Lovebird [completed]

Chapter 12: Waiting Room

I sat there in the waiting room with a restless leg and teeth biting on fingers. I was sitting on a big white couch in the waiting room. I had already messaged Brooke and Alex about the incident and they said they were on their way. The lady who had opened the door was there. She wore a bandana and her curly hair stroking down her flowery shirt. She would sometimes turn her head towards me and smile but I could see the fear in her eyes.

"What is your name?" she asked breaking the silence between us.

"Oh I'm Ana" I said startled wiping away the tears that started building up again.

"Hi I'm Julie and the man who called the ambulance, that's Will. Will Jones. He's a nurse here and takes care of the children at the institution. Lucas means a lot to him." she said as her voice started to break.

"Um, so how did Lucas end up in the institution?" I said as one of the million questions I had in my mind slipped out.

"Well his father died when he was very young and he stayed with his mother afterwards. His mother than became an alcoholic and a drug addict and after a year or so she killed herself with drug overdose. He lived on the streets for about 2 years. There's this bridge he used to like going to. His home was the streets and some shops. One day Will went to buy something from the local grocery store and he met him. Will asked him where he lived and he responded with a faint 'here' he took him to the institution and lived there ever since"

I stood shocked. I never knew this was the reason he had went to an institution. I had never known he had been homeless since he was still a boy. He had left his childhood so secret and now I knew why: he had no childhood. He never had that first time on a tricycle moment, or the first time you are frustrated cause you can't write the number 8 right. As I was deep in my thoughts, I hear footsteps from behind me. I automatically turn and I see Alex and Brooke rushing towards me.

For a moment I had forgotten about what had happened; the terrors of tonight. The fall, the crying, the ambulance siren.... all of it. And then it came rushing back and it hit me by surprise. The pain and worry rushed back through my chest and I stopped the tears half way as I wrapped both of them into a big hug.

"Noah is down stairs getting us coffee from the cafeteria. He wanted to come." Alex said with a broken voice.

Alex rarely cried because she keeps everything to herself. At that moment I hear footsteps coming from the ward where Lucas was found. A short woman came along with Will from there.

The woman wore a hospital robe and she looked like she was a doctor. She had a very stern look on her face. Her hazel hair was cut till her ears and her glasses rested on the point of her nose, holding  clipboard on her left arm. I looked at her startled as I waited for any news she might bring. As i thought this she came up to us and Julie woke up from her seat, staring at her wide eyed.

"Hello I am Dr. Peters, Mr. Walker's oncologist. Mr. Walker has gained conscuisness and we have taken some blood tests. The results just came out. He is found in this ward, room 131" she said pointing to the corridor they just came out from."

I got my bag from the sofa as Julie walked up to Will and Dr. Peters, but Dr.Peters came in the way and looked at me like I was doing something bad. I stopped in my tracks as she said:

"Family only. We need to keep Lucas away from any contact as possible so family only in this case Julie and Will only."

"Don't you think thst me sticking my tongue against his throat is proof enough that I am family?" I said all the anger stored inside me finally bursting out.

"It's for his health" she reminded me trying to calm me down. Now people were starting to stare at us.

"Oh ok I get. So you actually care only about his physical health and not his mental health? He needs me. He needs someone he can trust right now.  And don't tell me Will and Julie." Then I turned to Will and Julie as I realised what I had just said. I looked apologetically at them as tears were strolling down my face.

"I guess she can come for the news, Phil. She's been waiting here for hours and she's the one who found him" I heard Will say to the oncologist.

"I guess you can come but no kissing" she said with a warning look as me, Julie, Will and Dr. Peters went down the hall Brooke and Alex waiting in the waiting room.

We arrived in a closed room. I took a deep breath as Dr. Peters opened the room. I saw Lucas staring at me brown circles under his eyes, looking tired wearing a hospital gown. I ran past Will and the doctor as I kissed him pationatley, cuping his face into my arms. At that moment everything seemed to fade: Dr. Peters constant warnings, the memories of last night, the people in the room.... everything.

As I let go I smiled at him letting the tears that had been kept locked up finally free.

"Ok now its time for the news" Phil said as I grabbed Lucas' hand holding it tightly.

"We don't yet know the cause of the collapse it might have been a reaction caused by the body but we took some test results and the results are out." She looked at her feet and somehow I felt what she was gonna say next. I knew but I still had to ask

"And?" I said breathless, gulping hard, pressing Lucas' fingers against mine more tightly.

"I'm afraid Lucas has lukemia"

And the whole world blurred before my very own eyes