The Bonds We Keep

Shadows in the Light

I woke up the next morning with a strange sense of calm. The previous day's outing had felt like a rare glimpse into my old life, one where I wasn't surrounded by machines and constantly poked and prodded like some kind of medical experiment. For a few precious hours, I'd just been me, hanging out with my brothers, eating oatmeal, and laughing at stupid jokes. It was both surreal and incredibly comforting.

As I adjusted myself in bed, my gaze drifted to the IV stand and the now-empty bag. I couldn't believe it—the NG tube might be gone by the end of today if things went well. I felt an odd blend of hope and skepticism bubbling inside. Knowing my body, I half-expected some kind of rebellion.

There was a soft knock on the door, and without waiting for an answer, Luca poked his head in. His hair was an absolute disaster, and he had that half-awake, half-smiling look he always wore when he was up before nine.

"Morning, Sleeping Beauty," he greeted, voice tinged with his usual sarcasm."Is this an apology for waking me up?" I shot back, arching an eyebrow."Apology? Never," he said, coming in and dropping a stack of board games onto the table beside my bed. "I'm just here to make sure you don't die of boredom. I figured we could start with a classic—Monopoly."

I groaned. "I'd rather keep the feeding tube than deal with Monopoly right now."Luca laughed and started shuffling through the games. "Fine, fine. Maybe something less cutthroat. But fair warning: I'm unbeatable at every game ever made.""Oh, so it's your 'humble' day," I replied, rolling my eyes. "Well, pick one, Mr. Unbeatable."Just as he settled on a game, Beckett came in with a clipboard, looking a little too chipper for this early in the day.

"Alright, El. Today's a big day," he said, giving me a reassuring smile."Let's skip to the good part. You're removing the tube, right?" I asked, trying to sound casual but feeling that excitement bubble up again."If you can keep breakfast down, then yes," Beckett replied, giving me a careful look. "So let's take it slow and steady."

"Great. My favorite combination," I muttered, eyeing the tray that Jasper wheeled in next."Morning, El," Jasper said, setting the tray down and lifting the lid with a flourish. "Today's special: scrambled eggs, gluten-free toast, and a side of cautious optimism.""Just what I wanted," I deadpanned, though my stomach growled. The food looked incredible, considering I hadn't had anything more solid than yogurt in ages. With a deep breath, I picked up the fork and took a small bite.

"So far, so good," I announced with a smirk after swallowing.Beckett watched with his usual careful gaze but nodded approvingly. "Just keep going, nice and easy."

I continued eating, and after a few bites, I almost forgot about the tube altogether. My family trickled into the room, each of them offering little cheers and thumbs-ups like I was running a marathon or something. It was nice, in a weirdly embarrassing way. "Look at you, making scrambled eggs disappear like a pro," Ace commented, leaning against the wall with a grin.

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, watch out. Next thing you know, I'll be on Iron Chef.""That would be terrifying for the world," Milo added, his voice tinged with mock horror. "Can you imagine the mess she'd make?""Hey, I'll have you know I make a fantastic gluten-free pizza," I shot back, raising my chin defiantly.

"Sure, sure," he teased, showing me the tattoo on his arm again. "Speaking of fantastic things, isn't this the most inspiring piece of art you've ever seen?""Oh, yes, Milo," I said, placing a hand on my heart dramatically. "Your self-taught masterpiece gives the Mona Lisa a run for her money."

Laughter filled the room, and I found myself genuinely enjoying the morning. But just as I was feeling like things were getting back to normal, Ethan's voice cut through the laughter."So...has anyone told her yet?" he asked, a nervous look flashing in his eyes.The room went quiet. Luca's gaze darted away, Beckett cleared his throat, and Jasper suddenly became very interested in the floor. My stomach twisted, and it wasn't from the scrambled eggs."Told me what?" I asked slowly, feeling my heart rate spike.Beckett finally looked at me, his expression serious. "El...there's something we've been meaning to talk to you about. We didn't want to worry you, especially while you were still recovering, but...there was an incident with Dad."

My heart dropped. "What do you mean, 'incident'?""He's fine now, but a few days ago, he had a health scare," Beckett continued, choosing his words carefully. "It happened while you were still at the hospital. He had some chest pain, and...they found some heart issues.""Wait...why didn't anyone tell me this sooner?" I demanded, feeling a mix of anger and worry swirling inside me.

"We didn't want to stress you out, especially with everything going on," Jasper explained, his voice soft but firm. "Dad insisted on keeping it quiet. He didn't want you to worry.""Too late," I said, my hands gripping the sheets tightly. "How serious is it?""It's under control," Beckett assured me, though his tone didn't sound entirely convincing. "He's been on medication, and he's adjusting his lifestyle. It's...manageable, but we're all going to be here to help him, okay?"

"Wow, so you all decided to play doctors and not tell the patient? That's fantastic," I snapped, glaring at them.

"Hey, it wasn't easy for any of us," Ace chimed in, defensive. "We just didn't want you to worry, El. He's doing alright now."I looked around the room, feeling a mix of betrayal and understanding. They'd hidden it from me, but I also knew they were trying to protect me in their own clumsy, well-meaning way."Fine," I finally said, my voice softer than I expected. "But next time...just tell me. I don't need to be coddled."

"We'll keep that in mind," Beckett said with a small smile. "Now, let's focus on getting you through this breakfast, alright?"I nodded, still a bit shaken but determined to finish. And as I took each bite, I couldn't shake the thought of Dad's condition, lurking in the back of my mind like a shadow over this rare moment of hope. We were all dealing with our battles, but somehow, we'd have to navigate through it together.

As I swallowed the last bite of toast, Beckett gave me a nod. "Alright, El. Let's go ahead and get that tube out."

I took a deep breath, feeling a mix of relief and excitement. This was finally happening. Beckett removed the tube with a quick, careful motion, and I felt a strange sensation of freedom. No more tube, no more daily reminder of how fragile everything had been."There," Beckett said, patting my shoulder. "One step closer to normal."I couldn't help but smile. "Yeah, whatever 'normal' is."

After he finished, my family offered a few cheers and even a few claps. For the first time in what felt like forever, I felt like myself. But as they left the room one by one, that heavy thought about Dad remained. I wasn't sure what our next steps would be, but I knew one thing—I'd be there for him just like they'd been here for me.

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A/N

Word Count: 1,200

Sorry for being gone for awhile I was down with a cold; I'm feeling better now so I will try to get some more chapters out in the next few days.

Love ya, XOXO