Strangers [COMPLETE]

Chapter 15: Back Home

Toby Cavanaugh had been in a coma for two days. He was the only one out of eleven soldiers who survived the plane crash. Unable to open his eyes, he kept replaying the moment things went wrong on the plane. The screams of his friends. The feeling of the plane going down and landing in the water.

He wondered why it was decided that only he would survive. He was amongst brothers, sisters, sons, daughters, fathers, and mothers, and one soon-to-be father. Who was he to be the only one to survive? He was simply a twenty-three year old with no degree nothing higher than a high school education. He wasn't a father. He was nothing special. He didn't believe in God, and this didn't change that. Toby believed that if God was real, then He would've saved all of them.

The last thing that went through his mind before he crashed was her.

Her smile, her eyes, the feeling of her skin. That's all he could think about when he crashed. That's what kept him going.

She's the reason he survived.

He couldn't see her, but he knew she was there. He could hear her sobbing. "Don't cry, baby," he would've said, "I'm right here." But he couldn't say anything.

He heard her talking to him. She even waited for him to respond, as if he could.

She couldn't tell him about what happened with James. He was already clinging to life, she didn't want to make things worse. "Jonathan called me. He said that he visited a few times." She mentioned. He knew that. He heard his older brother talk to him, and he even mentioned that him and Rebecca were trying to start a family. That made him want to get up, too. The thought of the possibility of his little niece or nephew living life without their uncle drove him crazy. Jonathan was an amazing person. Of course, being the oldest by seven years and the only child to actually go to college, he was obviously the favorite. And Rebecca was the perfect woman for him. She was smart, funny, and went to college to become a Spanish teacher. If the two of them were to conceive a baby, Toby didn't have any doubts that it would be the perfect child.

"Maybe when you wake up, we could get your things ready so that you can move in." Spencer said. She hoped he would wake up, but he didn't. He stayed put, and didn't move a single muscle. Spencer knew she was talking to herself. She knew he couldn't respond, yet she kept talking.

"I miss you." she said, a single tear making its way down her face. Spencer grabbed Toby's limp hand and kissed it once, then set it back down next to him. She noticed that his heart rate increased slightly. He knew she was there. He could hear her and feel her. He just couldn't see her.

He wondered what she was wearing. Maybe she was wearing something bright, like a yellow top he knew she had. He had seen her wear it in one of her several "what should I wear to work today?" type of mornings. She would always try them on and ask Toby what he thought, and his answer was always the same. "Spencer, you look beautiful in anything." He would say, and kiss her lightly. She wouldn't be convinced and she would continue her search.

Or maybe, she was wearing something dark, like the black dress she wore on a date one time. He had taken her to a special Air Force dinner, and he could tell that she was bored out of her mind. They decided to leave early, then got some take-out delivered to his apartment, and they spent the entire evening lying on his couch and kissing. It was perfect.

Either way, he didn't have to see her to know that she looked beautiful.

He felt a tingle in his arm, and he knew it was time. He brought his hand back up on his own. It took him almost all of his strength, but he was able to lift it up by himself for five whole seconds before it landed on Spencer's leg. Spencer freaked out, not knowing what to do. She called the nearest nurse, asking for assistance.

"He moved his arm on his own, I swear." She said.

"Miss Hastings, usually coma patients will move a limb, but that doesn't mean that they'll wake up soon. I'm not saying that he's helpless, I just don't want you to get your hopes up."

Spencer thought about their last conversation together.

-

"You look so beautiful." he said to her. He wanted to hold her, and pet her perfect dark brown hair.

"Please, I was just about to go to bed." Spencer said, brushing some of her hair out of her face. She wasn't wearing any makeup, and was clad in a pair of tight spandex shorts and one of Toby's shirts.

Toby admired her natural beauty. He knew that she looked good when she was all done up, wearing makeup and fancier clothes, but he thought she looked even better when her face was bare. He especially loved it when she wore his shirts.

"I wish I was there with you right now." He said. For nearly a month, he had been only talking to her on the phone. This was the couple's first time video-chatting.

"I wish you were here, too." Spencer said, flashing a sad smile. "Isaac misses you, too."

"I can't wait to see you guys again. Seven more months," he said eagerly. Spencer frowned. It had only been one month. It felt like a year. She didn't know if she could put up with it for any longer. She felt like crying every time someone mentioned his name, and she also felt like screaming whenever she heard from him. Spencer was glad to find out he was okay, but she couldn't stand the thought of him not being with her.

"Baby, I gotta go." Toby suddenly said, looking to his left.

"What?" Spencer said in disbelief. She didn't want to leave him.

"I'm sorry, Spencer. I'll talk to you again as soon as I can."

"Alright. Stay safe."

"I will, I promise. I love you so much."

"I love you, too." She said, exiting the video chat.

-

"Toby, please be strong. I need you so badly. Please, Toby, please." She begged, "I love you so much."

And just like that, wiping away her tears, Spencer kissed Toby's cold cheek and exited the hospital.