Saving Kate

The Plug

This isn't happening.

I'm not sitting here waiting for the doctor to tell me the news.

And I'm sure as hell not wondering if my dad is dead.

But honestly I am, and isn't life a bitch.

As I wait I turn to see Dex sitting on the floor with a paper plane he made out of a paper in the magazine and Tyler just sitting beside me seeming like he's trying to think of something to say. What could you say? "He's not dead." or "He's gonna be okay." I mean you can't say something that's possibly not true.

I just turn to look at him and say,"I'm going to use the restroom.

He just semi-smiles and says,"Okay."

As I step in the room I take my appearance. I look like hell.

My hair's in a huge and messy bun, I have no makeup on, I have bags under my eyes due to the lack of sleep, and I'm wearing a huge sweatshirt that shows my bra straps a little too much. It's my dad sweatshirt.

As I splash some cold water on my face to wake up I just sit down and break down.

I'm not one to cry in public, so I guess I'll take this alone time wondering what the hell me and Dex are gonna do if he doesn't make it.

I did not imagine to be in this tiny, yellow, and old hospital or even in this smelly, rusted, and beaten down bathroom. I just didn't expect this period.

As I look around to take in the place I'm falling apart at I notice the red paint peeling off the wall showing the white primer under it, the wobbly toilet that makes noise every 10 seconds,the slightly tilted mirror that looks as if it would slightly moved it would come falling down and break on this off-centered tiled floor.

"Perfect place to send my dying father. Hope the doctor has more quality than this bathroom.", I say to myself trying to cheer myself up but failing miserably.

After a good 2 minutes, I decide it's time to go out there and wait for what feels like forever.

As I go back in I notice the other people in the rooms appearances as well. At the very end of the row in the corner, I see this lady with her baby trying to fight tears so they won't land on her precious little boy. She's just rocking him back in forth smiling, an the baby's just laughing because he's oblivious to the whatever situation they're in. I hope whatever's going on will be okay for them.

After a while of looking at people with the same sad and torturous looks on their faces my eyes land on Tyler. He's looking at the TV trying to keep his mind off of whatever's going on. His eyes are baggy, because of the lack of sleep like me, his black school shirt that has his baseball number on it has like 20 stains from all the pizza we ate at the cafeteria here. It was disgusting, but we were starving. His sweatpants are wrinkly from him changing his seating position every five seconds. His hair is in a very attractive messy/sexy style right now.

Shit, he caught me.

"What?", he ask amused that I got caught.

"Nothing.", I quickly say trying to hide my blush that is easily showing.

He just laughs and mentions he's going to get coffee.

This has to be the ugliest and oldest hospital ever. The whole waiting room is painted yellow with tiny rainbows on the edges of the bottom. The TV on the wall is so tiny I'm surprised Tyler could focus on it. There's only like 3 magazines, including the one that Dex practically destroyed. The chairs are bright red and has one row in the middle, and the rest set upon the sides of the walls. I look down to glare at Dex who's throwing paper planes at my face.

How am I going to explain this to him? He just pouts and says,"I'm bored. Can we go home?"

I just look at him and say,"No." "Why?", he whines.

As if I was saved by the bell the doctor comes in the waiting room and says," John Harrington."

I stand up and meet him by the door so Dex wouldn't have to hear the news.

"You must be his daughter, I'm Doctor Wallace."

"Hi, is he okay?" I really wanted to say alive, but I couldn't ever manage that out of my mouth.

His face when I asked that made my stomach drop.

"He's alive."

Thank God.

"But he has difficult breathing and can not breathe on his own. We have him hooked up on a machine, and if we unplug the machine he would most likely pass away."

"He's on life support?", I say trying to comprehend what he's saying to me.

"Yes, and we're not sure if he's going to wake up."

Not really sure what to say I just nod and try to keep my composure.

"Would you like to see him?"

I just nod faster than expected and say, "Let me just wait for my friend to get here so my little brother isn't by himself in here."

After a few moments Tyler comes back with two cups of coffee and milk.

As I tell Tyler the news, he looked relieved yet concerned.

"Here you go ahead and see him, I'll stay here with "The Devil"." I just kinda laugh and nod.

As I enter the room and close the door I take in my fathers appearance. His head has a white bandage wrapped all around it, his lip is completely busted and dried up, his eyes are black like he just ran into two fists at the same time, he has a splint on one arm,and a cast on his leg. How did this happen?

At a loss for words I just sit there and realize if he doesn't make it, how are we going to survive? Is there any way we can keep the things we have? Will Dex have to live with mom? I shudder at that last thought. Dad's not going to die. We don't have a world if he doesn't live in it.

We're never going to pull that plug.