Paper Wishes (#1)

Chapter Twenty-One: Revenge of the She-witch

Even though I'd insisted on going with him, the nurses told me that it would be better for me to stay here and wait for Nox to come back from the tests the doctor had scheduled. There was nothing I could do, they said, and suggested I get myself a snack from the vending machine in the ER waiting room. I agreed, but didn't move an inch from the spot they'd left me in, until Nox returned to the ICU. I did not want to miss his return. What if he was awake then?

But he wasn't. He was as still and lifeless as he'd looked at the aquarium. I reached out to hold his hand again when the doctor pushed back the curtain. "Everything looks fine but if he doesn't regain consciousness in the next 24-hours, we're going to have to hold him longer."

"How much longer?" I asked, squeezing Nox's hand much tighter than I'd meant to.

"I don't know," the doctor said noncommittally. "Until he gets better or until you decide to pull the plug."

Before I could say anything an older nurse who had just walked in behind the doctor audibly gasped. "Doctor!" She'd said it in a voice that was so disapproving she didn't need to say anything else. Still, she'd pulled him on the side and I could hear harsh whispering being directed at him. He threw his hands up in the air as if to say, 'what do you want me to do?' then walked away.

"I'm sorry," she apologized. "He's not normally like that. I heard he just lost a patient yesterday. I'm not excusing what he said; I'm just trying to give you insight."

"It's okay," I shrugged. It wasn't okay, he shouldn't have said that to me, but I understood that people dealt with grief differently and on some level I understood what it was like to lose someone that you were responsible to take care of.

She looked like she wanted to say something, but ultimately decided against it. "I was coming in here to let you know that we finally have a room ready for your brother. Someone should be here to transfer him in the next ten minutes or so," she said as she started pulling the curtain closed behind her. Before leaving she gave me a reassuring smile and added, "I'm sure your brother will be fine. Your love will pull him through." Just like his love pulled me through, I thought.

***

I dragged the chair that turned into a pull out bed over to Nox's bedside and resisted the urge to climb into his hospital bed with him - after all I had to keep up the sister facade. Looking out the large hospital room window, I saw that the sun was setting. We'd been at the hospital for awhile. I pulled my phone out and decided to ask Kai to bring me dinner and a few things from Nox's apartment, which he had the keys to now, since Nikki had the foresight to ask Noelle if she could take Nox's personal effects before they'd even put him on the stretcher, explaining that she didn't want anything to get lost in the commotion. Everyone had looked at me for confirmation and I'd nodded miserably.

(Me) Hey... thanks. Thanks for thinking of everything and for being there.

(Kai) No prob. You don't have to thank me. You ok?

(Me) No. I don't know. Can you bring me a few things? Or is it too late?

(Kai) You might have to meet me in the lobby if I don't get there before visiting hours end but it's no problem. What do you need?

I thought about it. What did I need? Pajamas, a change of clothes... then I knew what I really wanted him to bring.

(Me) This is going to sound silly but humor me. I have a jar of origami stars at Nox's place. They're on the nightstand that's next to the bed.

(Kai) Ok, jar of stars. Anything else? Clothes? Food?

(Me) Those things would be good, too. Surprise me. My brain is too stressed to function.