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  Once in a Lifetime

  Copyright 2017 Caila Olsen

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  Table of Contents

  Chapter 1 – Riley

  Chapter 2 – Riley

  Chapter 3 – Riley

  Chapter 4 – Riley

  Chapter 5 – Aden

  Chapter 6 – Riley

  Chapter 7 – Aden

  Chapter 8 – Riley

  Chapter 9 – Aden

  Chapter 10 – Riley

  Chapter 11 – Aden

  Chapter 12 – Riley

  Chapter 13 – Aden

  Chapter 14 – Riley

  Chapter 15 – Riley

  Chapter 16 – Aden

  Chapter 17 – Riley

  Chapter 18 – Aden

  Chapter 19 – Riley

  Chapter 20 – Aden

  Chapter 21 – Riley

  Chapter 22 – Aden

  Chapter 23 – Aden

  Chapter 24 – Riley

  Chapter 25 – Riley

  Chapter 1

  RILEY

  I wake up to a rhythmic, steady beep. My eyes require a second to adjust to the blinding light coming through the window. Something is not right. That is not the wide window with the elongated white drapes swaying in the summer breeze I am used to. No, these are different. They look bare and impersonal. My heart sinks as I realize where I am. Everything was so perfect just a few days ago.

  “Good morning Riley,” Nurse Daisy greets me as she comes through the hospital room door. She comes over and places water on the night table next to my bed. Next, she switches out the old bandages that cover the stitches on my head. I wince even though she does it with the gentlest of touch. It still is tender.

  “How’s Aden doing?” He is all I can think about since the accident. It’s unbearable not being able to be by his side. I want to be with him every second. I want to be the first person he sees when he wakes up.

  “No signs of any activity yet. A specialist is coming tomorrow to do more tests to see if there is anything they can do,” Nurse Daisy tells me. She walks over to the other side of my bed and throws away the old gauze into the metal trash can.

  “Are they any good? Do you think they can actually help?” I ask.

  “They have been working on these kinds of incidents for several years. They specialize in the brain and injuries to it,” She explains to me.

  “When can I see him?” It’s been 3 days not seeing him. It worries me to not know when he will wake up.

  “I spoke with Dr. Patrick this morning and he feels that Aden should be stable enough now to have select visitors,” Nurse Daisy says.

  Thank goodness! I have so much to say to him.

  Nurse Daisy assists me into my wheelchair. I feel so useless not being able to walk. A few months of physical therapy should get me up and walking. I will try to work hard, who knows? Maybe I can recover in less time. I hate feeling helpless.

  Nurse Daisy turns the corner into a small bare room. My heart races at the sight of him and my eyes brim with tears. I can’t help myself. That whole night comes flashing back. It’s almost too much to handle.

  I wheel over to his side. His once lively gray blue eyes now stare blankly into space. Unconscious and cold. There are black bruises along his sharp jaw bone and stitches sewn up to close the gashes in his head. I close my eyes and open them again. This must be a bad dream! The image doesn’t go away.

  “Can he hear us?” I ask, looking back at Nurse Daisy.

  “The doctors can’t tell for sure right now until further tests can be done, but there is no harm in talking to him,” she says, “I will leave you two alone.”

  Nurse Daisy exits the room. Everything is silent except the beeping of the monitors. I reach out and clutch his hand, hoping for him to grab hold of mine too and tell me everything will be all right. Instead, it just lies there motionless. “I am sorry Aden,” I whisper, “I need you to pull through for me. I can’t imagine you not being here.”

  I just lay there with my head on his chest and feel his lungs expand and contract as he breathes. I close my eyes and replay every moment with Aden in my head.