Saving Andrew

Chapter 6

Chapter 6
Closer

                           The festive atmosphere would soon come to an abrupt end. That night, my brother Carlos called me. My father had been rushed to the hospital after fainting in the bathroom and hitting his head on the sink. Andrew offered to go with me and I accepted. When we got there, my mother ranted against him for no reason whatsoever, but I reminded her that it was not the time and that there was nothing to reproach.

"None of this would have happened if you were at home, Maya," my brother said, very annoyed.

"This would have happened anyway, Carlos! With or without me," I said hitting his arm, trying to reason with him, but he exploded.

"No, Maya! Dad needs you! He needs us all, but what do you do? You leave with the first asshole you meet on the street!" He yelled at me and I slapped him. Andrew took my arm and pulled me away from my brother.

My aunt Carmelita warned both of us that it was not the time or place for our fights. Andrew said that he would call Joe to ask him to take him home, but I asked him to stay with me. I begged actually, I needed him and he agreed.

Tense moments were lived because we didn't know anything about my father and no one on staff seemed to care. Some ignored us when we asked, and others pretended not to understand even though my brother and I spoke perfect English, so Andrew went to ask, and a nurse very kindly agreed to investigate and as soon as she got the information, she approached us in the waiting room and let us know.

My father was stable. The blow from the fall was not dangerous and he had no internal damage, but his condition had progressed, causing his symptoms to worsen. So much sacrifice for nothing! I felt scared, frustrated, and upset about everything that was happening. I couldn't do anything to stop my father from dying, and I found myself feeling guilty for not being next to him.

"Maya, stop!" my aunt Carmelita whispered. "I won't let you feel belittled by Carlos. This is not your fault," she continued.

"I agree, love. Don't be hard on yourself," Andrew said, agreeing with my aunt.

I hugged Andrew from behind and he kissed my arms and hands saying how sorry he was. My brother apologized to us for being such a jerk and the three of us hugged, leaving every grudge behind, but my mom scoffed.

"Hypocrite," She said under her breath.

My dad's condition got worse. Doctors did not assure us he could make it. That brought the family back together and closer. I asked the court for Aunt Vivian's restraining order to be revoked so she could spend time with my dad and it was granted. I warned her that if she dared to pull any of her antics at me, she would lose her privilege to be with my father. She tried to hug me, but I backed off, and she understood that I was still mad at her for what she did and sadly, I was not ready to forgive her.

At the hospital, we all waited there for the end. One of the specialists told us to say our goodbyes, but as soon as I got close to the bed, my dad opened his eyes. I smiled and I knew he would be ok. Still, he spent time in the hospital. I took turns with my mom, my aunts, and my brother to take care of him. I was tired and burnt out, but refused to let my father be alone. I promised to be there with him until the end. An end that never came.

The weight of my commitment to my father pressed heavily on me. Exhaustion crept into my bones, fueled by unanswered questions that had Andrew at their core. There was a distraction in him, a subtle shift in his gaze, and a guardedness that raised my suspicions. What was he hiding? I couldn't quite put my finger on it, and he hadn't divulged anything.