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Facing Reality
Last Updated:
2022-07-05 23:23:44Related chapters
A Troubled Mind Hard Truth
"OK Cara, this is not going to be fun or easy. In fact it's going to be very hard for you to do. You aren't going to want to accept any of it. But it is necessary that you do.. The sooner the better. We are running out of time. You are going to be confused. And honestly, this will probably be the most emotionally painful thing you will ever have to endure. For that I am truly sorry. I wish I could spare you the truth. But I'd only be being selfish if I did. You have to go back. I can't allow you to stay here now. We aren't meant to be together yet. So please,, know I love you dearly. I will be right here beside you the whole way. I need you to relax and trust the process." Tara told her sister.Cara listened to her sister. Her heart pounded in her chest. She drew in a deep and shaky breath, exhaling slowly in an attempt to calm her nerves. Then she slowly nodded her head to show that she was ready."OK, now close your eyes and think about the first thing you remember from Monday morni
Last Updated : 2022-07-07A Troubled Mind Saying Goodbye
Cara's eyes slowly opened. She had no way of knowing how long she had been out. She looked around in confusion. She had no idea where she was at. As her eyes slowly began to focus she saw that she was now in an all white room. As she scanned the white wall in front of her she realized that there hanging in front of her was a large white board. The kind you write on with dry erase markers. On it there were names written in blue dry erase ink. Beside the names were titles listing them as CNA, LPN, RN, and doctor. As she read the list and came to the bottom, the last name jumped out to her. It read, "Patient's name: Kaylee".At that moment Cara became aware of a beeping noise and a whooshing noise behind her. Slowly she turned around. There behind her was a hospital bed. On the bed lay someone covered head to toe in bandages. The person was hooked up to an IV and had a respirator hose going down their throat. Beside the bed was a respirator, inflating and deflating. It was forcing air in
Last Updated : 2022-08-03A Troubled Mind Into The Nothing
Blinking her eyes repeatedly, Cara looked around trying to get her bearings. She realized that she was now sitting on the couch in her family's living room. Tara sat patiently at her side. Sighing she allowed herself to fall back into the cushions and tried to relax. She felt as though she had an impossibly huge load on her shoulders. Because she was burdened with an ensurmountable task she did not understand. She was feeling so overwhelmed and like the situation at hand had already defeated her. She found herself again longing for her mother. She desperately needed her mother's comfort. Cara closed her eyes and released another deep breath. This, all of this was just too much. She was just a girl. A normal teenage girl who's biggest concern should be wether she was going to pass the next exam. She wasn't supposed to be here.. Wherever here was. She shouldn't be so lost. She was so tired of the constant confusion and searching for understanding. Cara felt like giving up. She wondered
Last Updated : 2022-08-24A Troubled Mind Running out of Time
When Cara finally calmed down her sister helped her off the floor and onto the couch. Tara sat there beside her rubbing her back to offer comfort. "Cara honey, you did it. I hoped you would. I knew you could, I just didn't know if you knew you could. Not everyone can find their way back." Tara told her. What was that place, Tara? It was so impossibly black. There... there was nothing... absolutely nothing." Cara shivered at the memory of being trapped there. She never fathomed that such a place could exist. "I don't know if it has a name, Cara. I haven't witnessed many that go there. The few I do know of personally... well, none of them came back." Tara looked away from her sister before standing and nervously clasping her hands. Tara began to pace back and forth in front of Cara. Something was definitely troubling her. Cara watched her sister slowly walk back and forth as she mulled something over. After a couple passes Tara stopped and turned to Cara. Her face creased with conce
Last Updated : 2022-08-24A Troubled Mind Confusion
"Cara, you need to wake up honey. Come on now. Wake up." Cara's mother called to her softly. Cara wasn't ready to wake up yet. She laid there stubbornly holding her eyes shut. "Cara, come on dear. It's time to wake up. You'll be late. Let's go, wake up now." Cara felt her mother gently push on her shoulder, but still she laid there refusing to open her eye's. She was tired. She wasn't ready to start her day just yet. Was it a school day? She couldn't remember. She thought it might be the weekend. But if it was the weekend, then why was mom making her wake up before she was ready? As tired as she was it had to be early? "Oh! If it's the weekend then it's my birthday!" Cara excitedly opened her eyes and sat straight up. But she was shocked to see that her mother was no where to be seen. She sat there on her bed looking around confused for a bit. Did she dream that her mother was trying to wake her up? Then she remembered that she had in fact had some crazy dreams all night. Something a
Last Updated : 2022-08-25A Troubled Mind When History Repeats
