Tick

Tick.

“Hey, man. We were worried about you but the doc says you’re doing great. You’re real lucky, you know that? Just waiting on you to wake up now. After that it shouldn’t be long. You can go home the day after.”

Tick.

“Come on, buddy. Three days, really? It’s okay. Third time’s the charm, I know.”

Tick.

“Come on, Tryst. It’s been a week and there’s been no change. You’re not getting worse, but you’re not getting better either. You’re starting to freak us out a little bit.”

Tick.

“It’s been a month. We’ve all came to see you, the whole team. We’re on this big case now, it’d be a hell of a lot easier if you were working it with us. Go ahead and wake up, yeah? I’d read you some of the details but I don’t think the nurses would like that very much.”

Tick.

“So, we have a new president. I... don’t care for him, but he’s gotta be better than the last one right? Wish you could have voted. Every vote counts. It’s okay though, he’s got big promises and we’ll see how everything goes. Wake up though, buddy. Honestly, I think we should go out for drinks in celebration.”

Tick.

“I got a promotion. I’m lieutenant now. I’m not the only one with exciting news, though. Lucia’s pregnant. It happened right before you... She just announced it. She’s three months. She needs you.”

Tick.

“She’s finding out the sex of the baby soon. What do you think she’ll have? I feel like it’s a girl, but I’m not sure. I don’t really want to be wrong, haha.”

Tick.

“So, Lucia knows the baby’s sex but she’s not telling anyone. Says we have to wait until she gives birth. Totally not fair.”

Tick.

“Tryst... Trystan, man. They’re starting to lose hope. It’s been six months, that sounds better than saying half a year. The doctors said you were in a coma but they’re starting to change it up on us. They’re telling us you may be in a persistent vegetative state, that’s what it’s called. But only on the inside. The outside is more like a coma. They have no idea what’s going on. You’re showing no signs of consciousness, but your brain is still active. I know it is. It has to be....”

Tick.

“She’s starting to get pretty big. Lookin’ like she‘s gonna pop any day now. She still insists on coming to work, it’s okay though. She’s taking care of herself. She knows what she’s capable of. I don’t know how she can handle two more months. The baby is about the size of a cabbage.”

Tick.

“Thirty-six weeks. That’s how long you’ve been out. We’re getting kinda tired of it. With you slacking off and all... I’m just kidding. We miss you.”

Tick.

“Lucia had her baby. It’s a girl, she named her Alessia. Looks just like her. She’s a sweetheart, but mean. Just like her mom. She’s not going to have any problems with boys, I’m telling you. Now, I know that you may be asking how a newborn can be mean, but you’d have to see it to believe it. Even though she’s tough as nails, she’ll need us. We’re her uncles, you know. Luci even mentioned making you godfather. She needs us. Please, wake up.”

Tick.

“It’s insane how fast a baby grows. She was so tiny when she was born, she’s still tiny obviously. She won’t really be able to hold her own head up until around six months though. We can’t wait for you to meet her.”

Tick.

“We never thought she would, but she is. Luci’s taking those silly baby milestone pictures for every month that passes. Hers is flower-themed. I can’t wait for you to see. I think you’ll get a kick out of it. You’d use it against her, saying how she’s softening up then she’d say something insulting back and we’d all be back to normal.”

Tick.

Dried flowers set to the side, he would need to replace them soon.

Tick. 

Sun filtered through the dusty blinds.

Tick.

Continuous beeping coming from various machines.

The door opens and a nurse does her job, checking vitals, nothing has changed.

Nothing has changed.

She leaves briskly. Far too busy to hang out for the likes of him.

Tian looks at him, looks for some sign of life inside that brilliant, strange mind of his. But he sees nothing. The same as every day. He still talks to him, but not as much. He just tells him stories now, he doesn’t bother pleading with him to wake up anymore. It’s no use. 

His eyes never open. 

His body never moves, not even for a twitch.

There’s never a response. 

His heart rate never slows or spikes.

Comas rarely last longer than four weeks they said, but here he’s been for one whole year. Today.

But,

His pupils respond to light.

He has the corneal reflex.

His eyes move when his head is moved.

And he’s not on a ventilator.

He’s not brain dead.

But Tian is giving up hope, he knows he is. He thinks that everyone else already has.

Tick.

“He’s facing trial. He’s facing attempted murder. Among other charges. To put it simply I don’t think he has a chance. You got all of us giving testimonies. There’s literally no chance of him getting away with it. Even if what he did to you doesn’t count, and it does, since you’re the only victim that survived, they have him for all of the other murders plus two more that were previously not connected. It was back when he first found out he had a thing for it and didn’t exactly have a specific way he did things. I think you’d get a kick out of the way this case turned out actually.” He rambles on, finding different things Trystan would ‘get a kick’ out of.

The soda machine eating his last dollar, their boss being the victim of a classic office prank involving sticky notes, super glue, and permanent marker. It’s like the world has moved on. Because it has.

Tick.

Tick.

Tick.

Tian’s phone rings.

“Hey, what do you got? Got it. Yeah, I was just with... I’m with Tryst. I’m on my way.”

They didn’t ask how he was.

 He looks at him, eyes wandering over his limp form. His permanent frown deepens.  

“Hey, man. I got to go.” He walks to him, rests a hand on his arm.

“I’ll be back, see you soon.” Wake up.

Tick.

Tick.

Tick.

Tick.

The door clicks shut.

Tick. 

Tick.

Tick.

Tick.

Trystan is so sick of hearing that clock tick.