（5 Days Later）
Smudge lies next to Jason, tucked beneath his good arm, while I hold his hand and blabber on and on about the fun times we had together as kids.
Constance walks in and says, “Time for an exam.”
I step aside and let her do her work.
Jason’s swelling is stabilized, and they’re gradually reducing his sedation to assess his neurologic function.
She carefully opens Jason’s eye and shines a light. She checks the other eye next, and then stares at Jason’s face with an unreadable expression.
“How is it?” I ask.
Constance finishes putting away her light. “His neurological exam hasn’t changed much, but we’ve only recently started reducing his sedation. It’s hard to say if the unresponsiveness is due to that or—”
She doesn’t have to finish what she was going to say.
“When will you check again?” I ask.
“I’m going to come back with the doctor in another two hours.” She starts to leave, but stops. “Keep doing what you’re doing, baby.”
So, I do. I sit down and tell Jason about the time we went bike riding together.
“Remember when we rode our bikes in the woods behind the trailer? We raced to see who could go the fastest.” I shake my head, smiling at the memory. “Such a dumb idea. Those bikes were barely holding together. Half the kids in the Patch had owned them before we ever got our hands on them.”
I curl my fingers around Jason's hand.
“You were always more athletic than me. You still are. Of course I hit a rock and flew straight into a giant thorn bush. You laughed your ass off...at first. Then you saw how scratched up I was.”
I take a slow breath and squeeze his hand a little tighter.
“You climbed right in and pulled me out. Remember? Then you sat there picking thorns out of my arms and legs. Hell, there were even thorns tangled in my hair.”
The IVs click.
The monitor beeps.
The ventilator hisses another breath into Jason's lungs.
“Please wake, Jason. I promise I’ll lift you out of this. I’ll help you every step of the way. Please wake up.”
***
Constance returns with Doctor Shiffren two hours later, and this time, he conducts the exam, shining the light in Jason’s eyes.
I wait with bated breath, my heart pounding.
The doctor sighs and looks at Constance.
My heart sinks, but I refuse to give up.
I won’t lose hope.
I squeeze Jason’s hand and tell the doctor to repeat the exam.
Doctor Shiffren hesitates, then turns his light back on. “I understand that this is—”
“Do it again,” I urge. “I’ll help.”
The doctor nods, eyes downcast, and examines Jason closely.
I look at Jason’s swollen face and say, “Find my voice, Jason. Find my voice. You can do it.” I hold his hand a little tighter.
“Find my voice. I love you so much; you can do it. Find my voice. You can hear me. I know it.” Nothing changes, but I speak louder this time.
“Find it, Jason. Find my voice. Nothing can stop you. Find my—”
His hand squeezes mine, and I shriek. “His hand squeezed mine! He squeezed my hand!”
The doctor and nurse immediately lean closer. “Jason,” Doctor Shiffren says. “Can you squeeze Gabe’s hand again?”
He does. They see it, and Constance gasps. “Don’t let go,” she urges.
“Jason, can you open your eyes? Can you open your eyes, Jason?” Doctor Shiffren asks.
His eyelids flutter before slowly cracking open for just a second.
“Give me a thumbs-up, Jason,” the doctor continues. “Thumbs-up. Can you do that?”
Jason’s thumb lifts weakly from his curled fist. His hand drifts toward the tube in his mouth, but Constance catches his wrist before he can touch it.
“Easy, honey,” Constance says to Jason. “You’re in the hospital, Jason. You have a breathing tube in. Don’t try to talk.”
“Excellent. He’s following commands,” the doctor says with a smile.
“You did it,” I tell him through the tears. “I knew you could do it. You can do anything, Jason. Anything.”
He squeezes my hand again, and I just…
Fall to pieces.
Crying.
Laughing.
“You did it, Jason. You did it.”