One day in Brooklyn

Chapter 2

The smell hits me first, sterile cleaner and other smells I can't place giving me an immediate headache because it is so strong. The lights are bright fluorescents that hurt my eyes. I am in a large room on a small bed. The room is sectioned into many different parts with curtains. That means there are many other sick people. I look around and notice that I am alone, no doctors or people to worry and make me feel bad.

 I slowly close my eyes and wait to go to sleep. The beautiful peace never comes though and I lie awake for a long time. Eventually a nurse comes around the corner of the sheet that is separating me and the next kid.

Her accent is thick meaning she didn’t just move here after the war. She has a clip board in her hand and questions "Kid, where is your mom? Dad?" at the mention of my Dad I get a flush of sadness and tears well up in my eyes but I blink them away.

"My Mom works at the factory downtown and is in the middle of her shift right now, my Dad died in the war. Do you know what happened to the girl that was with me when I was taken here? Can you find her?" I say quietly trying to hide the fact that I am on the brink of tears.

"You mean that sweet little girl who was bawling when she showed up with you in the ambulance?? We took her home.  She was so worried about you she came in at 6:00 a.m. We told her to go home and get some rest." The nurse says shaking her head disapproving "Also she said she would be back at 10:00. This means she will be here in about 30 minutes." Just the thought of Adrian being here makes me happier and less stressed. "Now kid I got some news for you, but I need to tell a parent or some sort of guardian before I tell you, who can I call?"

"Call Cynthia Lucero," I say "She isn't my biological Mom but the closest thing there is to an aunt." Cindy is Adrian's Mom and my mother's best friend. This means she will bring Adrian with her. Finally I won't be alone! The pain in my Abdomen comes back, this time it causes me to twist and slide in the small bed. Writhing in pain I surprise the nurse. She grabs my wrists and pins them down yelling for help.

 Doctors come around the corner running. The Doctor that reaches me first grabs my legs pinning me all the way so I can't move. Finally the pain subsides and I am feeling better. I close my eyes and take a few deep breaths calming down. When I open my eyes I see that the nurse is gone and only one doctor is still there.

"Sir, are you okay? Where are you feeling pain when you fall into fits like that?" He says

"My abdomen area," I say barely croaking.

"Oh do you mind if I feel around?" he says.

I give my consent and he leans forward pressing his hands into me. He starts at my abdomen where he pushes it and I cry out in pain. "Vito your spleen is huge and there is a mass in the middle of your abdomen area." Worry is creased in his face.

“What? What is that supposed to mean?” I ask looking at him confused.

“I was going to wait to tell a relative, but, you have moved into the abdomen stage of lymphoma.” He says looking down so as not to meet my gaze.

My mouth hangs agape “What is Lymphoma?” I ask because I honestly have no clue what it is.

“It is a type of cancer, which as of five years ago being diagnosed with cancer was a death sent but as of around six months ago we got a cure, there is a rare chance of it working but, there is more of a chance than not doing anything, it’s just, it costs quite a bit of money.” He says letting his voice trail off.

“Oh.” I say then repeat it “oh.”