My eyes opened, I tried to relive that moment. I remembered how safe I felt at that moment, Zac’s fingers intertwined with mine. I could see it in my head now, I wanted to relive it. I relived that moment every time I wasn’t feeling so great, and now was a time I wasn’t feeling so great because I was so confused. So many things were rushing through my head, I hadn’t a clue what was going on. My ears seemed to close, I couldn’t hear anything. Where was I? I blacked out again.

My dad had been offered a job that day, the day Zac came back to me. The only thing was that his job required us to move to New York or New Jersey. He got his new job as the head of graphic design at Dell publishing in New York. The job paid twice as much as his old one and we needed the money with Jamie going off to college. We chose to move to Princeton, NJ because it was halfway between Jamie’s college in south Jersey and my father’s new job in Manhattan. I had only seen Zac once since we moved. That really is a long while since Zac and I usually see each other every day and it’s been 2 years since I’ve moved away! He came to see me on my 13th birthday. It was so great to have him at my party! He never got here for my 14th birthday, they were off in LA recording the new album, album x. He did call me though and we talked for 2 hours on my fourteenth birthday. He calls about once a month from different locations all over the US...well, all over the world. We usually talk for 20 minutes to a half hour because we both always have things to do- especially him. It’s August of 1999 and they’re still recording the new album x. Zac said that he’d try to fly me out to see him wherever he would be in October, for his 14th birthday. I can’t wait until October! SO much has happened to me lately, it’s hard for me to remember it all. I just finished the 8th grade and I had my first boyfriend, and my second kiss. You always hear that the first kiss is never the best cause you don’t know how yet- but I remember the night Zac and I kissed for the first time, and so far, nothing has matched the bliss I felt at that moment.

My head really hurts. It was so hot out today, over 100 degrees. I remember I was outside working today, where was I working? I can’t remember. All I can think about is Zac and how great I always felt with him. I want to be with him again. I really love Princeton, it’s such a great town. There’s so much to do, so many stores in downtown to shop in. It’s very pretty, but I’d leave it in an instant for Tulsa. Tulsa is where my heart is. Where I was born. Where I grew up. Tulsa is my true home. Tulsa is the Hansons.

My head is really starting to throb. My eyes hurt too. What’s going on? I haven’t a clue where I am. Am I in Tulsa? Zac! Where’s Zac? It hurts, it hurts so badly. I feel something cold, so cold it stings on my heated body. My throat is dry. My ears are popping, some noise... I can hear now, my breath scratching through my throat. I didn’t realize before that I couldn’t hear. I muster up all the strength I have and I concentrate so hard on the hearing. It’s working. I can hear something else now. What is it? Voices? Where are they coming from? Then it happened. I opened my eyes and saw bright lights and walls so white they pierced my eyes. I heard the voices again and slowly tilted my head to see my whole family to my right, but where?

“Where am I?” I finally heard myself say the words aloud. My mom was holding onto my hand. Her, my dad, and Jamie looked relieved. I hadn’t much energy in me, I could barely move.

“It’s ok, it’s ok, you’re going to be fine. Samantha, you’ll be ok,” my mom reassured me, but without answering my question. She turned her head and backed up a little from the bed I was laying in. A man I didn’t know walked in and came to my bedside. He was wearing a white jacket and a stethoscope around his neck- he was a doctor. I looked around at the white. He was a doctor and I was in the hospital!

“What happened?” I asked, panicked. The doctor did something to me, whether he was only checking the machines I was hooked up to, or gave me a shot or what I hadn’t a clue what he’d done. I was so confused I couldn’t pay attention. I looked to my parents for an answer. The doctor nodded at my parents and my dad began to speak.

“Honey, you’ve been in a coma nearly 30 hours. You had heat exhaustion yesterday, you fainted and you hit your head.”

“Oh,” I said dumbfoundingly, trying to put two and two together.

“I’m so glad you’re ok!” Jamie came walking toward me, “Here, these are from me.” She put a small bouquet of carnations by my bedside and kissed me on the cheek. “I’ve got to get going now, but I’ll see you soon girlie!”

“Yes, and I’ve got some papers to fill out,” my mom said, “I’ll be back in a few minutes darling,” She also stopped by, kissed my cheek and left the room.

“Look what I brought!” my dad pulled a book from his back pocket. I recognized it right away, The Old Man and The Sea.

“My summer reading!” I laughed.

“It’s time to get it started, you’ve only got 3 more weeks of summer. I’ll read the beginning to you,” my dad said, opening the front cover.

I loved it when my dad read to me. It made me feel like I was his little girl. Four years old again sitting on her daddy’s knee while he read Go Dog Go with great excitement as if it were the most thrilling book he’d ever touched. I smiled at the memory and listened intently as he began the book.

Twenty minutes gone by and twenty-five pages read, my mom walked back in my hospital room.

“Hun,” my mom said, referring to my dad, “Could you help me out here for a while? Sam, we’ll be back in just a few minutes. I left you some of your magazines, right there, by your bed.”

“Thanks mom.”

I looked over to see what there was to read. I could continue my summer reading book, but, well, it was kinda boring. I’d rather go for Seventeen. I flipped the pages looking for something of interest. I really wasn’t interested in anything at that moment so I started to read the “Ben’s Life” section. Reading this section only made me wonder if there really was a Ben and if there was he really had no life outside this Eliza girl. I was pretty sick of hearing all about his little obsession, but I read on. I was actually quite absorbed in the article after 5 minutes when I was interrupted by someone at my door. OMIGOD.

“OMIGOD!” I cried. I almost went into shock. “How did you get here?” Zac hugged me and I hugged him back so tight he could barely get free to answer me.

“I called you yesterday, but your mom told me what had happened. She said it wasn’t that serious, but I didn’t care; 20 minutes later Ike and I both had plane tickets here,” Zac stared into me and held my hand in his.

“I can’t believe your here, at my bedside! It seems like eternity.” I said.

“One year,” Zac started, he looked up and finished, “5 months....one week.... and 5 days.”

I smiled, shaking my head, “Too long. So.... where’s Isaac? Why didn’t Taylor come?” I asked.

“Ike was dying of hunger so he went to get food, he should be back soon. Taylor stayed in LA because he’s nursing a cold. We can’t record when he’s sick, so for the past few days we’ve basically been doing nothing at all.”

My doctor walked in, “Well Sam, I’ve got some great news for you. You’re doing perfectly well, everything is in order and you can leave as soon as you like.”

I smiled exuberantly, the sooner I got away from this putrid room, the happier I would be. I threw the sheet off me and hopped out of bed.

“Ew I feel gross.” I said. I was wearing a huge men's undershirt and really old jean shorts.

My parents walked in, “You can shower and change when we get home, it’s only a five minute drive.” My mom said. Isaac walked in behind them.

“Ike!” I jumped and ran toward him. As I reached him, he picked me up and into a hug.

“It’s great to see you again Sam!” Ike smiled.