The door opens. Footsteps. Left foot, right foot, left foot, stop. It's a woman, the footsteps are light. Curtains open. It's sunny, I feel the warmth of the sun on my right hand. Four steps. The woman is beside me. I feel her hands on my cheek, fixing my nasal cannula. Her hands are soft and cold, they smell like hand sanitizer. Her hands leave my skin, now about 1 meter to my right, changing my IV bag. Footsteps, she's walking away. Take the pad at the bottom of my bed. Pen scratching on paper. Around 15 words. Pad down, walking toward me again. Leaning in, her breath close to my ear.

"Wake up", she whispers.

Her voice is soft. She smells like chocolate. She walks away, the door opens, then closes. I'm alone again.

Let's see, where was I? Oh yes! Left hand E F G A B, right hand C D E F G. Then, B minor. Ok, so B, D, F#. Come on! You can do it! Concentrate. Come on. All attention to fingers! Three moves. Go! Come on Jennie, do it! It's so easy!

Argh, never mind. It's not working. I'll just sleep instead.

***

Awake. What's my name? Jennie Kim. How old am I? 18. Where am I? Room 637, 6th floor, John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital, Chicago. Moving fingers? No.

Well, nothing changed since this morning, that's an improvement. If I could just open my eyes, that would be great! I miss light.

I hear voices in the hallway. The door opens.

"Explain to me what you're doing here again?" Says the voice from this morning.

"It's for school. Community services, for college applications."

Girl voice, high pitched. Sounds about my age, Australian accent. I'm guessing blond hair, about 5 foot 4x. No, 5 foot 6. Perfect health, smiles a lot.

"Right. And you're doing what here exactly?"

"They said I'm here to keep company."

"To Jennie?"

Nurse starts laughing.

"Jennie has been like this for around three weeks. Not a single response, no sign of progression. She doesn't even respond to pain. Don't expect anything from her, I don't think she's coming back to the world anytime soon."

I'm here! Jesus! I'm freaking here! I screamed, but no sound comes out of my mouth. Move your fingers, Jennie! I'm trying! I'm trying! Jeez why isn't it working? What am I doing wrong?

"Well they assigned me here," the girl says.

"What's your name again?"

"Roseanne"

"I'm Agnes. Ring the nurse button if you need anything. Have fun talking to yourself, Roseanne."

Footsteps, leaving. Not alone, someone is by the door. The girl, Roseanne. I can hear her breathing. She puts down something, her bag I guess. Walk up to me, now standing beside me, on my right, about two feet away from the bed.

"Hi."

I can feel how uncomfortable she is, it's pouring out of her. It makes me laugh. I'm the one who can't move and she's the one who think this is awkward! I laugh in my head.

Hi.

This is weird. She doesn't even know I can hear her.

"I'm Roseanne."

Jennie, nice to meet you. Let's shake hands! Oh wait, I can't!

"Your name is Jennie, right? Right, you can't answer."

Genius.

"This is weird. I thought it wouldn't be, but it is."

Yea, I feel you.

"Ok, so I'm gonna sit, and I'm gonna read."

Go for it girl, not gonna try to stop you.

She moves in the room, goes to her bag near the door, comes back next to me. Pulls a chair, makes a lot of noise. She sits. I hear her open the book, turn three pages.

"Harry Potter and the Philosopher's stone. Chapter one."

Wait? You're reading out loud?

"Sorry for the choice of book, it's my brothers. I thought it would be fun, I don't read a lot so I don't have a lot of choice. Ok, I'm reading now. Chapter one. Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much."

It's ok, I've never watched or read Harry Potter. I kinda know what happens in the end but I don't really know the story.

"They were the last people you'd expect to be"

This is nonsense. A stranger read to another stranger who can't talk and move and answer.

"Mr. Dursley was the director of a firm called Grunnings, which made drills."

Fun job! Can I have the same? No wonder he's so boring!

She stops reading. Why are you stopping? Keep going?

"Did you move?"

What?

"You totally moved!"

No I didn't!

"Do it again!"

Dude, I didn't move.

"Ok. If you can hear me, move your fingers."

Is this an order?

"Come on! I saw you moving!"

You're seeing stuff. I didn't move, stop doing drugs!

She pushes the nurse button.

Why did you do that for? I'm not dying!

42 seconds of silence. I bet