23. Legacy
CHAPTER 23
LEGACY
I woke up to a blinding white light and a throbbing pain in my head that made me wince. I felt loopy and groggy like I could barely keep my eyes open. The pain in my head was throbbing like a hammer pounding relentlessly. The world around me was blurry, shapes and colors blending together as I struggled to make sense of where I was. I blinked a few times, trying to clear the haze. My body felt heavy, and a dull ache spread through every limb. As my vision began to clear, I realized I was in a hospital bed surrounded by the harsh, sterile white of the room and the beeping of machines.
I could see the IV drip connected to my arm, the heart monitor displaying my erratic heartbeat, and tubes that seemed to snake everywhere. The fluorescent lights above me flickered slightly, adding to my disorientation. I blinked several times, trying to focus.
I turned my head slowly, but each movement sent a sharp jolt of pain through my skull. Finally, familiar faces came into view. My heart warmed as I saw my family surrounding me. Their attentions were elsewhere. Zara’s face was glued to her phone as always. She was wearing headphones. Riley was on my father’s lap sleeping. My father was looking up at the television. Bless’ eyes were closed as her head rested back against the wall.
Eden was the first to notice I was awake. His eyes widened and his face lit up with relief and joy, which shocked the hell out of me. "Dad!" he shouted. But his voice cracked as if he were about to cry. He threw his arms around me. His sudden tears soaked into my hospital gown. "I love you, Dad."
I could hear the fuzzy sounds of my father, Zara, and Bless standing up, their voices blending together in a chorus of excitement and tears. Their faces were still a bit blurred, but I could feel their happiness.
"Eden," I managed to croak out, my throat dry and scratchy. "I love you too, son."
“I’m sorry for how I’ve been acting. I’ll be good. I promise.”
The pain in my head was relentless. There was constant pounding that echoed with every beat of my heart. I tried to focus on the faces around me, the people I loved more than anything in the world. My father’s eyes were filled with tears. His face was etched with worry and relief as he held a sleeping Riley. Zara stood beside him, her little hand clutching his tightly, her eyes wide and tearful. And Bless, my Bless, stood at the foot of the bed, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears, her lips trembling.
"It’s okay, Eden.” My voice was hardly audible over the beeping of the machines. I tried to hug him back, but my limbs were too heavy. "I'm sorry too. I love you."
He held me tighter, his small body shaking with sobs. "I'm sorry, Dad. I love you so much."
I wanted to reach out, to comfort him, but my body felt so unresponsive. The pain was overwhelming, but the sight of my family gave me a reason to fight, to push through the fog and the agony.
"Eden, you have to let him go,” Bless urged tearfully. “You have to be careful. He’s probably in pain."
“I want to give him a hug too, Mama,” Zara whined.
“No, baby. You can’t…”
Bless’ voice became distant as the world started to grow dark again. But this time I was slipping back into a sleep that seemed to be holding me captive.