The Boy Who Lives In My Memory

4

By the time we got to the hospital, Andrew's mom and I were deathly quiet.

No one was able to tell us what was happening and I remember feeling completely numb. I remember the way my hands trembled and I remember the sickening feeling I got when the doctor finally approached us.

I remember the way my tears blurred my vision as Andrew's doctor explained what Acute Myeloid Leukemia was.

Acute Myeloid Leukemia - a type of cancer where the blood and bone marrow have excess immature white blood cells - was quite rare and progressed rapidly. I remember how the doctor said they had caught it too late and the only thing they could do was make him comfortable.

I remember the way my world had stopped and I remember the way Andrew's mom sobbed. I remember going home and breaking. I remember the way I cried and yelled out. I remember the way I hit and threw stuff. I remember going back and finding Andrew's hospital room and I remember us both breaking out into tears.

I remember the promise I made: I promised to stay - always and forever. As the days passed, it got harder for the both of us; Andrew was accepting that he was dying whereas I couldn't. I couldn't grasp onto the fact that the only person I ever loved was dying, but I stayed by his side like I had promised. I remember taking a look at Andrew one day and I remember seeing how close he was to death. I remember spending each morning, afternoon and night on those uncomfortable hospital chairs and I remember waking up to a loud beep.

I remember snapping out of my sleepy haze when I heard Andrew's mom sobbing. I remember realizing that Andrew, my best friend, was gone and I remember unleashing my sobs.

But above all, I remember the way I cried out to the world - wondering how it could just take someone as precious as Andrew away from me.