Religion wasn’t exactly his thing, but in this situation he wasn’t sure what else to do. The sound of lifesaving machines filled the air around him. He opened his eyes and stared up at the ceiling, as if he were making eye contact with someone.

“Dear God, if you allow me to survive this, I promise to change my life.” He wasn’t sure how to conclude, so he just said, “Thank you.”

As he finished, a group of doctors entered the room. He scanned the room, studying the machines he was attached to. The doctors huddled at the foot of the bed and discussed his condition. His eyes fixated on the doctor that seemed to be in charge. They spoke quietly in their small group for a little longer before they exited the room.

A few moments later, the head doctor re-entered the room. He slowly walked over to the side of the bed. “Mr. Williams, I’m Dr. Asahd Muhammad. I performed your surgery. Do you remember what happened?” He tried to speak, but the tube in his throat limited him to soft mumbles. “You were brought in early this morning with what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.” The events of the previous night quickly replayed in his head. I’m not supposed to be here. Not after what I did. The doctor continued talking, but he wasn’t really listening. He just kept replaying the moment when he killed his best friend. When the doctor stopped momentarily, a pair of police officers came into the room.

“These officers have some questions for you, Mr. Williams.” That’s when he noticed that he was handcuffed to the bed. The officers slowly approached the bed and introduced themselves. They asked several yes or no questions about the incidents that led to him being in the hospital with a gunshot wound to the head. He answered each question honestly as tears slowly began rolling down his cheeks. They each thanked him for his cooperation then turned to leave the room. Once he was alone again, he began sobbing uncontrollably until he fell asleep.

When he opened his eyes again, the room around him was different. There were less machines connected to him. He kept scanning the room for clues to what his situation was. There were flowers and cards on a table in front of him. His girlfriend was asleep in a chair beside the bed. He found the remote for the bed and pushed the button to elevate his head. The sound of the motor woke his girlfriend up. They made eye contact and she started crying.

“I’m gonna go get the doctor, okay?” He softly nodded and she scurried out of the room. He tried to adjust his position in the bed but couldn’t muster up the strength to move his body. He looked down at his right wrist. The handcuffs were gone.

A few moments later, his girlfriend re-entered the room with the doctor in tow. Shortly after, a handful of nurses came into the room. The doctor performed a quick examination while asking him some questions.

“Mr. Williams, you’re quite lucky to be alive, let alone conscious,” Dr. Muhammad explained. “After we removed the bullet from your skull, the bleeding and swelling in your brain left us no choice but to put you into a medically induced coma. We weren’t sure if you’d ever recover enough to wake you up. But obviously, a higher power has different plans for you.” Dr. Muhammad continued explaining his circumstances. And while he was intently listening, he couldn’t help but hold his breath and wait for the detectives to show up as well.