Page 85 of The Unraveling of Julia

“Excuse me,” Julia said, when the nurse reached her. “I’m here to check on Gianluca Moretti. He was in a motorcycle accident.”

“Oh yes.” The nurse smiled. “You must be the cousin from San Francisco.”

“Yes, it took me a while to get here,” Julia said, playing along. If she had to impersonate a cousin to find out what was going on with Gianluca, that was fine with her.

“His parents are in with him. I met his mother, your aunt. She’s a lovely person.”

“You mean Sherry? Yes, she is,” Julia added to establish her credibility, such as it was. “May I ask, how is he doing? I just wanted to know what I was walking into before I saw everybody in the waiting room.”

“That’s considerate of you.” The nurse met her gaze, with sympathy. “We’re monitoring him very carefully. He’s in a medically induced coma.”

Oh God, a coma.“Medically induced? What does that mean?”

“I know it sounds alarming, but it’s not uncommon after TBI surgery.”

“TBI?”

“Traumatic brain injury.”

Oh no.Julia struggled for composure. “And what’s the purpose of inducing a coma?”

“It reduces swelling and inflammation in the brain. It’s a state of unconsciousness that gives the brain time to rest.”

“And is it different from a regular coma?”

“Only in that it’s intentional. He’s given propofol and other anesthetics to stay unconscious, in a sleep state.”

Julia knew she’d heard his voice in her head, outside in the parking lot. She had to understand how. She wondered if Gianluca had communicated with her while he was unconscious. It seemed impossible, but maybe it wasn’t.

Julia asked, “If he’s in a sleep state, can hethink?”

“Yes, brain function goes on, but we can’t be certain at what level.”

Julia blinked. So maybe Gianlucahadsent her that message, somehow. She couldn’t have imagined it. Unless it was drug-induced.

“The level of brain function depends on the patient. Some patients who come out of medically induced comas report having dreams and hallucinations.” The nurse cocked her head. “Some report they heard everything said to them, but others don’t.”

Julia couldn’t wrap her mind around it right now. She had to know more about Gianluca. “How long will he be in the coma?”

“I believe about two weeks.”

Two weeks!“Do you bring him out of it or he brings himself out of it?”

“We bring him out of it. We monitor his blood pressure and other vital signs and, of course, he’s on a ventilator.”

No.Julia hadn’t realized he couldn’t breathe on his own. “So can I ask, what is his prognosis?”

The nurse’s expression darkened. “You will have to talk to the doctor about that.”

Oh no.“Okay, thank you, I will.”

“I have to go.” The nurse gestured down the hall. “You’re welcome to the waiting room.”

“Thank you.” Julia walked down the hall but stopped short of the waiting room. There was a water fountain, and she leaned over and took a sip, then stood up and turned toward the room, getting a parallax view of Gianluca.

Julia’s heart ached at the sight. His bandaged head lay against the pillow, leaning to the side. His eyes were taped shut, and his face was pale. A blue plastic hose snaked from his mouth to a machine beside his bed, and ports and tubes ran from both arms. The wall behind him was screens and monitors, flashing colors, lines, and numbers. His parents sat on either side of him, each holding his hand, and their faces were turned to him, so they didn’t see her.

Julia wanted to be at his side with every fiber of her being, willing him to get better. Right now, horrified at seeing him so broken, she knew, in a way she hadn’t before, how connected she was to him, how deep was her bond to him, even though it didn’t stand to reason. They hadn’t known each other that long, but she felt he understood her, and she understood him, and they appreciated each other fully.