[6] DILEMMA

          "...Please...please just wake up..." The voice was familiar and sounded like a whisper, I wanted to speak, but it seemed like too much effort, I felt like someone had dumped a bag full of bricks unto me, I was surrounded by darkness.

           I heard sniffling, shuffling and then a gasp, the sound of footsteps accompanied the whole movement. "She's awake!" The voice who I had now identified as Bola, - Spoke up.

        "Her fingers...she moved them!"She continued.

         Wait. What's going on? Am I unconscious? Do they think I am unconscious?

        These thoughts were enough motivation, for me to open my eyes, My eyelids fluttered open, they closed at the same speed though, It felt as if the world was spinning, I took in a deep breath, trying to register my surrounding, It was then I noticed I was wearing an Oxygen mask.

       What happened to me?

       I tried to recall the events that could have led to this, but my head was blank, I needed to remember, How? Why?

       "-Mide" Bola spoke drawing me out of my mini trance, My eyes focused on her properly, and I noticed the panic and worry etched on her face, it was then I realized my heart rate had gone haywire...

    Was I dying?

      No...no... I can't die...not before I find him.....

        I gasped for air, As my weak hands came up to my oxygen mask, Even through my faint mini attack, I could hear Bola's panicked screams as many hands went to work on me, Loud authoritative yells filled the room, probably the doctors trying to remedy the situation

         "B-bola" I croaked out, Amid this whole disaster, she came into view once again, her eyes were glossed over and she had bags under her eyes, she took my hand in hers and whispered "Please...Hang on"

      Suddenly I felt my body jerk up, I couldn't breathe

      I can't breathe

     In all this madness and even before him

       One name remained at the tip of my tongue and only one face stared at me.

     Cole.

*********

        "Bola" I spoke. My voice was hoarse and my throat was dry, as if on cue, Bola passed me a cup of water, I smiled appreciatively at the kind gesture.

       "You had us all on edge, We were all so scared and terrified"

     Us?

       "us?" I echoed my thoughts.

     "yeah, Me, Cole, and someone you need to meet"

     "Who?" I asked as I brought the cup to my lips, 

       "your father" The sound of glass Shattering filled the room, then silence came right after.

       It seemed like the mountain had finally come to Mohammed, and it had a lot of talking to do.

       "Are you alright?"Bola asked worry laced her tone.

        "How? When?" I suddenly stopped. "Bola, For how long have I been Unconscious?"

        Silence filled the room once again, our eyes locked for a mili second before she said the two words that would leave my life in shreds

       "Two years"

      Two long years, Those two years I spent detached from reality would spew hell on my present, and if my life wasn't a Dilemma already, This time leap was just the Climax it deserved.

     My grip on the bed frame tightened. Two years had passed! 

"Tell me everything, I mean every single thing"

**************

         "You're awake" Cole spoke, his dimples showing, his voice was deeper, and he seemed taller than I remembered, He was dressed in a blue long sleeve body hug shirt, and black jean trousers, Overall, He still looked Stunning. Give or take the bags under his eyes...

         "This is for you," He said, placing a bouquet of red flowers - that I hadn't noticed till now - on the table beside me. I smiled. "Thanks, They're pretty" I commented 

          "I missed you" He Continued. He drew out a chair and sat beside me, We were very close now, he took my hand, He wanted to speak but I stopped him.

         "It's been two days since I woke up and Bola's been rambling about how you never left my side -"

         "I'm so sorry I wasn't here when you woke up, I -" I shushed him.

        "This room is filled with so many bouquets, you made it colorful, Thank you," I said.

*************

He smiled, "These past few years, you've been the only thing on my mind, Ara, I've fallen for you, Hook, line and sinker, I don't know what I would have done if I lost you," He said, our foreheads touched and I could feel his breath on my skin. His words were sincere, But something was off, Something very Important, oh,

If only I had known. If only.

Our eyes locked. Our proximity continued to increase before he pulled away but I stopped him "When I was fighting for my life, I had only one regret, only one name, only one face, It was you, I want to live my life with you, let's explore this world, together, I want to live my life with you" and with that, I closed our proximity and our lips intertwined.

******************

        "Another crime of passion" Bola echoed the words from the new paper she was currently reading, I raised my eyebrows,

      Since when did Bola read? I guess a  lot can change in two years...

        We walked out of the hospital together, Cole had gone to get his car, We had grown closer in the past few weeks, and I was indeed very happy, For the first time in my life, I felt secure, No drama, no Stress, no Thrills, Just me, Cole and my career.

       I should have known anything too good, was bad news, Literally.

        I was in for a bumpy ride, one which I had signed up for ignorantly. Nothing stays the same after two years, I should have known. But I was blinded by love and the happiness I felt, I was so engrossed in fantasy that I forgot reality would soon dawn on me, oh reality did dawn on me harshly

         "you ready Sugar?" Cole said wearing his famous grin. He was currently wearing a grey shirt, black pants crowned with black shades, I smiled. His sense of fashion was... Interesting

         "Was born ready cookie!" I replied cheekily, causing Bola to go off "awwing" and "oohing" Apparently, she loved being the third wheel.

        The fair-skinned girl was wearing grey baggy trousers with a short blacktop, she matched the look with a black jean jacket, Bola was fashionable, any day anytime.

     As for me, I stuck with blue jeans and a white tee-shirt that had "We only live once" imprinted on its back.

         The ride home was bearable, taking into consideration the fact that Bola was passing meaningful Comments throughout the ride, I turned to glare at her when she compared me to a Tomato, Seriously? What's up with this girl? Of all the beautiful veggies in the world? a tomato?

        "Finally," I sighed as I Entered The apartment I considered home, Everything seemed neat and well kept, after all, I had a friend with a special case of OCD, who was apparently in the last stage, If it was up to the curly-haired girl, the whole house would smell like bleach... Wait. I smell bleach...

BOLA!!!!