The Lost Boys

I woke up and felt sick, I noticed my hospital bed and a bucket placed to the side of it. I rolled over just in time to grab the rim and empty the contents of my stomach into it.

I coughed and heaved as the pain in my throat was horrible and tears started to run down my face. When I was done I grabbed some tissues out of the box that was placed on the side table and wiped my mouth, I felt so exhausted and let myself fall back into the pillows taking in the room for the first time since I awoke here.

It looked like a typical hospital room. Gray floor, whitish walls, a small tv mounted up in one corner two empty grey plastic chairs for visitors and me in my hospital bed with an IV stuck in my left arm and a heart rate monitor silently beeping away.

Okay, so this was it. I was drawn back before I could find out what was wrong with me but obviously my health was deteriorating and I did feel horrible to say the least.

I felt so sick but my stomach was empty so there was no vomiting reflex, my head was hurting like crazy and as I hold it to try and ease the pain I noticed my forehead was covered in cold sweat. I could only take in shallow breaths because it felt like there were a ton of bricks on my chest and I was just too weak.

My eyes slowly fell shut and I started to drift away, I heard a door open and somebody entered the room. A chair was pushed to the bed with a small screeching noise and then somebody took my hand in his.

"Hey, Mel. It's me Austin, how are you today sweetie?" I heard him speak in a small voice but I was too tired to open up my eyes and so we just sat there in silence for a while. I might have fallen asleep for a while but woken up by voices arguing.

"I am sorry Mr Carlile but the latest tests we ran on your sister show us that her brain tumour doesn't respond to the chemotherapy."

I lie there but I am too weak to speak up or even open my eyes. Mr Carlile? That's Austin. His sister? Is that me? Oh. My. God. Are they talking about me?

I can hear Austin draw in a sharp breath. " Wh- what does that mean." His voice is barely audible and sounds shaky.

The other person, I assume it's the doctor clears his throat and fake coughs. "Uhm, uh. Well, we hoped the therapy would shrink the tumour to an operable size but that is not the case. It has slowly affected different regions of the brain which accounts for the memory loss that she experiences. By now her balance and movements are decreasing. We don't know how much she really perceives of her surroundings, her brain might get flooded with memories or visions. It is as if the neurones are lighting a firework in her scull, which means her brain is hyperactive for a while, but then - . I am afraid there is nothing we can do anymore."

Austin utters something between a sob and a howl as I feel him sitting on my bed and hugging me while his hot tears fall onto my face.
"Mel, no. You can't do that to me." He whispers in my ear. "You are the only family I have left. Remember it was always us against the world. Please don't leave me alone."

His body wracks with sobs and I try so hard to speak but I don't know how to, it feels as if I cannot tell my mouth and tongue what to do. The only thing I manage is to squeeze his hand a tiny bit, he must have felt it because he kisses my hand and hold it to his cheek mumbling words that I don't understand.

Some time passes, I cannot tell if it's hours or minutes and I feel somebody taking my other hand. "Hi Mel, I'm here Baby. I will not leave you. I love you." I recognise the voice immediately. It's Alex.

The two boys sit in silence, each of them holding onto me both lost in their own thoughts. Waiting. What are they waiting for?

I can see myself now from the outside, I see how I lie in this bed, I look horrible, my skin is pale, my eyes are closed with dark shadows under them. My hair looks sticky and matted and my cheeks are hollow.
I see Austin and he looks so sad, I wish I could go to him and hug him. Alex sits by my bedside and he has a sad smile on his lips. He knows what's gonna happen.

Suddenly the heart monitor changes its beeping tones to one continuous sound that fills the room. Now I understand. I am flatlining.

I don't want to stay here in this depressing room, I don't want to watch the boys cry and whimper.

I turn around and I start to run. I run towards the trees, the sunlight trickles through the dense green above me. This is my wilderness, my resort, my home.

"Boys, boys." I call out for them because I know they are close and they will meet me as soon as they hear me. "Boys, I'm back."

"And this time, I'm here to stay."

THE END

Notes

Thank you.