Chapter 15:

Heavy rain coming down as scene opens

"Mr. Sanborn. Mr. Sanborn. Can you hear me?" came the voice off in the distance. Dan felt cold and stiff not to mention achy all over. Slowly he opened his eyes to a couple of small painful slits. The lights around him were extremely bright as he watched a droplet of rain slither down the outside of the window closest to him. He took in a deep breath and tried to focus on the person closest to him. It was a man of about 45 dressed in a white uniform with a stethoscope around his neck.

Dan became aware of another person holding his arm and checking his vital signs. She was a woman of about 30 and also dressed in a similar uniform. "He’s coming around, get Dr. Forester on the phone. We’ve got a small miracle here." exclaimed the man in white. "Do you know your name?" asked the doctor. "Who are you?" he inquired. "I’m Doctor Chu, chief neurosurgeon here." the doctor replied. "Do you know where you are?" came the next question. "It seems I’m in the hospital." he rasped. "Why am I here?" he voiced in an emphatic whisper. "Do you remember anything? Anything that might have happened to you?" the nurse posed. Dr. Chu’s name was paged over the intercom. He smiled at Dan and said he would be right back and that he had to take a call.

The nurse helped Dan to sit up and offered him a little water. Without knowing why, he swatted the cup from her hand. "I’m sorry. I don’t know why I did that." he exclaimed. "I do." she said. "It’s alright, I understand." she finished. "You do?" he asked as his eyes became transfixed on the small droplet of water resting on the back of his right hand. "Are you able to remember anything yet?" she asked again. But before he could answer, Dr. Chu and another man dressed as a doctor came into his room.

"This is doctor Abram, a top neurologist in the U.S." Dr Chu offered. "I don’t understand." Dan said a little stronger this time. "Maybe you need a little time to get your memory back." Dr. Abram stated. A flash of lightning and a crack of thunder came from outside the window. Rain began pelting the panes in an un-interrupted cacophony. In that instant it all came flooding back to him. "My name is Dan Sanborn. I’m from Paicines, California. My wife.... " he paused, not sure if he should continue. "This must be Stanford Medical Center. Is that right?" he ventured. "Yes, it is." replied Dr Chu.

About this time several other doctors and nurses entered his room. They were all smiling and some were sighing with relief. Some were even laughing quietly in secret, but all seemed totally overjoyed. "What’s going on? What happened to me? Why all the fuss? Am I missing something here?" Dan queried. "Don’t you know what happened to you?" asked Dr. Abram. "Do you have any memory of how you got here?" the doctor added. "I don’t seem to." he quipped. "How long have I been here?" he coughed out after taking in a small sip of water. "I’m not sure you’re ready for my answer." Dr Abram answered. "Why do you say that? And what is the big mystery?" Dan groaned as he noticed it was very painful just sitting up.

This time another page came over the PA system asking for Dr. Abram. "Excuse me just a moment." said Dr. Abram as he ushered all but Dr. Chu and the nurse from his room. Dan was trying to formulate his next question when Dr Abram and another doctor entered his room. "This is Dr. Forester, the leading brain surgeon in the world." stated Dr. Abram. "Well, well, you are a wonder." said Dr. Forester. "We’ve been extremely worried about you for some time now." he added. "Now just relax for a moment and take deep even breaths, while I check you over and read your charts." he noted.

After a few minutes the doctor stood up and said "I don’t see why we can’t tell him now. He appears to be perfectly fine." "Tell me what? Please help me a little here." Dan whined. "You’ve been in a coma for a little more than a year now." Dr. Forester said, pausing for his reaction. "What do you mean? How did I get this way." he asked with a waver in his voice. "What is the last thing you remember?" asked Dr. Chu. "I’m not sure I can say. I can’t tell reality from fantasy right now." he answered. "Do you remember drowning?" came the disturbing query from Dr. Forester. "No. I don’t." he groaned out. "Where did this all take place anyway?" he asked. "San Francisco Bay." replied Dr. Chu.

"Doctors, there are reporters outside wondering if they can see Mr. Sanborn. What should I tell them?" another nurse asked as she leaned into the room from outside. "Tell them we have a miracle here." said Dr. Forester. "Nothing more for right now. OK?" he added. "When did this occur?" asked Dan. "It appears you were on your way to take a ride on a tour boat of the bay." came the reply. Dr. Forester studied him carefully to make sure he could take all this in.

Now Dan remembered. He was on his way to disseminate his wife’s ashes. He shivered a little as conflicting thoughts battled each other in his psyche. Was this another episode in the insanity he'd been experiencing or was this actual reality. "Yes. I do remember that now. Is that important?" he asked hesitantly. "You see Dan there was a terrorist attack and the tour boat was totally destroyed along with all the others on board. They captured the fellow responsible. You are the lone survivor. Out of 106 you alone escaped all harm. However, you did become comatose. And you have been here ever since." summarized Dr. Forester. "Are you going to be able to handle this? We have some fine psychologists here to help you cope. This is lot to have coming at you right after your wife’s death and all." the doctor added. "Yes. I think there are a lot of things that make sense to me now." Dan rued.

Yes. Dan was beginning to put it all together now. "Oh by the way, your parents and son are due here any minute. Will you be able to see them?" posed Dr. Chu. "Yes. Of course. I need to see them. Thanks." he said with a sigh. He was focused now. All that had been unexplainable was now just a concoction of a myriad of thoughts that were swirling around inside his head during the time he had been comatose.

What was Dan to do now. Along with the guilt he bore of not being able to save his wife he must now bear this new guilt of being the lone survivor of all things, a terrorist attack. He pondered long and hard as to what he should tell his parents, but in the end it didn’t matter because it had all been just an amazing surrealistic dream while he had been out.

Just then Dr. Forester asked if he would like to see and thank the rescuers who had saved his life. "Yes. You bet." Dan said. After some emotional minutes with the rescue team, the ER people, the surgical staff, and a host of others, his parents and son had arrived. All the doctors left the room leaving nurse Simpson to watch for any negative vitals.

"Are you alright? This is a miracle. We’ve been praying every day for over a year now. It’s an absolute miracle." his Mom went on. "I can’t believe it. You’re back with us again. Your Mom’s right. This is definitely a miracle." said his Dad. "You don’t know the half of it." Dan rasped as his voice was still very weak.

After a very short visit with his parents Dr. Chu came back in and ordered rest for him. He stated that he couldn’t see why Dan couldn’t go home in a day or so as they could find nothing wrong with him save the scars left over from some lacerations he had obtained in the blast. So, he said his goodbyes to his parents and son and leaned back to try and get some rest. However, every time he shut his eyes he was afraid he might not open them again. And then there was the dream that had seemed so real. He was almost sad that he had been awakened from the coma, because in there he could be with Ronnie forever. There was that villanous prankster fate toying with his life again.

After the next several days of physical therapy and visits from various friends from the past like the Mc Daniels and others like the local newspaper it was time to make the trip home. It was Kathy McDaniel and their Son Nick who had taken care of all his dogs, cats and canaries. But it was his parents who were here today to pick Dan up from the hospital. He would spend a few days with them and then get back to his own place again. But that was going to be even harder now after the year long dream he had enjoyed. But he knew his dogs would be glad to see him, that is if they still recognized him. He knew his cats wouldn’t.