One More Minute

Part Three: Dying

By the time I was fifteen, I had been in and out of the hospital almost a hundred times. Each time I came back, it seemed to be even worse than the last. I think my most memorable stay here was when I died for seven minutes. 

I was at home for Thanksgiving and we were watching the game in the living room. My cousins and I were all trying to fit on the four person couch while the adults took the larger couches. My older cousin, Theo, was play fighting with his younger brother, Vincent, when Theo accidently elbowed me in the rib cage. The fighting stopped and the two boys were trying to apoligize for hitting me, but I couldn't reply. I was having a hard time breathing and I couldn't see straight. 

When Theo noticed that something was wrong, he yelled for my mom to come and help me. Such a small hit to the ribs caused such a stir in my body. It was like I couldn't even move without my body getting angry and retaliating. I don't remember when I threw up, but Theo tells me it was the scariest thing he had ever seen. He said when he saw the blood in the puke, he felt like he had just killed me. 

After I threw up, my uncle picked me up while my dad got the car. I was laid in the backseat while my mom got in the passenger's seat. My dad sped to the hospital; surprisingly, not getting pulled over. I was then put in a wheelchair to be taking to the ICU. I blacked out before we even went through the doors. I remember how it felt to die. It was calm and peaceful. I couldn't feel any pain in my body anymore. I was actually happy.

I remember how bright it was. All I saw was light. Then I saw him. Hunter was sitting on a water fountain waiting for me. 

"I knew you would try to follow me here." He laughed. I felt his arms wrap around me as he ran to hug me. 

"Hunter. I've missed you." I laughed in his embrace. He pulled away and stuck his tongue out at me. He was still the twelve year old boy I remembered. 

"I don't know why. I've been pestering you for years now. 'Made you look.' You know you are sick of me." He shoved my shoulder before looking at me seriously, "Now, Na, you aren't supposed to be here right now. If you stayed up here, people would miss you too much. Theo wouldn't be able to live with himself if he thought that he caused this. Your parents would lose their only child. You don't want that, do you?"

"But I don't feel the pain here. I don't want to go back." I couldn't believe that he was trying to make me go back to all of that pain. 

"You have to. Your journey isn't over yet." He smiled before he turned around and left. I tried calling after him, but he didn't come back. I closed my eyes and when I opened them, I saw the faces of doctors and nurses surrounding me. I was back. I was alive.

My younger cousins always enjoy listening to me tell the story of when I died. So this entry is for you little rascals. When I am no longer here to tell the story, you can read it as much as you would like.