Chapter 1
Tears kept rolling down my cheeks, as I watched them wheel mom away into the emergency room, while the nurses kept us away from going with her.
Standing in front of the emergency room, and watching the doctors through the glass door, working hard to keep her alive, I felt so helpless, I wished there was something I can do to save her, I wish I can do something about it, but it seems that’s the dream that’ll never come through for me.
We’ve lived these whole years of our lives happily, with mom and dad, giving me all the love and attention in the world, they made sure that I lack nothing, they gave me all the happiness, which most parents are not capable of giving to their kids, and they’ve been the most important people in my life. Everything started three years ago, as mom was diagnosed with lung cancer. She’s been frequenting different hospitals since then, to see if any doctor will be able to cure her, but none was ever able to.
She’s been through a series of surgeries, but it only got worse at the end of it, and it hurts.
I felt an arm around my neck and tilted my head to check who it was, I was welcomed by the sad-looking dad, trying so much to put on a smile, as he whispered those words in my ear ‘she’ll be fine. As much as I want to believe him, as much as I want to keep my hope alive, I couldn’t deny the fact that’s standing in front of me, staring at me. I pray she pulls through this, I pray she fights for her life, as she always does, she can’t possibly leave us all alone in this cruel world, right?© 2024 Nôv/el/Dram/a.Org.
I stared at him for seconds, before I finally nodded my head, and turned my attention to look at the doctors through the door again. They kept doing what I don’t know to mom, and I just wished I’m allowed in there, to be beside her.
After almost an hour, I heard the sound of a beeping machine, and I looked around, wondering where it was coming from, and that was when it dawned on me, that the sound was coming from the emergency room. My eyes almost popped out of their sockets, as they darted to the life-supporting machine, whose lines were almost parallel, meaning mom’s life is at stake.
“Dad, do something! Mom is dying.”I cried bitterly, as I tried forcing my way into the room, but dad held me back, assuring me that everything will be fine, but damn! I can see it with my eyes, nothing seems to be fine right now, mom is dying in there, and she needs me.
“Shhhhhh! Don’t cry Karen, mom will be fine.”Dad assured me, as he hugged me tightly. Even if he was trying to hide his pains, I could see through him, even if he was trying not to break down, I can see that he was bleeding inside.
My heart kept racing fast, as I watched through the door, while still in my dad’s embrace. Mom is not going to die, right? She’s going to stay with me, right?
“Let me go, dad!”I yelled in tears, as I managed to pull away from him, before forcing my way into the room, but stopped in my track with my mouth opened, as I behold the doctors, struggling to keep her alive. Staring at her closed-eyed, and the oxygen tank fixed on her face, I couldn’t help the tears that keep rolling down my cheeks, as my heart tore into pieces.
“One… two!”The doctor kept repeating this, as he pressed two life stabilizers on her chest, and removed it, as she jerked up.
“Let’s do that again.”The doctor said as he pressed the stabilizers on her chest again, but she only jerked up and fell on the bed like a log of wood. The beeping sound of the machine pulled my attention, and tilting my head slowly to the life-supporting machine, I clenched my fist, and gritted my teeth, as I found the lines now in straight lines.
Seeing the indication on the machine, shouldn’t make me believe that, right? Mom can’t leave us, right? I gulped down the lump in my throat, as I slowly returned my gaze to look at the doctor, with a questioning look on my face, but he only shook his head sadly, before walking out of the room.
“I’m sorry miss, but we lost her.”The other doctor said, and I glanced at mom, before bringing back my gaze to him, as his words echoed in my head. Wait! What did he just say? They lost who?
I watched as the nurses removed the wires fixed on her body, and the oxygen tank too, before they finally pulled a cloth to cover her face, and I just couldn’t help scoffing. Is this some joke or something? Mom can’t be dead, right?
“Mom?”I called, as I finally managed to push my leg forward. My heart came thumping against my chest, beads of sweats formed on my forehead, my feet started wobbling on the floor, as my mouth trembled. This isn’t happening.
“Noooo!”I screamed in tears, as I finally got to the bedside, and pulled the cloth from her face. I took my hand slowly to her cheek, and tapped her softly, she must be sleeping, she is not dead, she is sleeping. I tapped her cheeks softly, but she never moved.
“Mo… mom… open your eyes please… you can’t possibly leave us, right? Mom, you’re the only family I and dad have, you promised to always stay by my side, mom I’m going to be graduating from school in two months, you promised to be with me at the school, you promised to take pictures with me.”My mouth trembled, as I shook her face lightly, but she never moved.
“Open your eyes mom, it’s me Karen… yes, it’s me your child, you told me to make you proud mom, I told you that I’m going to…”My voice trailed off, as I trailed my hand down her body, and got hold of the bed shit, before squeezing it, while staring at her face…