"But mommy, I don't want to go to go to sleep," Thomas whimpers.
"I know," replies his mother, "I don't want you to either, but you have to go to bed."
"But I'm not even tired," Thomas points out.
His mom gives him a pleading look that forces Thomas to lethargically go and get ready for his surgery. As soon as he returns to his room he climbs up ready for his mother to tuck him into the bed at Lehighton Hospital.
"Goodnight Thomas, I love you" she whispers "I'll see you soon" She kisses him on the forehead and sheds a single tear. Her heart aches as she remembers back to when he took his first steps, said his first words, arrived at his first day of preschool, and all the other so memorable things in his life leading up to this one surgery. She turns off the light and slowly steps backwards and out of the room. The door slowly closes, leaving a child in a room full of his nightmares.
