Aurelia and her husband trudged through the hospital reluctantly. She was tired, everyday the world went on like nothing had happened, when her world had stopped, again, a second time in this godforsaken hospital, maybe it was the county that was forsaken.
They stopped at the door and a frustrated sigh escaped her, she knew what awaited on the other side of the door. Alessandro pulled her into the shelter of his shoulder, she could feel his anxiety, his breaths were short and shallow. She brushed an agitated hand at her hair and sighed again.
When they opened the door, the golden rays of the evening sun lit up the room like a spotlight, the drizzle was a veil against the outside world that denied her reality. There she was, still asleep. The doctor said she would wake up a few days after the operation, two weeks ago. Her vitals had fluctuated drastically during that time, the last three days were quiet and uneventful, like the calm before a storm.
Aurelia sat in a chair near the bed watching the young woman sleep. She reached out to hold her hand, an action she'd repeated countless times. When will you wake up. She reached up and brushed a strand of hair that lingered on the woman's face. The woman's eye twitched as Aurelia's hand brushed against her eyebrow. Another repeated action that ate away at her, the doctor said it was normal, that it would happen as she was closer to waking up. These two agonizing weeks, were harder than the last eighteen years combined.
The woman's brow twitched again as Aurelia caressed her hand. The twitches were frequent now, the woman's brow furrowed and her eyes moved. Aurelia looked up at her husband, she had to be seeing things. But Alessandro was just as surprised as she was. They looked back at the woman just as her eyes opened. Tears welled in Aurelia's eyes, her heart missed a beat, then two, when it started again her joy burst.
"Good Morning sweetheart!" She choked.
The young woman looked around the room and at the couple confused. She tried to speak but her nose and mouth were plugged with tubes, it was painful to breathe let alone try to talk. The man pushed a button near the bed then stroked her head, a reassuring smile on his face.
"It's okay, don't try to talk just yet."
The doctor and nurses came in and removed the tubes. They ran simple cognitive tests, checked her reaction to physical stimuli and whether her memories prior to the operation were intact. After the tests, the doctor and nurses left them alone with her.
"How do you feel sweetheart?"
"Tired and stiff."
Aurelia chortled. "We'll have you out of here and back home soon." Aurelia couldn't contain her excitement, she stroked the young woman's cheeks lovingly and kissed her forehead. The woman stared up at the couple confused.
"What's going?"
"What do you mean?"
"You're too affectionate aren't you?"
Aurelia's heart raced, she had waited for this moment for weeks.
"Lexis, when you were sick, the doctor said you needed a transplant from a family member. We got Jodi to come in, but her blood was not a match to yours."
"What?!"
"She's a complete stranger to you genetically. That's when your father suggested we try, and-
"And the doctors ran both your blood against mine and it was a match."
"Perfect match. We're your parents." Aurelia beamed joyfully.
"Look, I'm grateful to you guys-"
"It's okay! Now we can make up for the last eighteen years."
Lexis studied the couple, she had never seen them happy before, let alone this happy, it was disturbing.
"I can't give you what you want. I can't be your kid."
"But you are."
"Biologically maybe."
"Lexis you've never had parents. Your childhood was taken away from us, now we can be your parents again."
"Aurelia I'm not a child, I don't need nor want parents anymore."
Aurelia's heart slammed hard against the wall of her chest, forcing the air out of her lungs, her stomach fell, her body went cold. Alessandro circled her waist with his arms as he whispered against her ear.
"Aurelia."
"I'm fine. I'm fine."
She pried his hands away, her gaze locked with Lexis, pleading. But the younger woman's face was emotionless, her heart slammed again, her chest tightened as she gasped for breath. She turned around touching her husband's chest with a smile on her face.
"I...I..." She could barely get the words out as her lungs expelled their air. "I'm fine. I... I just... I need to be alone."
Aurelia had all but run from the room. Alessandro looked back at Lexis, Aurelia's face flashed in front him. Her eyes were wild, brown voids, her smile lopsided, she was broken again, grief wound itself tight around his heart, he was going to lose her again.
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