"Cara, honey, time to wake up! Come on, Cara wake up!" Cara's mother called out to her. For half a second Cara considered pretending she hadn't heard her mom. She knew it was early because she was still so tired. As she laid there holding her eyes closed and pretending to still be asleep she suddenly remembered the happenings of the day before. Her eyes flew open wide as she sat up and looked around. She was back in her room! She was in her own bed and again there was no sign of her mother. Cara didn't understand. How had she ended up in her own bed? She clearly remembered falling asleep at Kaylee's house. Slowly she pulled the covers from on top of her and saw that she was once again wearing her oversized t-shirt. She looked around her room trying to make it all make sense. Had she had a nightmare? A nightmare made more sense than what she had experienced had been real. Cautiously, she swung her legs over the side of her bed and allowed them to hang over her plush fusia colored rug
Last Updated : 2022-08-26A Troubled Mind The Hospital
Cara approached the entrance to the hospital cautiously. She was unsure of what to expect. But also excited that this was at least something new. She half heartedly pondered exactly how she had ended up on the opposite side of town. Nothing about what she had been experiencing made any sense whatsoever to her. She was afraid to get her hopes up, but she was silently hoping that someone would be inside the hospital. Cara's heart sank as she stepped into the main lobby. One look around the atrium and beyond and it was obvious that there wasn't another soul around. She continued to walk through the large area. In the middle there was a fountain surrounded by greenery. The hospital was six stories high. Here in the atrium vines and other plants ran all the way up to the top floor with a huge sky light above the fountain. Every floor had a railing which allowed the atrium to be viewed no matter what floor you were on. All around the atrium there were small waiting areas scattered here
Last Updated : 2022-08-28A Troubled Mind Not Alone
Making sure to maintain contact with the wall helped to keep Cara feeling grounded. She needed that tactile contact to keep her fear at bay as she navigated the darkness within the hallway. The steady sound of the beep drew her forward. It was steady and constant. Cara focused on the noise like her life depended upon the repetitive, unending noise. She slowly walked forward into the unknown sliding her hand along the wall slightly ahead of her. Ever so many feet she could feel the outline of papers or informational signs or door frames and doors. Once her hand ran across a key pad lock and she startled at the resounding noises made when she pushed the wrong buttons. After what felt like an impossibly long time her hand felt the corner of the wall. She believed she was now at the end of the hall and that this must be where another hallway began. Keeping her right hand on the corner she held up her left hand in front of her as she slowly attempted to turn down what she believed was an
Last Updated : 2022-08-28
Latest chapter
A Troubled Mind The Talk
Once Angela had gotten Cara back into her bed she made sure her daughter was comfortable before dumping the commode into the bathroom toilet. She then moved the entire apparatus back into the restroom. Once everything was done she quickly walked over to the door and called the guys back into the room. Micheal and the boys walked in and greeted Cara again. They all teased and made small talk as Angela rushed around the room tidying it up and clearing places for all of them to sit down. After Angela made room for the guys to sit down she grabbed a hair brush and helped Cara with brushing out her hair. Micheal watched his wife fuss first over the room and then over their daughter. He knew full well what she was doing. In all of the years that they had been married, he knew his wife's little quirks. She was busying herself because she was trying to build up the courage she needed to discuss everything with Cara that her daughter had missed while in the coma. Angela lived for her childre
A Troubled Mind Standing Together
There was a soft knock on the hospital room door before Angela heard the door knob turn. Looking up and over to the door expectantly, she smiled as she saw first husband walk into the room and then her two grown sons followed. She felt a waive of relief wash over her. Immediately, in their presence, she felt a hundred times stronger than before. They smiled back at her before glancing in unison over at their sleeping sister. Angela stood and hugged them each individually before sighing aloud. "I'm so glad you guys came. I'm sorry to start your morning off with worry and stress. Cara, had a rough time this morning. They gave her something to help her rest. Just a mild sedative. The doctor said she would most likely wake up soon. I'm really worried about her. She didn't take it very well earlier. I don't know how she will react when she wakes up again. " Micheal tightened his jaw and his eyes watered over. "I knew we should have told her when she woke up yesterday. I was just so hap
A Troubled Mind Not Sorry
Angela sat there watching her daughter sleep and drew a deep, ragged breath. She felt numb. From head to toe and inside-out, she felt completely numb. This was something new and foreign to her. She had become accustomed to feeling fear, terror, anxiousness, and even heartache. On rare occasion she had even experienced hope. That and those other emotions were normal to her now, her constant states of mind over the last 7 months... There had been so much pain and loss. As she pondered her new lack of emotions she looked from her sleeping youngest child to the outside world that was visible through the hospital room's window. She watched as the world went by. Cars driving into and out of the parking lot. People coming and going. She wondered how many of them were happily living their lives unconcerned about their loved ones lives. Angela wondered just how many of them had the misfortune of having a teenage daughter that had been fighting for her life? How many more were simply fortunate
A Troubled Mind Is It Real?
