Desire

Nightmare/not.....

'Life', in its very essence, is a testament to its inherent nobility. How much value do you attribute to your own existence? This worth is intrinsically linked to your unique talents, skills, and the significance you have infused into your journey. More than anything else, the love and care of those closest loved ones to you can weave an abundance of positive energy into your life.

But who is your loved one? Why do you love them? Is there a specific reason that you tend to love them? Does your loved one show even a tiny bit of empathy towards you? Do they truly understand your feelings, just even a little?

Nick felt his limbs were numb. He asked himself,

"Did I sleep for a long time? Why can't I feel my legs and hands?.... Ah... Mm... Mm.. Ah... Now, I can feel them a little. This place is so dark. I want to go out. Isn't there a door? I can't see anything. Is there anyone? Can anyone hear me?"

He thought he was shouting his lungs out. But no word came out of his mouth. Therefore, he tried once again. But the effort was useless. Those who anticipated his words and actions remained oblivious to anything from him.

Time felt irresponsible and useless in this bleak world. Nick yearned to stay composed and hoped for someone to rescue him. However, he doubted anyone would come, rendering waiting a futile endeavor.

After some time, it seemed that God might have heard his prayer. A tiny orb of light appeared in one of the corners in the long dark hallway. At first, the orb moved slowly, inch by inch. Nick noticed the movement, but couldn't determine whether it was coming towards him or drifting away. Eager to find out, he stood up from where he was sitting. As he did, the tiny orb halted its motion.

At that moment, the orb began to expand rapidly, embracing the entire hallway. Its size grew exponentially, quickly covering the whole area in front of him. Despite the light filling the space, it was too blinding for him to see anything. Without giving him a chance to catch his breath, he was engulfed by the light.

.........

With a sudden movement of his hands, Nick attempted to open his eyes. At that moment, his eyelids felt as heavy as two giant rocks. His head was pounding and slightly spinning. Despite the immense effort, he finally managed to open his eyes.

From the start of his struggle, his mother and father had been encouraging him, and they felt an overwhelming sense of elation when he succeeded. His mom hugged him tightly. Nick was trying to make sense of the situation, unaware that he should have given his parents an explanation about what was going on.

While embracing him tightly, his mother was on the verge of asking the countless questions swirling in her mind. She was on the edge of losing her sanity with everything that had transpired. Her desire to cry was overwhelming, but the fear of losing her child suppressed her tears, forcing them back into her eyes.

" Baby,... my baby.... Nick, .... How are you? How are you now darling? " With those words, she broke into tears that she could not hold any longer.

As the doctor arrived to examine Nick, his mother, with tears streaming down her face, stepped back to allow the doctor to check on him. Nick's parents, hearts heavy with emotions, tried to maintain their composure, not wanting Nick to see their pain.

Nick appeared very drowsy and struggled to articulate his answers to the doctor's questions. After conducting a thorough examination, the doctor asked Nick's parents to meet him at his office.

As the doctor mentioned earlier, Nick's parents met him in his office. As everyone sat down, the doctor started the conversation.

"First, I want to appreciate your patience while waiting for him to wake up. As well, I understand the situation is really tough for both of you. As a parent, I can relate to this situation very well. As I mentioned earlier, he had taken too many sleeping pills, which caused an overdose.... And, "

Nick's father attentively listened to him, seeking to clear up any uncertainties." Doctor, excuse me, I am sorry for disturbing you, but was that the cause of his unconsciousness? It means that the bottle we took must have been emptied by him. Doesn't it?"

"Actually yes, Mr. Williams. According to the situation and the complications which were shown, it seems that way."

Both parents glanced sorrowfully at the empty bottle which they had brought in the morning along with Nick, which was still on the doctor's table.

It originally belonged to Nick's mom, who was suffering from mild insomnia. She could not recall where she had placed it after purchasing it, as she hadn't needed to use the medication for quite some time. Overtime, she lost track of it and forgot about its existence. She never had to search for it until that moment.

No one in the room knew how it ended up in Nick's hand. Also, no one knew how it ended up causing this kind of tragic situation.

"D... Doctor, What will happen to our child?" Nick's mom broke into tears again." What should we do to save him?"

"I know how much you are worried about your son, Mrs. Williams, but let's try to calm down since we have to concentrate on his well-being for now."

"Doctor, did he tell anything about what happened exactly?" Another question arose from Nick's father.

"No, as for now, we don't know what happened or why that happened. We don't know about the purpose behind this yet. We have to take some time, you know... He might have been going through some problems. We can try to figure them out together. And also, I really appreciate you for heeding my advice and not asking him questions."

"What can we do now? Is there anything that should be done as soon as possible?" Nick's mom asked, breaking the silence.

"As for now, we should keep monitoring his vital signs. Apart from that, we are administering some medications for the time being. We have given him breathing support, since he has breathing difficulty and to maintain his hydration, we administer some IV fluids continuously.

We have to take an ECG and a chest X-ray as well. But we have enough time. There's no need to rush..... Let's take our time. Time is the main and most important thing for Nick right now. We should give him space and time to heal."

Nick's parents listened to all his advices and instructions carefully. Both of them longed for him to return to his former healthy self.

After the discussion, Nick's parents returned to his side. They watched with heavy hearts, as he struggled to breathe. The nurse was busy connecting the IV set to him.

Earlier, both of them had their own questions to ask from Nick. But now they wanted to hear his voice even for a second and tell him how much they loved him. At the same time, they silently wondered, "Was it my fault, that you ended up like this? "

As they stood by his bed, their hearts ached with a mix of guilt and sorrow. Nick's father took his mother's hand, offering silent support.

From that day onwards, the passage of time became a blur as they devoted themselves to taking care of their son as if he was an infant once again.

They were determined not to make the same mistake again. Each and every day, mom was busy making nutritious meals for Nick, according to the advices given by the doctor. Then she took food and other necessities which he needed to the hospital, while dad was taking care of him in the hospital until then. They accompanied Nick for every required test and check-ups along with supportive sessions to help Nick cope.

Although he was in the hospital, this time became the best time of his life. He received the love, care and warmth he had longed for throughout his life. He could not even say what loneliness meant.

But, deep in the bleak hallways of his mind, was there a faint whisper of longing for someone else?