Hiding Inside

Revelations

Faint voices outside of her room woke Christine from an uneasy slumber. She couldn't make out the words, but one of the voices was Dr. Getz. She sounded upset, though Christine couldn't figure out why. She did know that she was extremely thirsty, and she wanted that annoying tube out of her throat.

The hallway streamed with busy nurses and anxious visitors. Dr. Getz and several colleagues stood just outside Christine's room.
"Isn't it bad enough that I have to explain to her that she will never see her mother and sister again?" Dr. Getz asked rhetorically. "And now I have to tell her she is to live with some distant uncle she has never met?"
"Nobody could have seen this coming, least of all her." A young man in a white jacket replied. "But now she has an opportunity to meet a part of her family that she may not have met otherwise."
"What if there is a reason she has never met this uncle?" Dr. Getz was getting agitated.
"We dont have a voice in this matter, Brenda." A tall man with glasses and a sharp suit declared.
"So we are just supposed to let her move to another state with some stranger and hope it will be ok?" Dr. Gets exclaimed.
"What else can we do?" The young man asked. He was right. What else could they do?
Suddenly the red light above Christine's door flickered, and the coworkers departed, leaving Dr. Getz to attend to the little girl.
"Hello, Sweetheart." She greeted. "Can I get you anything?"
Christine pointed to her mouth, and she gave a gesture indicating she wanted something to drink.
"Im so sorry, Honey, but you can't have anything to drink yet." The doctor fumbled through a drawer in the medicine cabinet. She held up a small object. "But this is a little sponge that I can use to moisten your lips."
She dipped the small sponge in a cup of cold water, and then pressed it gently to Christine's lips. Her mouth felt like sandpaper, so the water was extremely refreshing.
The doctor and the little girl shared a soft look and for a moment, Christine wasn't afraid. But the tender moment was interrupted by several nurses coming into the room with a small table and hospital equipment.
"Hello, Dr. Getz." A young lady greeted her with a handshake. She turned to Christine and said, "And hello, cutie! How would you like to get that nasty tube out?"
Christine's blue eyes lit up and she raised her eyebrows to show her excitement.
"Great!" The nurse replied. "Now this wont hurt, but it will be very uncomfortable for a minute or two. Can you be tough and try to stay as still as possible, so we can get it over and done as quickly as possible?"
Christine started to feel very nervous. Dr. Getz could see her anxiety in her posture and the look in her eyes.
"I will be right here the entire time, Sweetheart." The doctor assured her. "I will hold your hand and you can look at me, instead of the tube." She was extremely nervous about Christine's questions and dreaded answering them. But Dr. Getz' comfort helped Christine feel a sense of relief, so she reluctantly looked over at the nurse and gave a look of acceptance.
"You are a very brave little girl." The nurse told her. "Alright, here we go, Christine."