Cara found herself walking along a side walk through what looked like a park. It was a warm sunny day. The sun was high in the sky. Fluffy white clouds floated gently over head in a beautiful blue sky. She could hear children laughing and playing somewhere off in the distance. There were pretty flower beds and well manicured grass covering rolling hills as far as she could see. Scattered here and there were large oaks and magnolia trees providing shade for people to escape the sun if they pleased. Cara saw people playing, exercising, and picnicking with their loved ones. There was exercise for equipment over near a Pavillion and a playground near a builing that had the word restrooms painted on it. Up ahead alongside the sidewalk she could see that there was a large message board. Curious, Cara decided to go take a look at it. As she approached it she could see maps and flyers with information about the park, activities, and local wildlife. She stopped in front of it and looked ove
A Troubled Mind A Father's Pain
(Mike) Dad's POV His sleep had been horrible all night long. Mike tossed and turned. When he managed to sleep it wasn't restful at all. He had been plagued by a terrible nightmare. All night when he slept he was transported back to Kaylee's viewing and funeral. Each time it was the same. He would peer into the coffin but instead of seeing his daughter's best friend laying there it was always Cara. Each time he would wake up, heart racing, barely able to breathe. Then he would toss and turn over and over again until sleep took him again and it would repeat. He was certain that it would drive him mad if he continued to lay there. Looking at his bedside clock he saw that it was almost a quarter to four. Sighing loudly he rubbed his hand over his face in exasperation and made the decision to get up and go make coffee. Then he slung the blanket off of himself and sat up on the side of the bed. He slid his feet into his slippers and sat for a moment rubbing his face. He sighed again as he
A Troubled Mind Reflection and Disappointment
Cara laid there in the dark, listening to the sound of her mother's rhythmic breathing from across the room as she slept on the cot that the hospital staff had brought in for her. The only light in the room was the soft illumination provided by the monitor by her bed. It was silent now. Finally. The nurse was considerate and had muted it when she had made her last rounds so that the two of them could rest. Cara was grateful for this. She had come to find the the incessant beeping more than a little maddening. The sound had haunted her for however long she had been in her coma. She wondered how long she had been asleep. She figured that it must have been at least a week, maybe even two. She would have to ask her mother in the morning. For now she wanted let her mother rest. She watched her mom sleeping peacefully in the soft glow cast by the monitor. Her mother had fallen asleep very quickly. She was out almost before her head hit the pillow. Cara guessed that her mom had spent severa
A Troubled Mind The Reunion
"Hello Cara. I'm Dr. Frankston. I'm very glad to see that you are awake." The handsome older man smiled down at her. He looked over at a pretty blonde nurse and nodded his head. She smiled down at Cara before writing something down on the chart she held in her hands. The nurse looked over at the bedside monitor before turning and whispering something to a male nurse beside her. They both shared a knowing look before turning back to the doctor. They obviously were waiting for further instruction. The doctor smiled down at Cara and then turned to the male nurse, "Mike, if you would please, go let them know. And bring them back down here please." Mike nodded and then smiled down at Cara one last time before leaving the room. "Cara, you've been through quite an ordeal young lady. We are all very happy to have you back with us. Do you know where you are?" The doctor looked expectantly down at her as he awaited her answer. Cara furrowed her brow as she looked first at the doctor
A Troubled Mind Awakening
Cara blinked her eyes over and over as they tried to adjust to the brilliant white light all around her. Eventually as she squinted she could make out a white room all around her. Walls, floor, ceiling, it was all blindingly white. It was also deafeningly silent. Cara could hear her heart beating. The sound echoing in her ears. She looked all around but there was nothing but the vast white, silent room. Cara took a few steps and the sounds of her shoes on the floor echoed all around her. She was confused. She had attempted to enter the hospital room the same as she had before. But this place was definitely not her room. Her mother was not here. There was no hospital bed. No beeping monitor. Nothing was here. She didn't have any idea where she was. It struck her as strange that dispite not knowing where she was she wasn't afraid at all. In fact she felt no anxiety over the matter at all. She thought it was a little odd that she found this place to be strangely comforting. She couldn't e
A Troubled Mind Making Peace
The sun was warm on her face as she sat there on the grass looking out across the pond. There was a small flock of Canadian geese swimming along, honking at each other as they seemed to glide across the mirrored water. Here and there a fish occasionally broke the surface of the water. The reflection of the trees creating the illusion of a twin upside-down forest, their fall colors were amazing. Over on the far bank a few muscovy ducks napped or preened their feathers. Near the ducks was the old dock. Usually there were people fishing or feeding the ducks from there. Today it stood empty. Other than the honks of the geese and occasional quack of the ducks it was completely silent. There was no one else in sight. Cara had always loved to come here. She had been here many times with Mrs. Davies throughout her childhood. They had come to feed the water fowl and to have picnics. As Cara sat there looking around, she wondered if there actually were people here. She wondered if it was like at
