"Brian
watch out!" Nick yelled as Brian swerved to just miss a car. "Brian you're
drunk as hell! Pull
over and let me drive!"
Brian
obediently pulled over and they switched seats. Nick got back on
the nearly deserted road. It was two in the morning and every drunk ass
must have been out on that road. Nick never saw the black land cruiser
that came around the corner at 100 mph...
This
time it was Nick who lay very still in a hospital bed. As his eyes opened,
all he could see was
the white wall. "Nick? Nick are you awake?" He
heard. Nick groaned and turned his head to see Howie and AJ sitting
next to his bed.
"Wh-what happened?" he asked in a daze.
"You and Brian we hit by a drunk driver. You've been unconscious for over an hour. We thought you'd never wake up!" Howie said.
"What?! Is Brian okay?"
"Yeah, just some bruises and broken bones. Nothing serious."
"What about me?"
AJ shook his head, "We're not sure Nick. You've gotsome really serious injuries. I'll get the doctor."
"NO! Don't!"
"What? Why?"
"I don't want a doctor. Just tell me plain and simple AJ. What's wrong with me."
"You have internal bleeding and serious head injuries. The doctor didn't actually think you'd make it out of your coma."
"But we have faith in ya!" Howie said trying to been incouraging.
"Man, my head feels like it weighs a thousand pounds! I can't feel my legs." Nick moaned in pain. He closed his eyes for a moment. When he did, Marissa's face flashed before his eyes. Nick opened them. Suddenly Nick heard faint music playing. He recognized it. AJ began talking. "Shh! Don't you hear that?" Nick said.
AJ and Howie looked at Nick, "Hear what?"
Nick listened for a moment. He definitely knew that song. "You guys can't hear it?"
"Um, no....I think I should get the doctor." Howie said and rushed out of the room.
The music continued to play. It was "Tears In Heaven". Nick smiled faintly while AJ stared at him. "It's playing our song"
"There's no music playing Nick."
"Then somebody's playing a really cruel joke on me. "Nick said. He closed his eyes once more. When he opened them he saw that the door was opened and there was a bright light. Nick tried to bring his hands up to rub his eyes, but found them to be numb and unmovable. 'Better numb then painful' He thought. He stared at the door and a small figure in white appeared which Nick at first assumed to be the doctor. A moment later he realized it wasn't.
"Marissa?" he whispered.
It was indeed Marissa. She took a step into the room. "Hi Nick. I've missed you, but I've come to see you every so often."
"You have?"
She nodded and smiled. "It's time for us to be together. I tried to get the big guy to give you moretime, but he wouldn't hear of it. He said it's your time now just like it was mine one year ago."
"You mean I'm going to be with you?"
"Yes."
"For all eternity?"
"Yes."
"Are you an angel now?"
Marissa
laughed, "I may have been a good little catholic girl, and you may have
called me angel, but
I'm no angel."
"I want to go with you Marissa. Now, I'm ready-I'm not afraid. Not if I get to be with you."
"Alright Nick. Give me your hand."
Nick found that he could move now. He got off the bed and took Marissa's hand.
AJ was dumbfounded. He couldn't believe he was seeing Nick's dead girlfriend. That her and Nick were holding a conversation. That Nick was dying. All he could do was sit there. By the time Howie came back with the doctor, it was too late for Nick. AJ had actually watched two souls ascend into heaven. He was shaking. When they found they couldn't save Nick, the doctors had to try and save AJ who had gone into hysterics andwas hyperventilating.
When Nick took Marissa's hand he felt that same electric current he had felt the first time she had kissed him. They stared so deep into each other's eyes that they didn't notice that they were being lifted. Before Nick knew it they were standing before a large golden-gate. "Where are we?" He asked.
"The gate to heaven. Now kiss me like you used to. "Marissa whispered.
Timidly,
Nick bent down and laid a gentle, but passionate kiss on Marissa's lips.
After they had kissed, they walked hand in hand through the gates-to be
together forever.