The narrative is about a young girl named Emma who is shocked to learn that her mother, who has been in a coma since Emma was born, has awoken. The family is overjoyed, but soon realizes that their mother's return has unsettling consequences. Emma's mother, Parker, seems to be struggling with memory lapses and violent outbursts, causing her to physically harm Emma. The family, particularly Emma, is terrified and confused by Parker's behavior. They consult with the hospital, who suggest that Parker might be experiencing some form of post-coma syndrome. Despite the family's efforts to keep pace with Parker's recovery, her condition continues to deteriorate. The narrative ends with Parker mysteriously disappearing from the house, leaving the family in a state of fear and confusion.
1. The narrator's mother was in a coma for 14 years.
2. The mother was awoken in the morning, and the narrator's father burst into their room to tell them.
3. The mother had had a complicated pregnancy with the narrator, causing her to be rushed into surgery.
4. The mother's family kept her alive with medication, and she never regained consciousness.
5. The mother's brother, who was two years older, only remembered small fragments of her from their lives.
6. The longest time someone has been in a coma was 19 years, for Terry Wallace.
7. The mother woke up on June 11, 2003, and the narrator's father was there.
8. The mother's first words upon waking were to say "hi mom" and to try to step closer to her.
9. The mother's eyes lit up when she saw her daughter, and she hugged her tightly.
10. The mother's muscles were weakened due to being in bed for so long, so she would need physical therapy.
11. The mother's father had remarried after the 10-year anniversary of when his wife went into a coma.
12. The mother's father and stepmother had a heated argument about what to do when the mother woke up.
13. The mother's stepmother left the house and never came back.
14. The mother's father and stepmother had a daughter together.
15. The mother started acting strangely after waking up, including turning on all the burners on the stove and the refrigerator door being left open.
16. The mother physically hurt her daughter during one incident, and she was very small.
17. The mother's father and brother accepted her back into the family, but the daughter was still afraid of her.
18. The mother's eyes would sometimes have a red glint flash over them when she didn't think the daughter was looking.
19. The mother was last seen staring at her daughter from across her bedroom at night.
20. The mother's father flipped on the light in the room, and she was not in the chair anymore.
21. The family searched everywhere in the house for the mother, but they couldn't find her.
22. The narrator's next story is about what happened with the mother in the woods.