Chapter 2: The Man Who Didn't Know Where He Was
For several seconds, nobody moved.
Nathan's eyes remained open.
His chest rose unevenly beneath his dark suit. His lips trembled as he struggled to draw another breath.
Sarah couldn't stop staring.
The man she had kissed goodbye in the hospital was looking at her again.
But something was wrong.
His expression wasn't recognition.
It was fear.
“Nathan?”” Sarah whispered.
She leaned closer without releasing his wrist.
“Baby, can you hear me?””
Nathan's eyes shifted toward her voice.
His eyebrows pulled together.
He tried to move his head, but his body seemed too weak to obey.
A faint, broken sound escaped his throat.
Sarah immediately looked toward the man holding the phone.
“Tell them he's breathing! Please tell them!””
The man pressed the phone harder against his ear.
“Yes, he's alive. He's breathing. We're at St.
Andrew's Church. Please hurry!””
Margaret stood beside the casket, shaking so badly that she had to grip its wooden edge.
“My son,” she whispered.
“Nathan, sweetheart, it's Mom.””
She reached toward his cheek but stopped just before touching him.
“Nathan, don't try to move.””
Ellie peered around Sarah's arm.
Her face was pale.
“Daddy?””
Nathan's eyes moved again.
This time, they found the little girl.
Ellie stepped forward.
“It's me.””
Her voice was small.
“It's Ellie.””
For a moment, Nathan's expression changed.
His eyebrows relaxed slightly.
His lips moved.
Sarah leaned closer.
“What? What are you saying?””
But no words came.
Only another shallow breath.
“Somebody get the pastor,” a woman whispered.
The pastor, who had been standing near the altar, hurried toward them.
“Everyone, please give him space.””
Sarah shook her head.
“I don't know what to do.””
“Don't try to move him,” the pastor said gently.
“The paramedics are coming.””
Sarah nodded, though she barely understood his words.
She looked down at her husband.
His wedding ring was still on his finger.
She remembered the day he had placed it there.
Nathan had laughed because his hands were shaking so badly that he almost dropped it.
“You're stuck with me now,” he had told her.
Sarah had laughed and replied, “That's the plan.””
They had been married for seven years.
Seven years of ordinary mornings, grocery lists, late-night conversations, and little arguments about whose turn it was to wash the dishes.
Seven years of believing there would always be another tomorrow.
And now he was lying in the same casket where everyone had come to say goodbye.
Except he was breathing.
“Sarah?””
Margaret's voice brought her back.
Sarah looked at her mother-in-law.
Margaret's eyes were fixed on Nathan.
“Is he really alive?””
Sarah swallowed.
“I think so.””
“You think?””
“I can feel his pulse.””
Margaret covered her mouth again.
“Oh, Nathan.””
Ellie tugged at Sarah's sleeve.
“Mommy, why is Daddy in the box?””
Sarah looked down.
The question nearly broke her.
“Sweetheart, the doctors are coming to help him.””
“But he can hear me.””
Sarah brushed the tears from her daughter's cheeks.
“Yes,” she whispered.
“I think he can.””
Nathan's fingers suddenly tightened around Sarah's hand.
She gasped.
“Nathan?””
His eyes shifted toward her again.
This time, he seemed to recognize something.
His gaze lingered on her face.
A tear slipped from the corner of his eye.
Sarah began crying harder.
“I'm here. I'm right here.””
Nathan tried to lift his arm.
It barely moved.
His breathing became irregular, and his lips parted as if he wanted to say something important.
Sarah bent down.
“Don't force it. Just breathe.””
But Nathan kept staring at her.
His eyes moved toward Ellie.
Then back to Sarah.
His lips formed a word.
“Ellie...””
Sarah's heart seemed to stop.
“You know her?””
A weak sound came from his throat.
“Da...””
Ellie stepped closer.
“Daddy?””
Nathan's fingers moved again.
Ellie reached toward his hand, but Sarah gently held her back.
“Wait, sweetheart. Let the doctors help Daddy first.””
Ellie frowned.
“But he wants me.””
Sarah looked at her husband.
She wanted to say yes.
She wanted to promise her daughter that everything was going to be all right.
But she couldn't.
Not yet.
The church doors suddenly opened.
Two paramedics rushed inside carrying medical equipment.
“Where's the patient?””
Sarah raised her hand.
“Here! He's in the casket!””
The first paramedic stopped for half a second, clearly surprised by the scene.
Then he moved immediately toward Nathan.
“Ma'am, I need you to step back.””
Sarah reluctantly released her husband's wrist.
The paramedic leaned over Nathan.
“Sir, can you hear me?””
Nathan blinked.
“Can you tell me your name?””
His lips moved.
Nothing intelligible came out.
The second paramedic began checking his vital signs.
“Let's get him out carefully. We need to assess him.””
Margaret stepped backward.
Ellie clutched Sarah's dress.
“Are they taking Daddy away?””
“They're going to help him,” Sarah answered.
The paramedics worked quickly, speaking to each other in low, urgent voices.
One checked Nathan's breathing while the other prepared the equipment.
“Pulse is present,” one of them said.
The other looked at his colleague.
“Let's move.””
Sarah held her daughter tightly.
As the paramedics carefully lifted Nathan from the casket onto a stretcher, his eyes remained open.
He looked toward the church ceiling.
Then toward the faces surrounding him.
Finally, his gaze found Sarah.
She stepped forward.
“Nathan, I'm here.””
His lips moved again.
This time, Sarah heard something.
“Home...””
She nodded through her tears.
“Yes. We'll go home.””
But as the stretcher began moving toward the church doors, Nathan suddenly tightened his fingers around the blanket.
His eyes widened.
He turned toward Sarah.
And with the little strength he had left, he whispered two words.
“Not... home.””
Sarah stopped walking.
“What?””
Nathan stared at her.
His lips trembled.
Then the paramedics pushed the stretcher through the doors.
Sarah stood frozen in the aisle.
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Because her husband had just opened his eyes at his own funeral.
And the first thing he had said was that he didn't want to go home.
