Memories of a Life Shared

Noana sat beside of her boyfriend of four years, holding the only part of his body that wasn’t covered in a sticky pad or lead line, his left hand. She listened as the machines beeped and hissed, this has been her life for the passed two week, three day, twelve hours, and so many odd seconds. She wasn’t leaving his side until he woke up she had even been given the permission to stay over night by his mom and hospital staff. His life depended on her and she would never let him down. “I’m here, Tanner, I am never leaving your side. Never. You gotta wake up though, for me.” She stood up and kissed his cheek, it still had bruises on covering most of his cheek. She winced, she hoped she hadnt caused him any more pain than he was already in. There was a knock on the door and it opened ever so slightly, it was her twin brother Tazer. She never looked his way but knew it was him by his cologne, he always smelled nice and it was powerful but not overpowering. She felt his hand on her shoulder but still didn’t look away. “how’s our boy?” Tazer asked. “About the same. I've been reading to him, they say he might be able to hear me. I'm holding out hope. I thought he had moved earlier but it was just my imagination I think.” Tazer grabbed her hand and turned her towards him, smiled, and grabbed her into a hug, “Noan, why don’t you go get something to eat? Maybe take a shower and a nap? I will stay with him until you get back, gives me time to talk to him without you being here, you know, best friend stuff. No girls allowed stuff.” “I don’t know Taze, what if something happens?” she pulled away and grabbed Tanner's hand again and smoothed a little bit of hair back off his forehead. “I’ll call you if anything happens.” He tried to reason. There was a knock on the door and it was a nurse that had been coming in every so often to check monitors. She smiled at Noana and Tazer, she started to check monitors and pressed buttons and changed bags that were empty. “Alright guys there are a couple things we have to do that you cannot be in here for. I’m gonna ask you to step out for a few minutes. You can come back in once we are done, I promise.” “But, can’t I stay?” Noana said sort if in a panic. “Not this time. You can wait in the hallway.” Tazer grabbed her hand and pulled her a little to get her to start moving. She followed him out and shut the door. She didnt want to go anywhere but she knew she should go take a break. “You promise you will call me as soon as something happens?” she asked with tears in her eyes. “Yes, I wont leave his side. I will call you if anything happens.” He gave her a hug and a kiss on the cheek. She waited until the nurse came back out and told them they could go back in. She grabbed her purse and keys, she really did not want to leave but she had not been home in at least a week and needed to get a change of clothes and maybe eat something that wasn’t hospital food. She kissed Tanner on the forehead and made Tazer promise again that he wouldn’t leave his side and walked back out. Noana stepped though the front doors and let the warm air and sunshine assult her exposed skin, she had not been outside in a couple days. Once her eyes adjusted to the burning June sunshine and made her way to her Jeep. The leather promising to be scorching hot when she climbed in. Just as she thought, the seats burnt as she slid in. She unzipped her window and started the beast. The '94 Wrangler roared to life, she let it idol for a few minutes, debating on heading back inside but she shifted into reverse instead and heading towards her home. She knew no one would be there, her parents were at work and obviously Tazer was at the hospital with Tanner. She wasn't sure how she got home safely because the drive was a complete blur. By the sound of her engine she must have been aware enough to remember her clutch was sticky and she had to double pump it. Once home she climbed the stairs to her bedroom and dropped her clothes in the middle of the floor and climbed into the shower as hot as she could stand it and sank to the floor sobbing. She cried even harder as she remembered that terrible day. Noana was sitting at her desk in her room studing when she heard her phone ringing. She always silenced her phone when she studies but her work was only a research paper that wasnt due until the last week of school and that was four weeks away. She picked up her phone and the ID flashed Tanner's name. She still got butterflies everytime she saw his name in her phone. "Hey, Tan, whats up?" she asked when she answered the phone. "I'm coming over to your house, I'm almost there. I'll be there in a few minutes." he sounded weird, almost like he had been crying or at the very least upset about something. "Is everything okay?" she asked concern edging her voice. "I'll explain when i get there." is all he said before he hung up. She waited a few minutes until she heard the faint sound a four wheeler and ran down the steps and out the front door. She saw him coming around the corner, he was driving faster than he had before and it worried her. She watched as he ramped the small curb and drove into the yard. He hopped off his bike and ran to her picking her up and hugging her harder than he ever had. She hugged him back, “ Tan, what is wrong?” He sat her down on her feet and pulled away ever so slightly and looked into her eyes, “Mom and Zach are moving. They are gonna make me go with them. They are moving to New York. Next week.” She swallowed the lump in her throat, pushing down the urge to vomit with it. Everything about the coming year ran through her head. Without him here there would be no senior prom, no college fair together, no finding the perfect college for both of them and going off together. She had dreams and every dream revolved around him. “How? Why? They can’t do that, can they?” “I don't know. I'll be eighteen in a few months. I'm gonna fight it. I don't want too leave. Zach said I had no choice but I'm going to fight.” He pulled her into his chest again, she couldn’t help but cry. Their lives were about to change but she did not even know the half of it. She noticed a car pulling into her drive way. It was Tanner’s stepdad Zach, she knew it was about to get ugly. Tanner let her go and turned around towards Zach who was now out of the car and by the look of things he wasn’t happy either. “Get in this car now Tanner Alexander.” He stalked towards them as he yelled. “I’m not going anywhere with you. I don’t want to be home, that was the point of me, you know, running away.” “If you don’t get in the car now I am gonna make you.” Zach was getting closer, his words more forceful. “ As long as you live under my roof, you will obey my commands.” “IT’S NOT YOUR HOUSE! IT WAS MY DAD’S. YOU HAVE NO SAY IN WHAT HAPPENS TO ME, YOURE NOT MY DAD!” Tanner yelled back, Noana had never heard him raise his voice like that. Zach picked up the pace and his face was flaming red, Tanner knew he had over stepped his boundaries. He grabbed Noana but the face and kissed her. “I love you, Noana.” He said in a hurry and ran to his bike. That was the first time he had ever told her he loved her. Her heart did a flip. “I love you too Tanner.” She yelled after him. He took off as fast as he could on his four wheeler leaving a trail of dust in his wake. She watched as he started to round the curve ahead of him. She saw the SUV coming before Tanner did. She screamed his name to no avail, he couldn’t hear her anyways. She heard the connection of metal to plastic and saw the love of her life roll up and over the SUV. Both her and Zach took off running down the road, the driver of the SUV already out of the car and at Tanner's side. She felt the water shut off and a warm towel wrap around her freezing body. Gentle arms wrapped around her as she continued to sob, she almost hoped that she would run out of tears, she was tired of crying. “Shush now sweety, breathe sweet girl just breathe.” Her mom coached her. She took a few deep breaths and slowly stopped crying. “Mom, why wont he wake up?” she started crying again. Her mom smoothed her hair and coaxed her to stand up. She helped her into her bedroom and helped her into some clean clothes. She made Noana lie down on the bed and while she held her. “I don’t know baby girl. I just keep praying that something will happen and he wakes up for you. Maybe take a little more time for yourself today and get a nap? Tazer won’t leave him.” Noana sniffled and nodded her head, “Will you stay with me?” “I won’t leave your side. I promise.” Noana softly cried herself to sleep, a very deep and needed sleep.