Blink Once (27 page)

“I’m coming,” I said.

As I walked out of the shade and into the sun, the warmth hit my face, my shoulders. I left the darkness behind. As we pulled out of the parking lot, I didn’t look back. I had what I needed, with me. Inside me. Always.

This book, although fiction, required medical knowledge that was far beyond my scope. Thank you to my mom, Polly Busby, for her nursing expertise, and to my best friend, Blue Butterfield, for her medical savvy—not everything in the story is exactly medically accurate, but I got as close as possible while still protecting the story of West and Olivia.

Thank you to Karen Moy and Erik Van Rhein for sharing with me their personal story of a traumatic accident that resulted in a coma, and eventual recovery.

For his expertise and information on jail visitation, thank you to Matthew Mizel, director and producer of the documentary
On the Outs
, and volunteer with InsideOUT Writers.

Thank you to Dr. Narsing Rao and Dr. James Tan.

For sharing her true-life experience, thank you to Wendy Perez, the inspiration behind Allie’s “tree of life” metaphor.

To my agent, Brenda Bowen, much gratitude for taking me on as a client and believing in me. May this be the first of many.

Thank you to Melanie Cecka, friend and editor in one, for shaping my first young-adult novel. And thanks to Victoria Wells Arms for taking this project on and seeing it safely home.

To my writers’ group—Pamela Bunn, Nanci Katz Ellis, and Erin Zimring—thank you for believing in this story from the beginning.

And to my boys, Damon and August, all of my love.

The Year We Disappeared

Copyright © 2012 by Cylin Busby
All rights reserved. You may not copy, distribute, transmit, reproduce or otherwise make available this publication (or any part of it) in any form, or by any means (including without limitation electronic, digital, optical, mechanical, photocopying, printing, recording or otherwise), without the prior written permission of the publisher. Any person who does any unauthorised act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages

First published in the United States of America in September 2012
by Bloomsbury Books for Young Readers
Electronic edition published in September 2012
www.bloomsburyteens.com

For information about permission to reproduce selections from this book, write to
Permissions, Bloomsbury BFYR, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, New York 10010

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Busby, Cylin.
Blink once / by Cylin Busby. —1st U.S. ed.
p. cm.
Summary: West, a high school senior with everything going for him until an accident leaves him
paralyzed, connects with Olivia, a patient in the hospital room next to his, who seems to
understand his dreams and nightmares but who has a secret.
[1. Paralysis—Fiction. 2. People with disabilities—Fiction. 3. Hospitals—Fiction. 4. Haunted
places—Fiction. 5. Nightmares—Fiction. 6. Love—Fiction.] I. Title.
PZ7.B9556Bli 2012 [Fic]—dc23 2012011232

ISBN 978-1-61963-054-3 (e-book)