Protecting Cecilia

Searching for Weston's Body

Song: Find my way back to you by Erik Arjes

It's a good walk across town. I decided to wear my black jeans and a black hoodie that way hopefully no will recognize me on the street. When we get to the nursing home we have to buzz at the front door to gain entrance to the building. One of the nurses opens the door to let us...me in. He walks with me to the front desk.

"May I help you sweetheart?" Says an older lady at the desk. She looks maybe in her fifties with signs of grey hair and it's pulled back into a bun. She also wears glasses that she puts on to look at me.

"Yes ma'am uhm...I am here to visit with Weston Fleming he is a patient here."

She looks into the computer and looks up to smile at me. "He is in room 211. You can take the elevator up." She points me over to where the elevators are.

"Thank you." I tell her as I walk over to push the button.

We ride up to the next floor and get out while reading the room numbers. His is on the left side and the door is cracked open. I look over at him. "Are you ready for this?"

He gives me a slight smile and says, "We are here aren't we....let's get this over with."

I open the door and we go in. The grandparents, I assume it was them, have fixed up the room so nice. There are photos of his family on the walls. There's a bouquet of flowers on the far table and balloons along with get well cards here and there. There is also a machine that keeps beeping. In the middle of the bed lays his body, lifeless. He has a feeding tube running through his nose and an oxygen mask over his mouth and nose. Other than that he looks like he is sleeping. There are no signs of bruising or trauma so I assume he has healed rather well, now it's just getting him to wake up from the coma.

His voice is so shaking beside me, "How do I get back Cecilia?"

"I don't know. What if you climbed up and just lay down in your body."

"Really it can't me that simple." He rolls his eyes at me.

"Yeah...well what do you have to lose you can at least try."

I watch him as he goes over and lays down where his body is. Within minutes he sits back up looking at me. "This isn't working."

I smirk. "Maybe you need a true loves kiss. You know like in the fairy tales."

"Actually that is not a bad idea, let's try it." He lays back down closing his eyes. He looks over at me. "Come on Cecilia you have to do it."

I walk over closer to the bed. I touch his hand and it feels a little cold. He is closing his eyes waiting for me. I bend down with shaking knees and trembling hands. My heart almost stops..I kiss him lightly on the cheek. Nothing happens.

"Cecilia take the mask off, come on you can kiss me on the lips."

I take a deep breath. "Okay here it goes." I take off the mask and kiss his dry lips. I swear he kissed me back; I felt his lips on mine.

"Excuse me who are you?" I hear an older woman's voice behind me. I jump in mid-air.

I look down at Weston and I know he is there but his eyes are closed. I look back at the woman. "Just a friend." I smile.

"I have never seen you before." She comes more into the room and starts moving things around, sitting out a new bouquet of flowers.

I am lost for words but I finally manage to get out. "Oh! I'm sorry for intruding like this. I'm Cecilia; really I am a friend of Weston's."

"Well then, I'm Evanlynn, Weston's grandmother."She smiles. "It's nice for him to have friends visit him."

"Well I've been here long enough I guess I should be going." I tell her.

"You don't have to rush off dear." She says even though I have a feeling she really wants me to leave.

"I know but I really need to be getting home anyway. It was really nice to meet you." I back away from the bed and start walking over to the door.

She smiles and says, "Nice to meet you too Cecilia." I watch her as she walks over to Weston and repositions the mask back on the way it's supposed to be. Then she tugs on his blanket. I leave closing the door behind me.

I walk all the way back home. Weston is not with me so I don't know if he is actually back in his body or if he just wanted to stick around to visit with his grandmother. If I had a grandmother like that I would stick around. Come to think of it I did once but when they all got into an argument I haven't seen them since.

Weston's POV:

I'm so falling for her and of course I don't come out and tell her that. When she falls asleep, I stay up watching her. Honestly I don't think I can sleep. Do ghost sleep? Anyway I mostly watch over her because I am afraid that he will come back after her and I want to be there to protect her.

When morning comes, all I can think about is protecting her from him. I don't understand how anyone could hurt someone the way he does her.

When we leave through the bedroom window I know she is risking punishment, another beating. I pray that he doesn't come back while we are out looking, searching for my body. But I know I need to find away so that I can come get her and take her far away from the terror that she has to live with daily.

We hold hands all the way to the nursing home. When she says my name at the front desk it gives me chills. Yes chills, I love the way my name forms from her lips.

We ride the elevator up to the second floor and get out. I think she is nervous the instant she sees my room number on the wall. The moment we go in the room my heart skips a beat, I know that someone really cares for me. The room is decorated in a lot of family photos mostly of me and Walker and a few with my parents and other relatives and friends. There are hundreds of get well cards and even flowers.

I look over at Cecilia. I watch how she stares at my lifeless body like there is hope in her somewhere for me to open my eyes and look at her with a warm smile. I get her attention. "How do I get back Cecilia?"

She shrugs her shoulders. "I don't know what if you just climbed in and lay down."

I laugh, "Really it can't be that simple."

"What do you have to lose at least try." She says my line. I am always telling her that she has to try and to not give up so I do the only thing I know but it's just not working. I force myself to take over my body but nothing.

"Maybe you need a true loves kiss." She laughs.

I know she thinks that is like super silly but I think that's an awesome idea. So I lay back down and she kisses my cheek. It's really sweet and simple but it's not a real kiss.

"Cecilia take the mask off, come on kiss my lips."

I close my eyes again and wait patiently for her and when she does it feels magical but we are interrupted by someone.

I recognize the voice from anywhere, my grandmother. She introduces herself and Cecilia is trying hard to explain that we are friends. But then she leaves. I so want to go with her but something tells me that I need to stay.

I watch as my grandmother rearranges the flowers. She fixes the mask and the blanket. She fluffs my pillow and smiles down at me before giving me a slight peck on the cheek. Then she sits down in the chair beside me and starts reading.

I heard in class once that it's good for people to hear the voice of a loved one while you're sick or in a coma like I am. Something about maybe something would click and you'll come out of it.

I stay there till way after she leaves. All that I can think about is Cecilia. I want to get up and go find her but I am lost.