Every day brings improvements.
They started small,
a flicker of light in his eyes,
a movement that I wasn't quite sure I really saw.
Then he would focus, he would follow.
He would move his hand.
He then squeezed my hand, and then he did it on command.
I looked to others in the room to make sure they saw it too.
I needed reassurance that what I saw and felt was real.
Then he reached for me.
The finger twitches, I took a step back. It extends fully straight, then curls back toward itself. It repeats this motion. He wants me to come closer.
So I do and he looks me directly in the eyes,
Come closer they say.
And this time, for the first time, he kisses back.
And smiles...
"they believe me" they say.
The nurses when I tell them all he does.
But when I take a video on my phone of him clicking the pen on and off everyone comes to watch.
It finally is put in their notes for the day.
Every day is something new.
We stretch, we play, we try new things.
A thumb piano, a different pen.
We work on communication.
THEY TURN OFF THE VENTILATOR
And today he was awake for a full 9 hours while I was there.
Aware, Engaged, Ready to work.
They believe me now. They see it. The nurses, the doctors, everyone is talking about what I already knew.
"Its so good to see you" I tell him.
And tomorrow will be an even better day.