Comatose Minute

Sandy Parker is amazed at how many people showed up at her husband Hayden's funeral, she never realized how many people he had known, over his lifetime. "Why don't you go and take a lie down. I can see everyone is taken care of and look after the food." Sandy's sister assured her and gently persuaded her to go upstairs. "Yes, I think I will go and lie down…the day has been very draining, and please make sure the kids are not left alone," as she says this she moves very slowly up the stairs, only wanting to lie down and sleep forever.

Sandy's sister hugs her before she leaves for the airport to catch her flight back to Toronto. "You do not know what having you here these past two weeks has done for me!" she says through an outpouring of tears. "I am only a phone call, away, you know that!" Wendy says while trying to hold back tears but to avail. Wendy's cab arrives, they didn't want to say their goodbyes at the airport, so Wendy decided to do so at the house.

After Sandy's sister leaves for the airport, she goes into the laundry room and puts in a load of laundry, so her kids will have something to wear for their return to school, this week. Her oldest child, her daughter Kerry pokes her head around the corner and asks her mother if she and her younger brother Jason can have a snack early. "Yes, you two can have an early snack which means, it will be your bedtime snack." Sandy knows she could let it slide, and give them a bedtime snack as well, but she is determined to keep a routine for the kids. Kerry pipes up and says, "Thanks, Mom!" Sandy is so proud of how Kerry is handling things and knows that by her sister Wendy, spending these two weeks with them, was the main reason. It kept Sandy together and present, equipped to deal with what was to come.

Even though Sandy knew, her husband Hayden would be leaving this world before his time due to his terminal diagnosis of a brain tumour. She could still not believe; one minute, they were planning to renew their vows, and then experiencing excruciating headaches and double vision. Then shorty gave the terminal diagnosis of a brain tumour and three months to live.

The phone rings it turns out to be her boss, calling to see how she is doing. "Sandy, it's Robert, I am calling to see how you are doing and to put an idea to you.  Sandy would you, like to gradually get back to work but work from home?" Sandy takes in what her boss proposes to her.  Sandy thinks it would be nice to get back into things. I need to occupy my mind, away from the ever-present circumstance. "Robert, that sounds like a great idea, I would need to set up a home office plus get all of my files that I would need to work on; so it would not be right away." 

"Sandy, I and everyone here at the agency have missed you terribly. I want you to take your time in setting up your home office and ease back into any of the campaigns that you have in the works, the clients of your campaigns all understand your situation and are ready to start them whenever you are!" She cannot believe how great her boss is being, but he and the agency have been great, to her and her family, whenever life has been rocky. She feels so much better to hear her boss grant her a grace period. "Thank you, Robert, you have made my day, I feel so much more able, to deal with everything now!" 

The furniture truck pulls into the yard the office furniture has arrived. She is excited to get everything in and set up before the kids get home from school.  The furniture truck leaves, she takes her time putting the furniture together and placing it in just the right place. She feels empowered and glad to have a focus again.  Sandy looks at her home office one more time before she goes to the kitchen to start supper. The office files, the laptop will wait for another day will leave after the kids get off to school in the morning.

Sandy sees Kerry and Jason off for the school day and pours herself another cup of coffee before she leaves for the office. As she is driving, into the office, she thinks about her husband and how proud he would of her getting back on the horse, going back to work; all be it part-time to start. Sandy steps off of the elevator onto her work flour, "Sandy, Sandy!!!" a petite young woman with funky hair and glasses comes rushing towards her and gives her gigantic hug. "Hi, Paulette, it is great to see you too!" Sandy smiles and hugs her back. By then, everyone is coming out to welcome her back and ask she is doing. She lets everyone know that she is going to be working from home for a little while to ease back into things. Everyone nods their heads to signify that they understand many offer any help that they can to assist her with working from home.

After meeting with her boss for a quick impromptu meeting, she gatherings up what she needs to take with her and heads for home. On her way home, she decides to do a little shopping for her office and eventually pick up something for supper. She checks out the stationery and office supplies and can't help, going a little overboard, on the office supplies. As she loads up her car with all of the new goodies for the home office, she looks at her watch and sees that it is eleven-thirty, she is feeling a little hungry. She decides to go to a little cafe that she and her husband used to go for a summer's day brunch. The cafe is only two or three doors down from the stationary store she decides to walk.

It is a beautiful summer's day, the sky is a striking topaz blue, with bits of wispy cirrus clouds. Sandy takes her time to enjoy the walk to savour the day. She realizes she needs to pick up some paperwork from her bank across the street. Sandy walks up to the crosswalk; steps off of the curb. Out of nowhere, a car hits her knocking her, onto the ground hitting her head. "What-what happened, where am I?" Sandy slowly opens her eyes she's quite disorientated, her head feels like it is in a vice. "Try not to move too much you probably have a concussion from hitting your head, when the car struck you," the EMT tries to calm Sandy down. "I need to get home to my children when they get home from school." 

The EMT gives Sandy a puzzled look and assures her not to worry. As she looks around to get her barrings, she sees a man on the street with two children, a boy and a girl about the same ages as her two children. The man is looking over in her direction with an expression of relief and happiness. He is smiling from ear to ear now, saying something to the two children that cause them to start smiling showing, signs of relief, as well.

The closer she looks at the man on the street, she could swear that it is her husband, but knows this could not be true, she just buried her husband.  "That man over there on the street…who is he," she says with shakiness in her voice to the EMT. "Mrs. Parker, now I did say you may have a concussion so, we should be getting you to the hospital, so please keep in mind what I am about to say, that man is your husband, Hayden Parker and he is with your two children Kerry and Jason." As the EMT says this to Sandy, the man starts walking towards them, along with the two children smiling. They arrive by her side, hug their mother, the man on the street is still smiling at her with tears streaming down his face.