Finding Jaime

Chapter 103

"Hey, E," I said, quietly, as I walked into the quiet and dimly lit hospital room. Mom had driven me to the hospital Saturday morning after my birthday party. I'd tried to spend the rest of the night being engaging and have a good time, but it had been hard, and eventually, after thanking everyone for coming, I went up to my room and lay on my bed in the dark. Dad found me there once the party was over about an hour later. He'd told people that I'd gotten some bad news about a friend and apologized that I wasn't around for people to say goodbye to after the party. His mom had smiled when Mom and I showed up. Ethan looked like he was sleeping when I came in, but his mom encouraged me to say hi.

The small boy in the bed opened his eyes and looked at me. At first he didn't react. Then he smiled, just a bit.

"Hey Jaime. Did you get my present?" He asked. I pulled the dragon out of my pocket.

"This one?" I asked, sitting beside him on his bed.

"Yeah. My dragon. I wanted you to have it to remember me and to remember to fight," he whispered.

"I'm sorry, E. This sucks," I said to him. He knew he was dying. I didn't have to sugar coat it.

"I know," he said. "I'd sorta hoped I'd see ten."

Tears came to my eyes with the realization he wouldn't even make it to his tenth birthday.

I pulled up The Offspring on my phone and played their latest album. Ethan slowly, and painfully from the looks of it, moved over a little and patted the bed.

"Lie down," he said. "We can just listen to the music that way, if you don't mind."

I didn't, and lay down beside him. His parents were sitting in chairs around the room. His sister was asleep on a bench in the room.

For a long while Ethan and I just lay on his bed and listened to music. He asked me a few questions about what it was like to be out on tour with Dad, and what other types of music I listen to. We talked about dumb stuff, and I didn't care, because I'd talk about anything just to keep Ethan talking.

"Jaime, I'm really tired and I want to take a nap. Can you stay here, though? Beside me? Don't leave yet?" Ethan asked after about an hour.

"Sure E," I said. "I'll be right here when you wake up."

Mom ruffled my hair as she watched Ethan close his eyes and sleep. His mom started crying.

"Jaime," Mom whispered. "I'm going to get a coffee. Do you want anything?"

"Can you get me one, too?" I asked. She nodded, hugged Ethan's mom and left the room.

"Ethan never stops talking about you," she said to me. "He was telling everyone about his 'cool friend' that he met at chemo."

I smiled and blushed a little.

"He annoyed me so much the day I met him. It wasn't his fault. I wasn't exactly in a good frame of mind myself."

Ethan's mom nodded.

"I understand. You were so patient with him, from what the nurses told me later. I never stayed in the clinic when he was having his chemo. I just couldn't face it," she admitted. "And now I wish I had, because I didn't know at the time that I wasn't going to have a lot of time left with him."

I didn't say anything. Ethan's dad took his wife's hand. I knew they probably just needed to talk and get things out.

"Thank you for arranging the merchandise and upgrade for Ashley at your dad's concert. She really appreciated it, she really needed that."

"I'm glad we were able to do something for her. One of my dad's friends got my sister a book about being the sibling of a sick kid, and it made me think about Ashley when I met Ethan. I'm glad my dad was able to do something for her and her friend," I said.

"She really did appreciate it. And she had a great time. It's memories like that that will help her move past losing Ethan. How are you, by the way? I feel like I should at least ask you that," Ethan's mom said.

"I'm alright. So far everything's been coming back clean," I said.

"That's good. I'm happy for you," she said, looking sadly at Ethan, who was still asleep.

Mom came back with her coffee and mine. Ethan started to wake up a little while later.

"You stayed," he said as he realized I was still lying next to him.

"Well, yeah. You asked me to, so I did," I said.

"Thanks. I wish I had a brother and that he was like you," Ethan said.

"Well, little bro, you've got me now. I'll be your honorary older brother," I said. I saw Meagan smile at that.

"Thanks, Jaime," Ethan smiled. "You're going to keep my dragon, right? Like, you didn't bring it to give it back to me, did you? Because I want you to keep it."

"I'll keep it, E. I promise."

"Good. I wanted you to have something to remember me by," he said, his eyes drifting closed again. "Sorry, I'm tired."

Ethan fell asleep again and his mom stifled a sob. Mom indicated we should go. I didn't want to, but I knew Ethan's family deserved all the time they could have with him.

"I'm really sorry," I said to his mom.

"Thank you, Jaime. Thank you for being such a great friend to Ethan. He really seems to have found some connection with you," his mom said.

"Can I come back to visit?" I asked.

"Of course. Your dad gave Ashley your contact information, so if, when, we'll call you."

I swallowed hard. I knew what she was insinuating and I didn't want to think about that, but it was obvious that it was coming soon. I hugged Ethan's mom, Ashley, who had woken up while I was visiting with Ethan, and shook hands with his dad. They thanked me again for visiting Ethan, and we said we'd stay in touch. Mom and I left his room and walked down to the car. I kept my eyes down on the ground in front of me, just thinking about how unfair it was that I'd (so far) beaten cancer, and Ethan was dying.

"You did good, Jaime," Mom said to me as we got into the car. "I think you made Ethan's day, and I know his family was happy to watch you with him. His mom mentioned to me that Ethan had been asking for you, but she didn't know how to ask you to come. Until he asked Ashley to give you that dragon."

I didn't say anything. I didn't trust my voice. I was trying not to let my sadness overwhelm me, but when we got home, I went up to my room, closed my door and cried. I put Ethan's dragon on my nightstand, and just looked at it.