Chapter 16: Chapter 16

Ka “They’ve ran every test known to man, but they don’t know why you wouldn’t wake up,” Ka told Maya, who was lying in a hospital bed, having recently awoken.

“I was somewhere else,” she sighed. “This is just a dream. A delusion. You’re not real, none of this is.”

“What are you talking about? Of course this is real, I’m real,” to prove a point Ka kissed her, firmly and passionately, feeling her returning the kiss with vigour. He pulled back, unsure of his self- control.

“See, you don’t want to kiss me more,” she said, frowning.

“No, I really do. There-in lies the problem, public place and all,”

Maya laughed, realising he meant the lack of control over his manhood that he had around her.

“I want this to be real, but how can it be? As the doc said, which is more likely, the idyllic life with the wonderful man, or the deranged lunatic in a nut house?”

“But, we already know you’re a deranged lunatic,” he teased, keeping a straight face.

“Hey!” she complained genially, punching his arm. “But what if. What if.” She sighed heavily.

“Things aren’t that perfect here. If it was perfect, we’d never argue, Paws wouldn’t attack me every time I go near him, I wouldn’t have a black eye, and you wouldn’t be in hospital,” said Ka thoughtfully.

“They’re perfect for me. Except the hospital bit.”

“Me too,” Ka smiled and stroked her forehead.

“Ka,” she started slowly.

“What, baby?” thoroughly perplexed, Ka adopted a soothing tone of voice. he didn’t know where it all was coming from. Last time, she’d had the excuse of concussion. What was the excuse this time?

“I’d rather be here. Make it go away. Along with the silvery shimmery glimmery, lots of ery-things. It’s all their fault,” her voice broke, and Ka would have given anything to make it go away. Helpless, he stroked her beautiful cheek, and wiped the tears from her big brown eyes. She rolled over and sobbed into her pillow while his heart broke watching her.

The doctors released her the following day, as bewildered as Ka was as to her extended absence.

Maya sighed a long sigh as they sank into the sofa at home. She realised that Ka was shaking, then realised he had started crying. Hot tears streamed down Ka’s face as he held onto his love as if for the last time. Maya kissed him and told him everything was going to be alright, despite knowing it was a lie.

Ka was inconsolable. When would she be gone again? The doctor had mentioned schizophrenia. It fitted with the catatonia, and her delusions of another world. It scared him more than anything had ever scared him before. He felt like he was losing the one thing he lived for.

His body wracked with renewed sobs as the events of the last few days caught up with him. Maya and Ka remained like that for a long time, two bodies entwined as one until Ka’s supply of tears was long exhausted.