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One in a Billion Chapter Eighteen “Day Eighteen”             When Donna woke the next morning she was still holding Jim’s hand and found someone had covered her with a blanket sometime during the night. She rose and made her way to the restroom to tend to her morning personal needs. When she came out of the restroom she found a nurse checking on Jim, she turned to Donna and introduced herself as, Erica Medlin. Erica then told Donna that she knew who she was as Lena had told her the night before when she came on duty. Erica asked Donna, “Would like for me to bring you some coffee from the nurses’ station, it is better then what they serve in the cafeteria and it will be no charge or trouble?” Donna said. “That sounds really good at the moment.” Donna then went back to her chair and sat down. She looked at her watch; it was now 6:30. Jim had been unconscious for almost 24 hours and she was hoping he would wake up soon. She was really scared that he would not be the same when he woke. She wondered how long it would be before he could leave the hospital and how long before he recovered enough from his injuries to be able to get out and about as he had been doing.             She turned to the door as it swung open. It was Erica bringing her coffee to her. She sat the cup down on the table by Donna’s chair and also sat a small plate with two donuts on it next to the coffee. “I figured you could use something to eat as well and since we never eat all the donuts they bring to us I got a couple for you”, she said. Donna thanked her and started eating one of the donuts and took a sip of the coffee. Erica left the room but not before checking Jim once again. As Donna was finishing the last bite of her donuts and was taking a sip of coffee she saw something out of the corner of her eye. She quickly turned towards Jim and saw his right hand move a little. She leaned as far forward as she could and took his hand in hers. She spoke to him, “Jim if you can hear me squeeze my hand please.” She felt his gingers try to tighten on her hand just slightly.             “Jim if you can hear me I want to let you know I love you and I want you to come back to me”, she told him. She felt him squeeze her hand a little harder and looked at his face intensively to see if his eyes moved under his eyelids. She could make out no eye movement at all. She began talking to him as if he was awake. Telling him how much she loved him and how happy she was to know they were going to be married. She paused for a second as the door opened again and Erica and another nurse walked in. Erica introduced the other nurse as Sue Wong. Donna said hi to them both and then told them of Jim squeezing her had twice. Erica checked his pulse and said it seemed stronger so he may have made some movement. She told Donna she was going off duty in a bit and Sue would be taking over checking on Jim every ten minutes. Erica then asked Donna to please press the CALL button if Jim made any attempt to wake or move anything other than his hand. Donna said she would and the two nurses left.             Another glance at her watch told her it was already 7:50 and she was still wondering how long Jim was going to remain in the coma. She started asking him if he could hear her and if he could to please squeeze her hand. This time there was no mistaking the fact that Jim actually squeezed her hand. He was holding it gently but firm enough she would have to make an effort in order to remove it from his. She reached over and hit the CALL button with her other hand. In just a minute Sue entered the room and Donna told her to look at what Jim was doing. Sue said that was a good sign and she would be right back as she wanted to get Dr. Brenzane so he could se it. Donna said ok and she returned her attention to Jim.             Shortly Sue returned accompanied by Dr. Brenzane. He checked Jim’s pupils and listened to his heart. Then he asked Donna to see if Jim would respond again. Donna told Jim that if he could hear her to open his hand from hers. They all watched as Jim’s right hand slowly opened halfway. The doctor was listening to Jim’s heart when he did this and noticed it increased in beating speed and told Donna and Sue that Jim was probably responding subconsciously. He then said to keep trying to reach him and then he and Sue left.             Donna kept talking to Jim and was telling him the kind of wedding she would like to plan with him. She continued to talk as if he was awake and didn’t stop when Sue came in every ten minutes to check on Jim. After an hour or so she became tired and bored a little, she leaned her head onto the bed as she had done the night before and soon she was sleeping. Sue came in to check on Jim every ten minutes or so and when Lena came in at 3 o’clock they both came in. Lena had brought a plate lunch with her from her house for Donna and woke her up so she could eat. Donna rose and excused herself to the restroom.             When she returned she thanked Lena for the food and drink and started eating. She wasn’t really hungry but knew she had to keep her strength up in case Jim woke. She sat in the chair and ate the food and when she finished with it she decided to watch some TV. She turned to Jim and asked him was there anything he wanted to see on TV. Since he didn’t respond she turned through the channels until she came across a good mystery movie and decided to watch it. This time instead of laying her head on the bed, she turned the chair parallel to it and reclined it back a little so she could be comfortable watching the TV. She watched the movie and had started watching the next one that came on when she fell asleep again. This time she slept for a while and Lena even covered her up with the blanket she had used the night before. Lena left the TV on so if she woke she could still watch it.             Donna woke at about 10:30 that night and got up to go to the restroom just as Lena came in again. Donna asked if she had noticed any change in Jim’s condition and Lena told her no. She returned from the restroom and noticed Lena had already left the room. She wanted to take a shower but had no clothes there with her. Just as she sat down again the door to the room opened and it was Connie, she had a suitcase in one hand and a brown paper bag in the other hand. She sat the suitcase down and handed the bag to Connie. In it there was a plate supper from the restaurant and a couple of sweet teas.             Connie told her she thought she could use some clothes and even some food as it had been two days since she had showered or changed clothes. Donna said she was just thinking about that herself and thanked Connie for bring the stuff. Donna then asked Connie if she would stay while she showered so if Jim woke up he wouldn’t be alone. Connie told her to go ahead she was in no hurry to leave at the moment. Donna took the suitcase and went into the room’s restroom to shower and change clothes.             She returned shortly after taking her shower and again thanked Connie for bring the stuff to her. Connie told her it wasn’t much but all she could think of that might help her at this time. They talked for a few minutes and Connie told her she needed to get back to the house so she said good-bye and left. Donna had put on her pajamas and her robe after taking a shower and now sat back down and reclined in the chair. Lena came in and told her she would be getting off soon and asked if she needed anything before she left. Donna told her the only thing she might need would be a couple of towels in the morning. Lena said she would make sure she got them and after checking on Jim headed out the door. Donna was relaxed from the bath and reclined back in the chair with the blanket on her and drifted off to sleep again.

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