Widow's Ranch

Chapters eighteen & Nineteen

Love in Bloom

Mike was moved to a rehab center in Ennis under the watchful eye of John Henderson. John rarely left his side except when duty called, and Mike’s coworkers visited often to cheer him up.

But his favorite visits were from Leah and her children. Leah made it a point to visit him three times a week, bringing different snacks or meals to break up the monotony of the rehab center’s bland food. The children would play quietly, sometimes finding amusement in pressing the controls on the bed, causing it to move up and down. Leah would scold them for playing too much, but Mike always encouraged them, finding joy in their laughter. Watching the children playing with so much joy and zest for life seemed healing. He welcomed the distraction and found new meaning since the shooting.

One day, Mike confided in John about that dark and terrifying moment that forever changed him. “John, you know that day?” Mike began, his voice trembling, “When I was shot, I saw my own body slumped over in my car. The paramedics were working frantically to bring me back. It was surreal and terrifying, like watching a movie where you’re the main character but utterly powerless.” He paused, Mike’s eyes glistening with un-shed tears. “But what really shook me to my core was what happened afterward. While I was in the coma, I could hear everyone’s voices— you and Leah, the doctors and nurses. I could hear your prayers, and fears, and your hopes. I wanted so desperately to reach out, to tell everyone I was there, that I could hear you, but I couldn’t move or speak. I felt trapped in a void between life and death, and it still haunts me!”