Back In Time

As I headed up the side of the mountain on the ski lift, I couldn’t help but stare at the beautiful view of the sun hitting the fresh patch of snow. I jumped off of the lift at the top of the mountain. I started skiing down and my ski hit something under the snow, I started falling…. The next thing I knew I woke up in a hospital.

            Have you ever sat down and thought about your life, where you have gone, what you have done and if you would do anything different? Well I have a lot and it changed my life, literally.

I had thought a lot through the years about if there was anything I could go back in time and change from my life, what would it be and how would I do it differently. For me, it was this one true love that I was too scared to admit how I felt. We were the best of friends, liked a lot of the same stuff, and went out together all the time. We just never crossed the friend line. We would go to the movies together, go bowling, dinners, lunch, you name it. We were inseparable. I had the biggest crush on him, actually, I fell in love with him, but I never thought he would cross the friendship line. But it was my biggest regret. I had so many ‘what if’s’ that went through my head every time we were together. We had both gotten married and divorced, but by this point it was too late to tell him how I felt. The friend line became a brother-sister line that we were both scared to cross.

But I was given that second chance. It was a cold day in winter and I was in the mountains of Colorado on a ski trip. I don’t remember much of what happened other than I took a bad fall and woke up ten years later and had no idea what was going on. But there he was. My best friend, the love of my life, standing over my hospital bed looking at me with so much love and concern.

“Mel, you scared the hell out of me,” Derrick said.

“D, where am I? What happened? And what year is it because you look different than you did two days ago,” I asked, not sure if I was actually still alive or not.

“Ugh, Mel, now I am getting concerned. You have been out for about seventy-two hours, so you didn’t see me two days ago. The doctor did say when you woke up things were going to probably be a little fuzzy for you. But before I answer a bunch of questions. Let me get the doctor,” Derrick replied.

He went out of the room and came back with Dr. Lance.

“Ms. Daily, Mr. Johnson says that you are having some fuzziness in your memories. Do you know what year it is?” Dr. Lance asked me.

“2021,” I said.

 “Well not quite. You are about ten years into the future. It is 2011! But that’s okay. You know where you are by now. Do you remember what happened?” Dr. Lance asked.

“The last thing I remember was skiing in Colorado,” I replied.

“Well at least that part is correct. I think your fuzziness will dissipate in a few hours to a day. We will just monitor you closely,” Dr. Lance replied, then he turned to Derrick and whispered something as he walked out of the room.

“Okay, Mel, what do you want to watch on TV? You know I am not leaving your side until you are home safe and sound,” Derrick said as he sat back down by the bed and grabbed my hand.

I stared at him thinking, was this the do over? Was this the second chance that we missed the first time? And at that moment, something shifted. He leaned over and said, “Mel, you really did scare me when it took you so long to wake up. I am sorry I am saying this now, but you know I love you, but I need you to know that I love you more than being my friend. I have been in love with you for the last two years and it took me almost losing you to realize that I want to cross the friend line,” Derrick said in a very serious tone.

“Oh, Derrick, I have wanted to hear you say that for years! I love you too, more than my friend,” I said.

The next thing I knew I was waking up, I guess I was dreaming the first time I woke up, because I was in the hospital, but Derrick was not there. It was just a nurse who went to get the doctor when I opened my eyes. 

In walks Dr. Lance (what a creepy thing that his name and questions were just like my dream).  The only difference was when he asked me if I knew what year it was, it really was 2021. I knew at that very moment that it was all a dream.

“How long have I been out?” I asked.

“About five days. You took a nasty fall and hit your head pretty bad on a rock. We called your emergency contact, he’s waiting in the lobby right now,” Dr. Lance said.

Derrick! He’s here! I have to tell him how I feel.

“Can he come in now,” I asked.

“Yes, I will send him in when I finish your evaluation,” Dr. Lance replied.

Five minutes later, Derrick walked in the room and it looked as if he had been crying.

“D, are you okay? I thought I was the one in the hospital,” I said trying to lighten the mood.

“You are not funny Mel. I have been frantic with worry. I am going to need you to not take anymore vacations without me, ever. Mel, I have never been so scared to lose you before. I love you. And from this day forward, we are moving across those lines, because I know you feel the same way I do,” Derrick said.

At first I wasn’t sure what to say, until he leaned over and kissed me so passionately. I never expected a do over. Thank God for nasty skiing accidents!

I whispered back as he leaned barely away from my lips, “I love you too D!”