• MR. and Mrs. Brown was a good looking couple. Mr. Brown had a nice face, but was accompanied by a rigid jaw line. His dark brown hair was growing gray, but pleasing to the eye. Mrs. Brown sat with perfect posture and poise. Her hair was a beautiful waterfall of copper that flowed just past her shoulders.
    They sat with Jared Petterson just outside their daughter’s room. They seemed to be frowning, frustrated by this young man who seemed to be interested in the decision they had made for their daughter.
    “You have no say in this.” Scowled Mr. Brown’s deep voice. “She has been on life support for twelve years. Twelve! And nothing more then maybe a blink. You think you can come in here and tell us to keep us from pulling the plug?”
    “I didn’t mean any—“
    “Sure you didn’t mean anything buy it.” Mr. Brown snapped back. Mrs. Brown whimpered slightly. Her husband sighed and brought Jared aside. “You have no idea…how hard it is knowing your child will die before you. This isn’t living Mr. Petterson. She can’t learn, she can’t walk, she can’t talk, she can’t even move.” He said sternly. “Publish what you want in your paper…but it won’t change anything.” He let go of Jared’s arm, and walked over to his wife, resting a gentle hand on her back, and began to walk away.
    Jared watched them go. His attention turned to the room that what the nurse’s called ‘The Sleeping Beauty’ stayed in. He had been given permission to go in, but hesitated. He hadn’t had thought that the article may give the Browns second thoughts. He doubted himself now. Maybe there was no use to writing this story. Jared sighed and finally decided to enter.
    He nearly gasped when he saw the girl lying in bed, seeming to be staring up at the ceiling. Her eyes were a deep brown and her hair was dark like her father’s. An obvious pink rested itself on her porcelain cheeks. He gulped and walked over to the bed, inspecting every inch of her as she was unmoving. Jared looked at her hair, brushing some from her face.

    “Allie?” He whispered into her ear.
    “Allie, are you there?” Nothing. Jared glanced at the IVs coming out of her arms. He shook his head.
    “Allie, Allie Brown. I’m Jared Petterson. If you can hear me, show any movement at all.” Still nothing. Jared sighed and sat in one of the chairs. This was a waste of time, but he couldn’t help but to stare at her. Why would her parents want to take their beautiful daughter out of the world? He supposed it was the pain that they were feeling. “You know…if you don’t start to move, your parents are going to kill you.”
    Allie blinked.
    Startled, Jared jumped. “You can hear me?”
    Allie blinked again.
    “NURSE!!!”
    A nurse came rushing in. “What what what?! What’s all the fuss?!”
    “She blinked! She’s moving! ALLIE!”
    Nothing.
    “Allie! Come on! Move!”
    Again, nothing. The nurse frowned.
    “I…must be seeing things.”
    He laughed nervously and the nurse left. Jared began to pace the room frustrated with himself. How stupid can he be? Moving after twelve years so easily…he glanced at her.
    “Are you moving or aren’t you?”
    Allie blinked. Jared grinned. He wasn’t seeing things!
    “Do you not like the nurse? Blink once for yes, two for no.”
    Allie blinked twice.
    “Do you not like your parents?”
    Allie blinked once.
    “Is that why you won’t move for them?”
    Allie blinked once.
    “Don’t you want to go home?”
    Allie blinked twice.
    “Can you move anything else?”
    Allie blinked once.
    “Could you show me?”
    Allie moved her fingers a little, attempting to lift her hands.
    “Anything else?”
    Allie blinked twice.
    “You don’t need life support. Do you?”
    Allie blinked twice.

    They went on for two hours, back and forth. Jared found out a lot from Allie, but it took him a good amount of time. He had been limited to only Yes and No questions. The entire time he scribbled down her answers on his note pad. She had only ‘spoken’ with Jared because she had heard the conversation between him and her parents. His job had stricken her interest. Also, he seemed trustworthy. Jared had laughed at this, knowing the lies that the newspaper printed, and especially how the journalists lied on every news report out there. One thing was for sure. Allie was alive, breathing, thinking, living.
    “I’ll come back tomorrow.” He assured her as he left the hospital. Jared went home and looked over his notes while eating dinner. Why did Allie need life support? Wasn’t that only if they needed help breathing? Allie was fine with that. It made him wonder.
    Jared jump hearing his phone buzz. He picked it up. “Hello?”
    “Hey Jared!”
    “Rob—Robert, how’d it go?”
    “No longer a bachelor, let’s put it that way!”
    “HAHA! That’s great man! Hey , I got some stuff on that Allie girl—“
    “Not right now, I’m still at dinner, I’ll talk to you later.”
    “Right. Bye.”