The Senior Project

Chapter Nineteen | Memories and Confessions

CHAPTER NINETEEN~
MEMORIES AND CONFESSIONS

"Mr and Mrs Watson?" the doctor called.

"C'mon honey," my mother said, gently tugging on my hand.

"Oh and the young Miss Celia," the doctor added when he saw me. I grinned widely at the official sounding title. The doctor faced my parents again, his face turning a bit grim. "Follow me please."

He led us down the sterile halls with the strong smell of antiseptic spray around every single corner. My eyes wandered everywhere, taking in the unfamiliar surroundings.

We finally reached a room and entered, where I immediately saw my best friend and brother, Daniel, lying upon the single bed.

"Danny!" I cried, letting go of my mother's hand to run to my brother. But I was stopped short by my father. "Daddy, I want to play with Danny."

"Not now, darling, he needs to get better first okay?"

"Is he sick?" I asked.

"Yes Celia, he needs to rest and heal. You can help by staying quiet and letting him heal."

I nodded, casting one more look back at my brother before wandering over to the giraffe painting against one wall. I tuned out of the adults' conversation catching only bits and pieces of their words.

"...ran some tests... calm kid... sorry... treatment... caught early... leukaemia"

I traced the giraffe, marvelling at its height as I sang softly to myself. My chubby fingers pressed against the painted leaves that bordered most of the room as I continued singing, blissfully unaware of the life-altering conversation behind me.

It was only later that I learned the deadly meaning behind the word leukaemia.

<<∞>>

"Cee Cee?" Daniel's weak voice rasped out.

"Yeah Danny?" I asked.

"What's happening to me?" he asked.

I frowned, "They're giving you medicine to cure you from your cancer," I replied, staring back down at my video game. At the age of five, I still didn't quite grasp the concept of leukaemia.

"I want to go home," he whispered, his voice clogging up with tears.

I looked up from my game and turned it off completely.

"I want to go home," he choked out as the tears ran down his pale cheeks. My own tears began forming at the sight of his frail body.

"I want you home too Danny."

He raised his hand frailly and I kneeled on my chair and met him halfway, grasping his hand in mine.

Together, we sat there in silence broken only by the hum of hospital life- beeps from machines, chatter from nurses and other patients, and the bustle of the world around us as we dreamt of the past and the future.

<<∞>>

"I've never golfed before!" Daniel chirped excitedly.

He was finally out of the hospital and in remission, whatever that meant, after about two years of intense medical treatment.

"I'll teach you Danny!" I replied with an equally excited grin. "You can choose ball colour for us! I'll grab the clubs!"

My little brother nodded and walked off to the bin. I grabbed two clubs, giving a smile at my parents who were watching us from a few meters away.