The Light That Rid My Darkness

thirty eight

After the shit show in the bathroom with Mah nothing was different. He still treated me the same. Which was kind of confusing, because just why?

He worked with me. Making jokes and telling me it was all going to be okay.

Then after hours of sitting on a fucking bathroom floor, we went back to his hospital bed and slept until noon time.

Here I was in his tense, big arms as he slept. Which were never really tense, at least when he slept beside me.

The hospital smelt of alcohol wipes and, old people. The morning sun shone through the curtains, giving the room a pretty bright light color.

I rotated my body out of Mah's strong grip. Lifting my body up and swinging my legs over the side of the bed. I let out a big stretch and felt something wrap around my body. It was him.

"Merry Christmas. To both of my babies. Feeling good?" His deep raspy voice was music to my ears.

"With you, always. Merry Christmas. My greatest gift of all." I leaned in to give him a long, cherishing kiss. "Hungry?  I could get you something from downstairs."

"Fuck no. That tasteless shit." I looked back and caught Mah's eyes the same time he caught mine. A smile spread across my face at his comment. "Wait, what? Where did everybody go. I'm used to Parker's loud ass voice in the mornings." His beautiful green eyes grew bigger as he looked around the room. "Why are we...here?"

I titled my head in as much confusion as him. What did he mean? Did he not remember him getting sick last night? Did he sleep so good that he'd forgotten that much?

I laughed nervously. "Mah, you coughed up blood last night at the festival. They brought you here because apparently Doctor Jones ordered them to do so when that type of stuff happens to you. You don't remember?"

"Shit. What the hell. Is my daughter okay? Are you okay?" His hand went to his forehead. The veins in his hands and arms popping out as he did. "I do a little now. Is it the fucking dad senses getting to me? Is that why I'm forgetting shit. God, Lah?"

"You're an idiot." He didn't laugh or anything. He still kept that puzzled look. "Mah, what all do you remember?"

"I remember almost dying the way I saw you on the bathroom floor. All my mind was set on was helping you. Now I'm...here."

"Well Merry fucking Christmas! Santa has brought the joy!" Parker came through the doorway with a Santa hat on. One of his arms rested on Lay's head while she walked next to him.

"Do I look like a fucking arm rest to you? Fucking asshole." She ran towards me and immediately hugged me so tightly.

"Merry Christmas!"

"Lay..."

"Shut up pregger princess." The funny words came out of her mouth so smoothly, as if they were the smartest words she could choose. "I'm sorry. And so are all of the other dumbasses who kept that secret from you. And if Mah didn't fucking apologize I'll kill him before the fucking tumor does—"

"Guys..." I laughed before she could finish. "It's fine. But he doesn't remember anything."

"What do you mean?"

"He doesn't remember last night. When he always does."

"Mah?" Bak walked into the room now with Luke

and Ease behind him. "What do you remember from last night? Hey!" He yelled to gain Mah's attention. Who was looking out of the window. As if he wasn't aware of anything going on right now.

He was undeniably off. He wasn't himself.

"Merry Christmas everyone." Doctor Jones walked into the room. "Is everything okay? How is he?"

"Unresponsive. He was responding okay a few minutes ago. But now he's just...blank. Mah?" I called out to him. He turned his head to me but didn't look mindful of anything.

"Hey." He smiled and looked back towards the window. "Brocan, I need to get to them."

Everything with Brocan had been handled a few months ago. At least on our side. We didn't have to worry about them anymore. So him bringing them up was odd.

"Mr. Garcia." Doctor Jones raised her tone in a attention seeking way. Then he finally moved his full attention to the rest of the room instead of the window. "What is my name?"

"You're..."

"Doctor Jones—"

"Yeah, Jones. But how do I? What the fuck?"

"Alright. Everyone stay here. Or go to the waiting room if you wish to. I will take him into testing to see what all is the matter with him. I'll keep you updated as much as I can."

She helped him off of the bed. When he stood completely up he didn't seem too weak. In fact, he was walking with a lot of strength.

But mentally he seemed so lost and weak. Like everyone and everything around him were new to him.

Before he could walk off to fast I wrapped my arms around his body. I didn't want him to go. It all felt off. He hugged me back slowly.

"Nothing is wrong. We're gonna be out of this shit hole in no time. I'm just here because of a cold, or something." He was so serious while saying this. Like he wasn't aware of his tumor.

It was memory loss. I knew it before the test results could even prove it.