This is short, and very sweetly done. I think I smiled through at least half of it. Recommended. ( )

When a comatose patient, Michael, comes into the hospital, Jonesy finds himself drawn to the young man. He learns that Michael was the victim of a hate crime. And he also learns that Michael's parents have abandoned him. Though Jonesy is only a nurse's aide, he's certain that Michael stands a chance of coming out of the coma. Even though the doctors aren't so sure.

But Jonesy is unwavering. He goes out of his way to spend time with Michael and to find any way he can to help him. Although the two have never spoken, Jonesy knows that Michael is a beautiful person (on more than just the outside). And Jonesy also knows he's the only person Michael's got in his corner.

Whether Michael will wake up is something that only time will tell. And if he does wake up, will he even want anything to do with Jonesy? All Jonesy has is hope, and hope can be an incredibly powerful thing.

I try not to use words like "charming" to describe a story, because I feel like they don't tell you enough. But I feel like it's the most appropriate word for what I read. I found it so easy as a reader to connect to these characters and really feel for them. And I think pretty much anyone would be drawn to Jonesy and his big heart. What a guy.

This is on the shorter side, so it's a quick read. Perfect for when you just need that quick "awww" story, with only the smallest hints of angst. ( )

This is one of those stories that sounded interesting when I read the blurb, then it blew me away with the reality of the deep emotions involved and the very powerful message about love it sends. A comatose patient trying to find his way back to life in difficult circumstances and the nurse aid who takes him under his wing is a pretty fascinating situation to start with. But adding the strong characterizations of both men, achieved with seemingly effortless grace and very few words, made it even better. Add more than one tense moment, when everything threatens to go wrong, and I was on the edge of my seat with impatience to find out what would happen next.

Jonesy is a nurse aid who is drawn to Michael, a hate crime victim in a coma. Jonesy isn't book-smart, but he has more than enough emotional intelligence and compassion to make up for what he may be missing in "standard" intelligence. He is definitely attracted to Michael from the very start, and even when Michael's homophobic parents and the hospital try to get rid of Michael, since he has no insurance, Jonesy stands by him. He develops a plan, and I loved how his straightforward thinking gets him exactly what he wants, and provides what Michal so desperately needs: safety.

Michael has been beaten to within an inch of his life, and isn't sure he even wants to live. The few scenes from his perspective are fascinating, and show him emerging from near death to something approaching a willingness to give life a second chance. The concept of having him "feel" Jonesy inside his mind as he wanders around, trying to find an exit out of the "dungeon" he feels trapped in works for me. There are some very powerful images here.

These two men, despite the fact they don't speak for the longest time, still manage to communicate. Jonesy expresses his attraction so well, but he tries to suppress it because he doesn't want to take advantage of Michael while he is in a coma. He makes Michael "feel" that he is loved and accepted, and that is probably the only thing that can get Michael back to the land of the living. With some powerful imagery, deep emotions and two wonderful characters, this story carries a strong message about love and the power of unconditional acceptance.

If you like unusual stories that are very romantic, if you enjoy reading about a man who thinks he is inferior to the "clever" people around him but is actually far more compassionate and loving than any of them, and if you're looking for a read that is likely to make you come close to tears before it makes you smile, then you will probably like this short story as much as I did. I totally loved it.


NOTE: This book was provided by Torquere Press for the purpose of a review.
( )

A comatose patient trying to find his way back to life in difficult circumstances and the nurse aid who takes him under his wing is a pretty fascinating situation to start with. But adding the strong characterizations of both men, achieved with seemingly effortless grace and very few words, made it even better. Add more than one tense moment, when everything threatens to go wrong, and I was on the edge of my seat with impatience to find out what would happen next.

Jonesy is a nurse aid who is drawn to Michael, a hate crime victim in a coma. Jonesy isn't book-smart, but he has more than enough emotional intelligence and compassion to make up for what he may be missing in "standard" intelligence. He is definitely attracted to Michael from the very start, and even when Michael's homophobic parents and the hospital try to get rid of Michael, since he has no insurance, Jonesy stands by him. He develops a plan, and I loved how his straightforward thinking gets him exactly what he wants, and provides what Michal so desperately needs: safety.

Michael has been beaten to within an inch of his life, and isn't sure he even wants to live. The few scenes from his perspective are fascinating, and show him emerging from near death to something approaching a willingness to give life a second chance. The concept of having him "feel" Jonesy inside his mind as he wanders around, trying to find an exit out of the "dungeon" he feels trapped in works for me. There are some very powerful images here.

These two men, despite the fact they don't speak for the longest time, still manage to communicate. Jonesy expresses his attraction so well, but he tries to suppress it because he doesn't want to take advantage of Michael while he is in a coma. He makes Michael "feel" that he is loved and accepted, and that is probably the only thing that can get Michael back to the land of the living. With some powerful imagery, deep emotions and two wonderful characters, this story carries a strong message about love and the power of unconditional acceptance.

If you like unusual stories that are very romantic, if you enjoy reading about a man who thinks he is inferior to the "clever" people around him but is actually far more compassionate and loving than any of them, and if you're looking for a read that is likely to make you come close to tears before it makes you smile, then you will probably like this short story as much as I did. I totally loved it. ( )