Maria repositioned herself on the couch and stared up at the little specks on the ceiling before taking a deep breath and continuing.

"Maria?" The doctor urged.

"He's been gone for so long, you know? I mean...well...three years. And I'm still not used to it. Everyday I get up and I do the normal things for him that I would do like...if...like if he was alive," Maria said.

"Like what?"

An ache overwhelmed her as her body begged her to cry, but Maria forced back the tears.

"I make his coffee the way he liked it, extra Tabasco sauce. I make sure to buy shredded wheat cereal because he loves that cereal so much, sometimes he even ate it for dinner," Maria chuckled. "I was never much of the cook. He was always cooking for me," the tears began to spill. "But, I swear yesterday her bark. Beanie Baby's bark was so certain. She only barks like that when he is on his way home."

"Maria, I realize what you are going through. But, sometimes, and I find this especially with true soul mates, that you sometimes will see, feel, or hear something that you want instead of what really is. It's really hard to lose a husband, especially so early in the marriage and in such a way as you did, but you have to find a way to cope with it," the doctor explained.

Maria rubbed her temples as more tears spilled. She sat up, frustrated, and looked straight at the doctor.

"Goddamnit, Isabel! Can't you throw away all that doctor crap and just be a friend?"

"Maria--"

"I mean, I didn't come here for you to sit me down and tell me why I am feeling a certain way or acting a certain way or hearing and feeling certain things. I don't want to be analyzed! I just want...I just...need a friend," Maria cried. "I just need you to listen to me and give me your shoulder so I can cry my eyes out and scream and ramble on and on."

"I'm sorry, Maria," Isabel said quietly and she really was. Being a psychologist wasn't any easy job when it came to comforting friends.

Maria buried her face in her hands and cried.

"Maria, it's not easy for me. You are my best friend in this whole world and I don't want to see you hurt...ever. And I know sometimes I think that if I use the doctor way to help you that it just might work, but sometimes it doesn't," Isabel said.

Maria got up from the couch and began gathering her things.

"Maria, where are you going?"

"I have to go to work," Maria told her.

"Maybe you shouldn't go. I mean, the way you're feeling, maybe you should stay home and get some rest," Isabel said. Maria shook her head. "Maria, you need to rest."

"I know I do, but I can't stop living life. I'll get some rest. I promise," Maria said and began walking out the door.

"Are you sure you don't want to talk some more?" Isabel asked.

"It's OK. I just...need to get to work," Maria told her and began to walk out the door. She turned around once more and finally said it," Michael is dead," and then left.

"Anything new on our favorite patient?" Mr. Sketchino asked as Tron did his ritual check up of Michael's vitals.

He shook his head and informed him, "Blood pressure is fine, no fever, breathing is normal. Only thing we should watch is his heart."

"What was his last pulse rate?"

"120 beats a minute and continuous palpitations," Tron said.

Mr. Sketchino smiled, "Well, as long as he doesn't have a fever and good blood pressure then we have nothing to worry about."

"Sir, if I may?" Tron asked.

"You may."

"I think there is something going on with his heart, something serious. In case studies, usually you'd get palpatations from too much worry and stress--"

"Also too many fluids."

"Yessir, too many fluids. But, we are giving him the amount of fluids that any of us should be getting a day and his heart still races and he still has irregular heart beats."

"Tron, are you going somewhere with this?" Mr. Sketchino asked.

"I think it's something emotional," Tron said.

"Emotional?"

Tron nodded.

Mr. Sketchino sighed, "Tron, you are an excellent doctor, but you have to stop looking for things that aren't there. Our body is not affected by our emotions or feelings."

"I know that sir, but as much as we'd like to think so, he is not really like us. I mean, genetically speaking he is, but he grew up on Planet Water. He would most likely think like them, live like them, eat like them, so it's not far fetched to think that his body would react like theirs," Tron explained. "Who knows what kind of affect water had on him."

Mr. Sketchino came over and patted Tron on the back. "Tron, I understand your need for answers. But, you are looking in all the wrong places. Stop worrying about him. Even IF your theory is right, the man is in a coma, he can't feel a thing...physically or emotionally," Mr. Sketchino said. "Now, man, it's 11:30! Go home, get some rest." Mr. Sketchino left the room leaving Tron alone with Michael.

Tron came over to the side of the bed and unconsciously beat on the railing. Michael, the water patient to Tron, lay still as a rock. Michael's eye lids moved rapidly and Tron wondered what filled his dreams.

Mr. Sketchino was wrong, Tron knew as much. This patient, although their kind, was more waterling than anything.

