6 months ago at the Anderson household
A ringing noise filled up the silence of the night echoing through the quiet house.
"Hello?" Mom's hushed voice trickled through the thin walls of my room.
"What? Not again—"
"—What do you mean you're not coming home? James I swear this is the hundredth time you've given this same excuse."
"I'm fine. Yes? Yeah I took my medicines, You don't need to worry about that."
"James Do you even realise how this will affect Pepper?"
Are they arguing again?
"No, no, she doesn't know she's sleeping" I heard footsteps heading my way. I quickly held the blanket over my head and pretended to be asleep as the doorknob twisted and my door opened with a creaking sound before mom entered the room.
I felt her presence behind me and squeezed my shut trying to control my breathing and not give away my pretence.
"Yes, okay, okay, bye." And I felt mom's hand petting my head softly as she whispered a quite goodnight before slipping out of the room.
I threw the blanket away as soon as I felt her footsteps fade away and started to think how our life is so different now. What happened today is not some rare occurrence—Dad's not home and almost never is, it's getting more and more frequent as the days pass. Ever since we found out that mom had cancer it has been this way. He has been coming home late, working overtime. Nothing is like how it used to be. Everything is so so different. Before I knew it, my vision blurred, my throat aching as hot tears trickled down my cheeks with a shuddering breath.
"I don't want to lose them. Please God." I whispered to the silent moonlit room to whoever was listening.
***
Dad's taking me to meet mom today, he said he'll be home soon. It has been two weeks since I've seen mom. I miss mom. The doorbell rang signaling me that it was time to go.
"Did you eat?" a worried expression marring his face.
"Yeah I did, what about you? Did you eat?"
"Of course my peppermint, Daddy ate a huge burger on his way home." Does he really believe I'm that gullible? Now that I'm sitting so close to him I can see those sleepless eyes, the lines on his forehead which run way deeper than before and his smile that looks like he's trying to stop the tears from coming out.
When we reached the hospital, the F wing, Dad walked to the reception and was asked to fill up some papers. I couldn't care less what they were. I just wanted to see mom as soon as possible.
"Hey Dad, how long is it gonna be?" The atmosphere at the hospital was getting on my nerves.
"It's gonna take Daddy a while, why don't you go first and I'll join you" He looked up and pointed to me to his right, "Go to room number one-" a ringing noise interrupted us. It sounded like a siren.
"What's wrong? What's this noise?" I asked, a sudden chaos erupted in the hospital,
"Code Red, Code Red" a nurse shouted.
"Head to the ER right now," A team of five rushed to what I presume was the way to the ER. If I wasn't scared earlier, I was now.
I got separated from dad in the ruckus. Where is he? I thought to myself as my eyes searched through the crowd of random people. I saw him standing behind the reception counter, there was another man with him.
I waved my hand in an attempt to grab dad's attention but his view was blocked by the other guy. The man was dressed in a formal manner, he held a briefcase in his left hand while his right was on my father's shoulder. I couldn't make out what they were talking about nor could I see what he looked like since his back was facing me.
The crowd seemed to be getting denser as the time passed making me antsy, my palms sweaty as a group of few doctors served passed me while knocking on my shoulder rushing towards somewhere at the end of the hall. I should go to him. I felt myself getting claustrophobic as the time trickled by. Upon taking a shaky step forward, I bumped into a crowd, "S-Sorry..." I apologised, my words coming stuttered, with my mind hazy with clouds. I noted that the ones I had bumped into were nurses, carrying a stretcher that had a patient on it.
My eyes made contact with the patient, a lady, not so old, must be in her twenties, was being carried on the stretcher, "mom! mom?!" a little boy ran desperately after her, his face washed red with tears.
Mom?! A sudden horror rose within me, my feets started walking as if they had a brain of their own, I ran and ran without thinking twice. Before I knew I had stopped in front of ward number one zero two, with trembling hands I grabbed the doorknob but couldn't bring myself to open the door.
I felt a huge discomfort in my stomach, nauseated, sick to my gut, I tried to ignore it but it was too much for me to handle. I ran to the nearest stall I could find and let it all out. I washed my face and straightened my clothes. Mom would feel really bad if she saw me like this.
After standing there for a few minutes I calmed myself and decided that it was time for me to go. I stood before the door and held the doorknob tightly as I swung the door open in one fast movement.
"Who are you?!" exclaimed a boy, a boy?
"I should be the one asking that question, this is my mother's ward. What are you doing here?" I gave the boy a questioning look, his blue orbs were just as confused as my hazel ones.
"The audacity of this girl-" he pursed his plump lips and tilted his head before he spoke again, "-really? This is your mother's ward? Take a look, does this photoframe belong to you mom? or these flowers sent to me by my older brother? or perhaps the medical record thingy that hangs in front of my bed has your mom's name?"
Did I just barge into the wrong room?! Didn't dad say room one zero two? "Okay okay sheesh, you argue like a girl and-" a knock on the door interrupted me.
"Issac, what's going on?" spoke a male voice behind me. He had a tall, lean but strong build, his caramel skin complimented his ocean eyes. He looked similar to the one who has been bickering with me.
"This girl, she came into this ward and started talking rubbish-"
"Issac, behave. This is no way to treat a friend." The tall guy gave Issac a stern look.
"Brother?! Are you siding with her?" Issac pouted as he pointed a finger at me.
"I'm not his fri-" I was interrupted again, "-end"
"Issac Holness-"
"Yes, brother Newtun Holness-" both of them stared at each other as though they were communicating through their eyes,
"Did you take your pills for today?"
"Yes, I did"
"I'll excuse myself," I turned around and walked out of the ward.
"Wait," Newtun stopped me. "I am assuming you don't know the right ward, thus you were here."
"Yes, maybe..." I was quite embarrassed to accept it.
"Are you here with someone?" he asked as he took his phone out, the huge screen lit up. "Give me their number."
"Yes, I am here with my father, his number is...." He dialed the said number and gave me his phone, it rang for a while before I heard a familiar voice.
"Who's this?"
"Dad, it's me."
"Pepper? Why are you calling me from someone else's phone? Is everything alright?!"
"Yes, Dad. I'm fine, everything's good. I kinda forgot mom's ward number..."
"It's One Two Two. Go ahead, I'll be there soon."
"Okay, thanks Dad."
I ended the call and handed the phone back to Newtun. "Thank you"
"No problem. Do you want me to walk you there?" he offered, are those two really brothers or is the little one adopted?
"No, I'll be fine."
***
"One.. Two.. Two.." I read multiple times before entering the ward. I took a deep breath and walked right in.
My eyes landed on the fragile figure of my mom, her face that used to be youthful and radiant like morning sun glinting in the summer morning sky now looks pale, her face sunken making her appear like a skeleton, although she is sleeping but I can see how weary she has become. The condition she was in right now, I've never seen my mother like this. Why? God, why? How can you be so cruel? A silent cry escaped my lips as my knees gave up.
"Pepper!?" I heard rushed footsteps near me as my father's voice reached my ears. "Pepper! I'm here, I'm here, Daddy is here, it's okay, don't cry, shhh.." He held me close to his chest as he rocked me trying to calm by laboured breathing but I just couldn't not stop myself from gasping as I cried. My chest feels so tight so so tight, it feels like nothing could help me now, not even his warmth could soothe the storm brewing inside me.
"Dad? When will mom recover? Her health has worsened than it was before she was admitted" I could no longer hold it inside me.
With teary eyes he looked down at me and even though he opened his mouth no words came out.
BEEP!... BEEP!... BEEP!... ...
"Mom?!"
"Jane!"
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