Underneath

Underneath-Chapter 7

I had recieved a letter from one the local hospitals earlier this morning.

A little boy had been rushed in at the beginning of the week.

He was a terminally ill child and for some reason, his symptoms had flared up and kept him strapped to bed, unable to even go to the bathroom.

The parents had sent me the letter, asking if I could come see him.

They weren't sure if he would be able to hold on much longer and he had been a fan of mine since I started on 'Idol' four years ago, but never really got the chance to meet me because of the cancer he had and the strain medical bills had on his parents.

I never wanted to meet one of my Glamberts underneath significant health difficulties, but sometimes, I didn't get to choose the circumstances in which I would meet them.

I would have to take what came to me.

After getting dressed, I got into my car and headed to the hospital.

It was hard knowing that I was about to meet a child who may have only hours to live and not knowing whether or not I would be able to ever see him at one of my concerts, but I couldn't let a dying boy's wish pass over closed ears.

Of everything I've ever done, meeting sick children always held a special place in my heart and that was something that was never going to change.

As soon as I got to the hospital, his parents were there to meet me.

"Adam, we're so glad you're here. Matthew is in a bad condition and we're not sure how much more fight he has left in him." His mother said to me.

Her green eyes were sad and colored red.

"My husband will be here soon. He had to step outside for a minute." She said to me.

She sounded like she was going through an unbearable amount of emotional pain.

I kept silent while she showed me to his room.

I could imagine she wasn't in much of a talking mood, not with her son in the hospital and I didn't want to ask or say anything that might have caused her to start crying again.

She had been through enough already.

Once I put the face mask on that I was given, I walked into Matthew's room.

The staff had tried to lighten the mood of the room some by putting in warm decorations, but I doubted it did much.

"Matthew?" I asked the little boy at his bedside.

He opened his eyes and saw me and for a brief moment and a light of excitement came to his brown eyes, but it went away as quick as it came.

"Adam? What are you doing here?" He asked me in a low voice.

"I'm here to see you and talk to you." I said with a small smile.

He curved his lips up in a weak smile.

"I have so much I want to tell you." He said.

"Well..." I pulled up a chair. "I'm here to listen."

Matthew told me how he wanted to be an astronaut when he got older and how he would have his own house and car and so many other things.

By the stories he told, no one would think that he was a small child fighting for his life.

He had big dreams and I hoped that he would be able to fulfill those dreams, but I think we both knew deep down that the odds of it happening were not strong.

It was sad for a little boy to know that any breath he took could be his last and it was upsetting for me.

After telling him a few of my stories, it was time for me to go.

I met his parents outside of the room.

"Thank you so much for coming out, Adam. It means a lot to him." His father said to me.

"I don't mind. I can't imagine what you guys have been through." I said to them.

"And we hope you never have to go through what we are." His mother said.

Her husband nodded in agreement.

I said goodbye to his parents and got into my car.

I hope I never had to go through what they were.

If I had a child that was fighting off an illness, my heart would be broken. No child should ever have to fight a battle for their life when they weren't even twelve. It's an unfair hand that's dealt to such an innocent soul.

When I was twelve, I was relatively new to theatre, starting on my dream to become a great performer, not seeing the same four walls just about every week.

It was hardly fair.

A child should be starting on their path to the destiny they were meant to be on, not being tended every hour in a cold hospital room with thin blankets.

I stopped thinking about Matthew's condition.

I would only get more upset if I continued to dwell on it.

I looked at the brighter side instead.

Maybe Matthew would be able to pull through this and go into remission to start pursuing his dream.

I didn't need to jump to the worst conclusion.

However, a couple of days after I had visited Matthew, I got a letter from the hospital.

He had passed away soon after I left that night and it was a letter of appreciation from his parents, thanking me for making time out from my busy schedule to see him.

I looked at the bottom of the page and saw a faded drop of water.

My heart broke.

His parents had written it while they were crying.

It was so unfair!

I had high hopes for that child and they had been shot down by a piece of paper.

Aggravated, I threw down the piece of paper and walked away.

Not only had I lost one of my fans who had been with me from the beginning, but another young life was taken too early.