The Firefly

53°

When we arrived, I was the only one who stayed awake.

We were led into the waiting room while we waited to hear how Nathan was doing.

I tried not to think about my uncle.
I tried hard, but memories assailed me.

How many times had I passed through those halls to visit him?
Not enough, I repeated to myself.

Nurses walked quickly over the shiny white tiles, and some patients stretched their legs before going back to bed.

It was an oppressive and distressing environment; I hated it.

Jake looked exhausted and definitely had a big headache, Leda was trying to distract herself by playing with her thumbs.

-Maybe you'd better go home.- She suggested noticing the boy's pale face, but he imperceptibly shook his head.

-Wait for me here.- I said getting up awkwardly and heading for the vending machine, I desperately needed to stretch my legs.

As if moving could slide off that oppressive feeling pressing on my chest.

I had just a few dollars in my pocket, but it was enough to get two fruit bars.

I went back to the others rubbing my eyes.

I didn't know if they had reddened from crying or from the annoying cold lights in the hallway.

I sat down next to Jake and then handed him a fruit bar. -You've lost a lot of blood, eat a bit.- I concluded when he grabbed it skeptically.

I handed the other to my friend who looked at me gratefully. -Let's make it half.- He proposed breaking it off and handing me a piece.

We began to eat in silence, me leaning on Jake's shoulder and Leda on mine.

The boy wrapped an arm around us both as if to reassure us, my friend seemed to appreciate it.

For the first time she looked at him with different eyes.

A man in a white coat came toward us. He had a pair of large round glasses in front of small dark eyes and long white hair tied in a pigtail.

He stroked his well-groomed goatee while looking at the medical chart he was holding.

-Do you know a man named Petit Nathan?-

Leda straightened up in her seat. -Yes, how is he?-

The man seemed a little annoyed by the sudden attention. -His right cheekbone is fractured and will need surgery, but he will be out of here in three or four days at the most.-

-When will the surgery be?-

-If they confirm the presence of the appropriate surgeon, it should be tomorrow around late afternoon.-

The doctor cleared his throat by adjusting his glasses on his nose.

-Does he know it yet?- I asked leaning toward him, who nodded. -Can we see him?- Leda looked at the man pleadingly.

-Yes, of course, come.- And saying that he turned away without even waiting for us. I made Jake stand up carefully and then followed the doctor and Leda through the corridors.

-Are you feeling dizzy?- I asked the boy at my side.
-A little, I can walk.- He said clinging to my arm to be led.

We turned a couple of corners before we stopped in front of a white door, the man opened it slowly and Leda dived in.

Before entering I took a long sigh, then took the decisive step.

Inside, the room was lit only by the small bajour on the bedside table beside the bed on which Nathan was lying.

We all approached cautiously, the boy opened his eyes. -Hey...- He hinted a crooked smile. Leda ran to his side with watery eyes.

The boy had a completely black eye, a split lip and a swollen, purplish right cheekbone, yet he was smiling.

-Are you all right?- He asked the girl, watching her carefully; she nodded before sinking her face into the crook of the boy's neck, hugging him.

They said nothing to each other as they stayed close to each other, and I really felt too much in the way. I squeezed Jake's hand that encircled my waist, he didn't need to see to imagine the scene.

I felt goosebumps at the contact.

We walked back outside the room.

-How does he look?- The boy asked me in a low voice once the door was closed again.

I carefully slipped the tissues from his nose; the bleeding had stopped.

-Like someone who has just been beaten.- I joked and Jake grimaced.

-How funny.- He snorted.

-Do you want to go out for some air?- I proposed feeling the oppressive environment.

-Yes.- He muttered.

Outside there was a light breeze that was cool and pleasant. We sat down on a bench on the small terrace connected to the corridor, and I gazed at the few stars that could be discerned in the cloudy sky.

-Does it hurt where he hit you?- I asked in a low voice, observing his reddened nose and stained shirt.

-The pain is disappearing, I would say your friend is worse.- He said in a whisper breathing deeply, instinctively I left a small kiss on his cheek, he turned his face in the opposite direction of mine.

His arm encircled my shoulders pulling me to him, I caught a glimpse of his flushed cheeks.

Friends do it, friends do it.

We remained silent, listening to the sound of cars driving down the road ahead of us.

-I didn't know about your parents.- He suddenly enunciated.

-I heard from your brother, at the funeral.- I closed my eyes, observing the firmament, tightened my lips as I lowered my gaze.

-I remember them in a very blurry way, I was little at the time of the accident.- I confided in him.

When their memory surfaced in my mind a warm and sweet feeling expanded in my heart pouring into my veins and running through every millimeter of my body.

And I could do nothing but fold my lips into a smile.

-How did you feel?- I felt him lower his face slightly.

-How did you feel when you woke up and ... and Thomas was gone?- I rephrased in a barely audible voice, as if doing so made the question less onerous.

He didn't make a sound.

I felt the grip around my hand become more acute, his other arm wrapped around my shoulders.

I regretted that question, how must he have felt after all?

He had had Thomas as I had Leda. And Nathan. And Gareth.

-Lost.- He then muttered.

He didn't add anything else; he didn't need to.

I raised my face to admire his who, bent toward me, held his foxy eyes half-open.

-Excuse me.- I whispered and abandoned myself on him.

I let him enfold me in a final embrace, holding me until I ran out of air.

It was strange, seeing him cry.

Not excessive crying, he even controlled himself in that instant.

But it lasted long enough for me to see his cheeks become totally moist.

It lasted long enough for me to wipe them away with the palm of my hand, not noticing how my eyes were imitating his.