hear what was being said.
She heard Dani talking about her series
