Into the Light Read Online Free Page B

back again.
    My mind swirled with theories. Maybe we’d argued before the accident. Maybe he hadn’t sent me out on the icy roads. Each thought increased my anxiety, causing it to rise degree by degree until it neared the boiling point. I imagined the man who continued to pace. The vision I created had blue eyes and a scruffy jaw. I wasn’t sure if that image was my memory returning or an imagined portrait based on the feel of his hands and face.
    Suddenly my heart stilled as a loud knock echoed throughout the room. Pressing my lips together, I cringed at the thought of someone from the Commission returning.
    “I have the ice chips,” the nurse said, with the opening of the door. “Would you like me to feed Sara?”
    Internally I groaned. Again I wasn’t being addressed, only spoken about. After all, I was Sara. Maybe someone can ask me?
    Before I had time to dwell on my lack of autonomy, Jacob replied, “No, give me the cup. I’ll take care of it.”
    “It’s my assignment—”
    “Sister, if we hurry before the ice melts, it won’t violate the Commission’s authority. But if the Commission decides that ice is a fluid, it’ll be my responsibility, not yours. I asked for ice and you brought it to me , not Sara.”
    “Thank you,” she replied. “I won’t mention it.”
    “But if it’s mentioned,” he said with authority, “you gave the ice to me .”
    “Yes, Brother. Do you need anything else?”
    “Sara’s medication. Dr. Newton said her body heals best while she sleeps.”
    “I’ll get it, but first I’ll give you some time with your ice. The sleep medication works very fast.”
    Seconds later the door clicked shut and, judging by the silence, I believed the nurse had left. Suddenly everything I’d wanted to say and learn dissolved under my growing need for the moisture of the ice chips. Unconsciously my tongue darted to my chapped, cracked lips as I waited for the cool wetness Jacob controlled.
    Finally I heard Jacob scoot the chair beside my bed closer. In my mind I’d created images of my tiny world. In those images the cushion of the chair where Jacob sat was covered in plastic or vinyl. I didn’t know the color but had determined the material by the hiss it made as he lowered his weight.
    Jacob brushed my cheek, wiping away a tear that I hadn’t realized I’d shed. I turned away from his touch. This wasn’t right. I couldn’t put my finger on my reasoning, but deep down I didn’t believe I was someone who cried or allowed others to control my every move. Jacob pulled my chin back toward him. I waited for his words of support and encouragement. They didn’t come. Instead he simply demanded, “Open your mouth.”
    The bristling of my spine told me to fight, but if I did, I wouldn’t get the moisture my body craved. After only a moment’s hesitation, I did as he instructed. My reward for obeying came in the form of a tiny sliver of ice. It wasn’t much, but the cold moisture felt like rain on the dry cracked earth. Closing my lips, I savored the clean, fresh goodness sliding down my throat.
    “Again.”
    I did as he said, wanting more: more ice, more water, more of his deep voice. I was tired of the silence, and judging by Jacob’s earlier pacing, he had things he wanted to say. I waited, but other than the sound of his directives, the stillness lingered. Over and over, I opened my mouth, and each time he fed me chips of ice. Soon we fell into a rhythm, and even his directives disappeared. Each time, I’d swallow and then immediately open my lips, unashamedly greedy for the next piece of heavenly coolness. As my throat numbed, I wondered if I’d ever enjoyed frozen water as much as I did at this moment. My new obsession with devouring the entire cup superseded my wish to hear him speak. My concerns temporarily disappeared into a calming fog as his fingers brushed my lips and I contentedly took what he gave.
    Suddenly the door opened and our forged connection shattered. I