"So," Tron said as he took a seat next to the patient. He had recently read that on Planet Water they believed that if you talked to a comatose patient it usually helped with there recovery. "So, I read that talking to you might just help wake you up. I don't really know you, but I want to help you and if this gives even a small possibility then I'll take it."

Michael remained still as Tron expected.

"OK, what to talk about?" Tron tried to think of what to say. "I know!" He said excitedly as he thought about something. "So, you might want to know a little about us or maybe even a little about yourself? Well, I'll tell you what I think you'd want to know. I'm a little obsessive about these things. Some of the other doctors think my way of thinking is wrong, but I believe that you have to have even the smallest of details to get to the core of the problem. I don't get much sleep these days because...I'm always at the library reading anything and everything I can about the Waterlings. Thinking that it just might help me to help you.

I get to the hospital extra early and leave late at night if at all. I've even considered trying to go to Planet Water to try and see if I can help you, but honestly I don't know how to get there.

Anyway, I'll save you the bore and skip to what I do know about you. Well, you're one of us. You're an Earthling and they believe that your parents took you too Planet Water in 1947.

Oh yeah! You are probably thinking, 'wait a second, what do you mean I'm an earthling?' Well, I'll explain. The Planet that you call home is called Planet Earth. But, we call our home Earth also. Ours is more correct because unlike there planet ours is made up of 75% Earth. You know, dirt, soil, things like that. It only has 25% water. Now, the planet you come from, that you call Earth, is made up of 75% water and only 25% earth, hence the reason why we call it Planet Water and there people, Waterlings.

Truthfully though, the body of a waterling and an earthling are not much different. We both need food, water, sleep, things like that. But, it's a question of how much and what kind. A waterling (which you would call an earthling) is made up of mostly water, which is reasonable since they planet is made up of mostly water. But, since you are not, by origin a waterling, your body is not made up of water because our planet has hardly any. That's why some of the things will reverse on the planets. Like over there too little water will cause heart racing and palpitations. But, on our planet too much water will cause it.

I found a few bottles of Tabasco sauce in the ship you came in and I assume you ate it with everything. It's not unusual. Like I said since you were on Planet Water you would need something like that with your food. Tabasco sauce helps to dehydrate your body which is the way it should be.

So, you want to know about your powers? OK, well, here we have a lot more technology than they do. Our bodies have adapted to things that theirs haven't. So, when you went to Planet Water you'd have powers. It'd be the same if one of them came here they'd have powers too. Maybe not the same kind, but powers nonetheless.

I wish I could tell you more about your parents, but I really don't know anything about them. I know they were part of a revolution years ago and retreated to Planet Water with you. It's sad to say, but they were hated by our nation and traces of there names and there lives have been wiped away. That's why all my attempts to find something about you is lost.

I have continued to search for this Maria. You said it three years ago when we found you and I have yet to find anything on it. I wish you would wake up and tell me something, anything. Even if just your name," Tron sighed. This was no use. "Look at me! I guess you probably think that I must be really lonely to sit here and talk to you when I know you aren't going to say anything back."

"Michael."

Tron sat up abruptly and looked down at the patient. He was laying still as a rock and his eyes remained closed, but Tron could swear he heard him say something. His lips were partially open and a smear of blood appeared most likely because his lips were dry and had he really just talked it probably caused them to crack and bleed. Tron held in his breath as he observed him. His eye lids were no longer moving.

His lips opened slightly as he took in a sharp breath and said, "Michael."

Tron wasn't imagining things. The man had just spoken to him for the first time in three years.

OK, calm down, he said to himself. "What is Michael?" He asked gently.

Tron waited for what seemed like eternity before the patient answered, "My name...my name is...Michael."

Michael's eyes fluttered as he tried to open them. "Your name is Michael?"

Michael rustled his feet a little and barely nodded his head. "Your name...is Tron."

Tron couldn't believe it. The Waterlings had been right all along. Comatose patients could hear everything you say and it had helped.

"OK, Michael, are you in any pain?"

A little whimper came from Michael as he nodded and his face scrunched up as he tried not to cry. "Yes," he cracked.

"Tell me where?" Tron said. Michael took in another sharp breath.

"My...heart," he said and a tear rolled down. "I...need--"

"Tell me what you need," Tron urged.

"Maria. I need Maria," Michael said as he continued to try and open his eyes, but was failing. Tron took in a deep breath. All these year he had wondered what Maria was. Now, maybe he could get an answer.

"What is Maria?"

"She...she--"

"Maria is a person?" Tron asked. Michael nodded slightly.