The next morning, I woke up feeling nervous as hell. Different thoughts flew through my head.
My mother has been in a coma since the accident three years ago. The doctors said that she had suffered a severe brain injury and was now completely unconscious.
She couldn't even move her body, let alone open her eyes. She was hooked to machines and was fed nutrients through tubes inserted into her veins.
It was horrible. I remember the first couple of weeks after the accident very clearly. I sat by her bed for hours staring at her, praying desperately for her to wake up.
But that didn't happen.
My father left after the third week, saying that he couldn't handle being there anymore. That he couldn't see his wife like that.
He told us that he would visit every month but never really came back. My sisters and I never saw him again.
After a couple of months, I stopped hoping and praying. I resigned myself to just paying her endless hospital bills and taking care of my sisters.
I had to sell off my parent's house when things got out of hand. We couldn't keep up with the payments.
That was why we lived in a tiny run down apartment in one of the deadliest streets in LA.
Dropping a hundred dollars and some extra money for my sisters, I bolted out the door and headed straight to the hospital.
I arrived at the hospital earlier than expected and waited impatiently in the lobby.
A few minutes later, a nurse came and escorted me to the intensive care unit.
I couldn't help but feel uncomfortable as we approached my mother's room.
I hated going in there. It reminded me of the day of the accident and everything that followed after.
I slowly opened the door and walked inside.
"Good morning Zoe!" Nurse Nancy exclaimed as soon as she spotted me.
Nurse Nancy was a short old lady who looked like she smoked two packs a day. She was actually very kind, and always did her best to make my visits bearable.
"Morning," I said quietly.
I went over to my mother's bed and gently touched her arm.
Her skin felt cold and clammy. She was unconscious as usual and the beeping of the machines next to her bed seemed to echo throughout the entire room.
"Mum, it's me." I said as I stroked her hair.
I could barely hear my own voice and felt a tear fall down my cheek. If only she could hear me. If only she could speak. If only she knew how much I loved her. How much I wanted her to get better.
"Zoe." The doctor interrupted my thoughts as he walked in.
His name was Dr Brown and he was the head of the neurology department.
He had been my mother's physician ever since the accident and treated her with great care.
"Dr Brown, good morning!" I said as I walked over to him. "Nurse Nancy has informed me that you wanted to meet with me. Is there something wrong?" I asked nervously.
The doctor nodded. He gave me a sympathetic look before speaking.
"Your mother has been suffering from a rare condition called TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury) for the last three years. It's a degenerative disease that affects the brain tissue and leads to gradual physical and mental deterioration. As you know, she has been in a a coma since the accident."
I swallowed hard. I already knew this. But hearing it again from the doctor made me feel nauseous.
"I don't understand what you're saying. I know all this. Why did you call me in?" I asked, my voice cracking.
I wasn't ready to accept my mother's death. Not yet.
"Your mother is dying, Zoe. The chances of her recovery are slim. Even if she does wake up, she won't be able to function properly. She will need constant medical attention and specialized medication. She may not survive another year. I think it's best we…."
"We—-What?" I asked. I knew what he wanted to say and I wasn't having any of it.
Dr. Brown walked closer to me. He placed his hand on my shoulder to comfort me, but I pulled away from him.
I tried to regain my composure but it was difficult. My heart was racing, and I felt like crying hysterically.
I managed to speak. "I'm not pulling the plug on her, Doc. I'm not giving up. I won't let my mother die. If that's what you're suggesting. She's my mother."
"Your debts are piling up, Zoe. Your family doesn't have medical insurance, and there is no way you can afford her treatments. I am sorry to tell you this, but I have to discharge her. There's nothing we can do for her." He said gently.
"No!" I cried. I rummaged my bag and pulled out the money I had made from the night before. Every single dollar counted.
"Put her on life support forever, run more tests, give her some time. Please. I will pay whatever I owe. Just please don't give up on my mother," I pleaded.
The doctor sighed. I could tell he was frustrated. He looked at me with pity in his eyes. I hated that look.
"Zoe—-" He tried to speak but I cut him off.
"Please Doctor, my mother is all I have left in the world." I said, tears rolling down my cheeks.
"Zoe, listen to me." He said sternly. "You have two sisters and a sick mother. I'm sure you have noticed how much her treatment is costing you. If you continue paying for her care, you will end up bankrupt. Your mother would not want you to sacrifice your future for her."
"I don't care! She would never give up on me if our roles were reversed." I snapped back at him.
He looked at me for a moment. Then, he spoke again.
"We will try and see what we can do. But your mother needs specialized treatment, and it would cost a lot of money. If you want us to continue treating her, you'll have to come up with the funds. And also pay the bills you owe. We will do our best to prolong her life, but we cannot promise anything." He said firmly.
I didn't even realize I was balling my hands into my fists and my nails were digging into my palms.
"I will get the money. Whatever it takes." I replied, without sparing him another glance.
He nodded.
"Alright, you can stay here for a while. Take your time. Good luck."
And with that, he walked out of the room.
I walked back to my mother's bedside. I looked at her pale face, and wondered what was going through her mind.
Did she even think about us? Was she scared?
I gently brushed her hair back from her face.
"I promise, mum. I won't let them take you away from us."
I leaned down and kissed her forehead.
"I love you so much, Mum. Please fight. For all of us. I will find a way. Just hold on."
My eyes started to fill up with tears. I tried to blink them away, but they wouldn't stop.
"I can't lose you, Mum. Dad is gone, and you are all we have left. Victoria and Penelope need you, and so do I."
I broke down and started crying.
I knew it was useless to cry, but I couldn't help myself.
"Please, Mum. Wake up. I need you. It's so hard without you."
I kept crying until there was nothing left in me.