Wishes And Internet Kisses

Chapter 2 - "Never seen a cancer patient before?"

Chapter 2

Never seen a cancer patient before?

We walked to reception of the hospital the following day. My (step) dad had previously told us that my auntie had been moved rooms, but was still on the same ward.

"Amanda Etches?" My mom asked a nurse because the Indian receptionist was on the phone.

A British nurse led us to a side ward, she had fairly dark skin, dark brown, almost black, hair and a birth mark above her lips.

"You were expecting visitors, Amanda?" Her accent was clean.

"Yes I was," She sat up in her hospital bed, in a t shirt that had been designed for her. It had "This Is My Zombie Slaying T-Shirt" written on it in what seemed like blood, with blood marks all around the shirt.

My (step) uncle was sprawled next to her, taking up most of the bed. He was ginger and had various tattoos. He was obsessed with dragons, mythical nonsense and all the jazz.

Joyce automatically whipped out her book, took one of the visiting chairs from another patient and made herself comfortable. That's it, she was gone to book land. I had brought The Faults In Our Stars and left it on the side table, because I doubt it'd be quiet enough to read. Not because of the conversation, but because of all the surrounding noises, like cars going past, what seemed like thunder clouds to me, the rustling of snack bags, the speaking of other patients and the annoying bleeping of various heart monitors.

Hospitals were a noisy place. I hated the smell of the rancid meals they were cooking.

"What's your delightful dish today?" I turned to my auntie and amused myself.

"Cottage pie." She rolled her eyes and scoffed before shutting the curtains, surrounding us, like it was in her old room. It felt like nobody was listening, but we all knew they were. I prefer walls made out of bricks and cement, not cotton curtains that didn't even look that nice.

"I kind of like cottage pie." I shrugged.

"Not this one." My auntie sat on the edge of her bed and prepared to go for a cigarrette.

"Yeah, defiantly not this one, Beatrice." Mom commented and stood.

"Bea," I mumbled and crossed my arms.

"Cigarette?" Mom pretended she didn't hear me.

My auntie really shouldn't be smoking, it's not exactly doing her recovery any favours. Perhaps it was. I mean, it must have been if she was going home 2 weeks earlier than the doctors originally planned because she has responded so well.

I took this time to read a few chapters of The Faults In Our Stars but couldn't seem to focus. I had read 15 chapters yesterday evening and last night. Instead of going on my iPhone until ridiculous hours, I used it to generate my light for reading. I have never been so eager to read. The way Green wrote chapter 12 was simply amazing. It was probably my favourite chapter out of the whole 15 chapters I'd read previously. So I decided to stare at the ceiling and listen to the intensively annoying beeps of heart monitors. 

After my auntie, uncle and mom returned from having a quick cigarette, me and Joyce proceeded to get drinks from the vending machine just outside of the ward. Mom handed me a few dollars and I dragged Joyce from her seat.

"You're too violent." Joyce mumbled, trailing behind me with her nose in a her book.

"Shh." I laughed and exited the ward by a large framed wooden door.

I slid one of the dollars into the slot and pressed for Dr. Pepper. I simply was obsessed with this stuff. A rip off of Cocoa Cola but only sweeter, which was a win win. I'd happily get type 2 diabietes from Dr. Pepper.

Once I'd collected my bottle and the change, I left Joyce with the remaining money and decided to go back into the ward. I quickly pressed the hand sanitser container, rubbed the transparent liquid into my palms and strided back through the doors. But strangely, I wasn't satisfied. I wanted to explore.

Seeing Joyce rapidly approaching, I darted in the opposite direction of my auntie's side ward and began walking along some nurses, one of which was my auntie's.

The ward was full of patients. Every room or side ward was crammed with heart illnesses. From cancer to a valve infection, everything was here.

I looked through one closed door's window and saw a doctor stood beside the bed, waving his arms around and probably talking. An elderly women was laid in the bed, she looked grey, weak and tired. As I pinned my ear up against the door, I heard the heart monitor beeping faster than anyone's in my auntie's side ward. I proceeded to look back to the window. Although I couldn't hear anything, the reactions of a short haired, tanned woman holding the vainy hand of the older woman in the bed showed that the woman was no where near healthy. The women (not in the bed) collapsed to her knees and sobbed violently, while a man that looked around her age put his arms around her shoulders and clenched her to his chest. My heart dropped a little and I wiped away a running tear from my cheek. Just seeing her reaction made me teary.

The next room was much brighter and happier. Little kids running around, a mother hanging pictures on the window with tape and an old man sat at the end of his bed in a dressing gown. He was playing with the kids and letting them use his bed as part of their obstacle course game.

I approached the next room and tip toed to the window, after all I was only 5 ft something, (so don't pick on small people because we will shin tackle you). This room was bright too. Lime green splodged around the walls, the curtains drawn and a vase of roses with about a million "Get Well Soon" cards on his side table, but the old man inside had no visitors. He had fallen asleep with the television on. At least I hope he was asleep. I heard light coughing behind me, and as I turned I instantly felt guilty for being a creep.

"Are you going in?" A doctor questioned me and proceeded to chew his pen.

"No, no. I was just looking." I laughed nervously and fiddled with my hair.

This doctor was pretty handsome, let's just say that.

"Well," He laughed along too. Phew. "Never seen a cancer patient before?"

Cancer patient? I shuddered. "Huh?"

"This part of the cardiac ward is for cancer patients, cancer recovery patients, patients that have been affected from heart attacks and heart attack recovery patients." He commented smartly.

I almost fell asleep. "Tell him that a random teenager stopped by and wished him well."

"I'm sure he hasn't heard that one yet. I'll make sure Mr. Wick is fully aware of your company for the short space of time you were judging him."

Ouch.