Make a Wish || Rhett and Link

Chapter 18 - Walks

*****Cooper's Point of View*****

"You okay sweetie?" Nurse Genella asked.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine." I mumbled.

"You don't look fine." she told me. "Did something happen today?"

"No, today was good." I sighed.

"Yeah, but you wouldn't be this gloomy if it was all good."

I rolled over and pulled the blanket up.

"You just don't get to give up on a conversation when you don't want to talk about it, missy!" Nurse Genella said. She yanked the blanket down, but stopped when she realised I was crying.

"Cooper, sweetie, you can talk to me." Nurse Genella said. "I'm on your side."

I didn't talk to her. I just cried and cried, and she sat there, quietly comforting me awkwardly until her shift ended. I didn't want to be here anymore.

"Cooper, hun, I've got to go now..."

I didn't say anything. Nurse Genella nervously got up. "I really don't want to leave you like this, but I have to go home. I'll see you tomorrow. Feel better."

"See ya" I mumbled.

The door closed and there was silence. I rolled over and looked out the window at the night sky. I didn't even notice the time passing. Or the door opening.

"What are you still doing up?"

I turned to face the nurse at the door. She looked at me with disbelief.

"It's almost midnight."

"Oh," was all I could manage. I had no intention of sharing my thoughts.

The nurse took my vitals and I remained silent the entire time. The nurse didn't mention it. I was a bit relieved that she didn't ask me anything. I didn't feel like answering.

"You should get some sleep." she advised, before leaving.

I glanced up at the plain white ceiling. I hated this room. I hated this bed. I hated this illness and I hated the way people treated me because of it.

I carefully slid out of the sheets and collected my ugg boots from the corner of the room and slipped them on silently. I didn't want anyone to realise that I was a patient.

I looked at the hospital bracelet around my wrist and sighed. I had had it for several months, and I had just kind of accepted it as part of me. I wasn't prepared to take it off just yet.

I grabbed my hoodie and slipped it over my head. I didn't want anyone to see me. I just needed to get out of here. I didn't take anything, I didn't need it where I was going.

I gently pushed the door open and silently crept out. Luckily, there weren't many people around.I didn't want to be sent back to that horrible room.

I finally made it to the front lobby and I managed to stroll out without suspicion through the crowded accident and emergency ward. It was actually a lot easier than I expected.

Finally, I pushed the door open and the cold night winds sent shivers down my spine. It was a colder night than usual. I guess that suited my plans.

I began my walk through the gardens, occasionally stopping to take a breath. Other than that, I walked straight through and beyond. I didn't think much. My legs just carried me to my destination. I knew where I was going though.

I reached the main road and continued my path. There were a few people on the streets, but I didn't pay any attention to them. I didn't need to. They weren't important. Must've been a strange sight for them; seeing a sickly girl stumble across the streets, dressed with nothing but a thin hospital gown and a hoodie. Yet, none of them stopped to ask me if i was alright. Guess they were all just too scared to ask. But that was ok. It just made my journey easier.

It wasn't until I reached the middle of a bridge that I stopped. The bitter cold wind blew straight into my face, but I didn't care. I looked down at the swirling waves of the LA river. My fingers ran along the smooth metal railing and before I knew anything, I was standing on the other side of it, the end of my ugg boots hanging over the edge.

"STOP!"

I turned my head slightly to see a man jump out of his car at a matter of urgency towards me.

"DON'T COME ANY CLOSER OR I'LL DO IT!" I shouted at him.

The man froze in hesitation. "Step back over the edge. You don't need to do this." He said softly, but in a firm tone.

I scoffed. "You don't know anything about me."

"I know enough that I don't want you to jump." He said gently. "You can't be older than what, 15? You've got your whole life ahead of you. You don't want to do this."

"My whole life being a matter of months."

"What?"

"Terminal brain cancer." I told him. "My life won't be longer than a few more months. Does that count as an exception?"

"So you're just giving up?" he asked.

"I don't have a chance." I said, tears pooling up in my eyes.

"What about your parents? What would they think about this? That you had a chance with treatment, but you just threw it away?"

"Please, please, don't bring them into this." I begged, my voice cracking.

The man realised he had struck a nerve.

"Wouldn't they be heartbroken? That their daughter just gave it up, just like that?"

"SHUT UP!" I screamed. I inched closer to the edge to make my point clear.

"Woah, woah, stop, stop." He said urgently. "It's as simple as you stepping back over. Then you can go home to your parents. I'll even give you a ride."

"THEY'RE DEAD!" I screamed at him. "THEY'RE DEAD AND I'M DYING! I LITERALLY HAVE NOTHING LEFT! DO YOU UNDERSTAND?!"

The man gulped. "So how would they feel? Knowing that you had a chance to make it in this world, but you couldn't do it? You can, you just need to step back here."

Tears were running off my face and into the river below. "I don't know how I can go on." I wept.

"I'll help you, okay? But you have to trust me. You need to step back. And then we can just pretend this never happened. I'll never tell a soul."

Tears ran down my face and I didn't reply.

"Little girl?"

I gave a small nod. I didn't know what else to do. Just jump now?

"Great!" The man said. "I'm going to come a bit closer now, don't move, okay?"

"DON'T!" I found myself yelling.

"Okay. Okay. Just come back." the man said.

I moved my hands along the railing and gripped it tightly, moving my foot back up to climb.

"Yeah, that's it."

I got to the top of the railing and looked over the swirling waters one last time.

"Alright hun, you're almost there, keep coming."

The icy wind picked up with a strong gust. There was a loud shriek as my hands lost their grip on the railing.

First came the strong wind as I fell from the bridge. Then came the cold, wet sensation of the water as I plunged into the river. My weak limbs were useless to stabilise me against the current. Finally, darkness came.