In Love With Death's Daughter

Hospital

        "Hey there, stubborn lady." Kathy says, trying to make a joke.

        It's Monday. It's been three days. 

        I've stayed with him, like I promised. The only times we weren't in the same room were when he went into surgery again, and when the nurses came in to clean out the bed pan, and such.

        I totally get Kathy's instinct to try to lighten the mood. The whole feel of the room is just.. sad. There's Lucas, and the Tubes. The curtains have been kept closed, because I've never gotten the motivation to open them, but the room is still brightly lit. It's a bit eery nonetheless.

        But there's the heart monitor. It's good at the same time it's bad. It's that constant reminder that he's alive. Not awake, but alive. Sadly, it's also the constant reminder that Lucas, who has always been so full of life, is trapped in here, relying on tubes to survive.

        "I am stubborn, get over it." I say, and stick my tongue out at her. I've gotten used to the heavy air in here, so I can accept joking. Yesterday Kathy sat in here while I went to take a walk. It was weird. I just wandered around the white halls, until I found a window by a door. I didn't go outside, though, I don't even know why. I just felt like I shouldn't be allowed to. So I just stared out the window for a while before I returned to the room, where Kathy told Lucas and I about her day. Even with Kathy, who I can talk to and everything, coming back was a bit strange. Hospitals are suffocating, but the halls are better than the rooms.

        "I'm trying... Your teachers send their good wishes. Mrs. Flink wants me to do this.." She says quietly until she tells me that Mrs. Flink wanted her to do something. Then, she quickly closes the gap between us, and nearly kills me in a hug.

        "Can't... Breathe.." I gasp, "Losing.. Feeling... Seeing... Stars... Pretty!" 

        Kathy just laughs and releases me.

        "Levi too. He's worried about Lucas, and you. We missed you at school today. Aren just walked around with his head down. I guess he's really upset about this all or something." She explains, and I let out a small laugh.

        "Upset, probably. More ashamed, I'd imagine, though. He set it up, after all. But I forgive him. He did try to help me convince my dad, after all." I tell her, and her eyes widen.

        "If I were you I'd want to slap the crap out of him! But.. You forgive him, So I'll let it slide.."

        "Thank you. Actually, could you tell him that I'm not mad at him, maybe?" I ask, and she nods. We both go quiet for a minute.

        "I'm surprised how well you're dealing with this..." Kathy says, and I blink away the tiniest of tears.

        "Yeah, well, I can't just be miserable, and make everyone else miserable, you know? That wouldn't be very good of me."

        Kathy just nods, and we stand there awkwardly for a minute before she gives me my homework and informs me that she wants to tell Lucas and I about her day. We both put a chair on either side of his bed, and she starts lacing the tale of her day, from her zany bus driver, to the random guy wearing all pink, who stood on a cafeteria table and sang a verse from some love song to his girlfriend at lunch, to her pride in her amazing drawing. That she forgot to bring, of course.

        I look at Lucas, and he looks different. It almost looks like he's trying to smile. The corners of his mouth have turned up ever so slightly. I point this out to Kathy, and she grins.

        "See that? That is proof. Even though he's not awake, he can hear us from where he is deep inside his injured body. Lucas is definitely still in there. We have this monitor right here as proo--" She says, but she's cut off. By beeping getting more aggressive, getting faster.