Bet Me

Chapter 24

James POV

The nurses in blue scrubs jet across the hallway of the hospital. I pondered the idea of where they were going and if there could have been a situation going on in this place that was worst than mine. I'm sure there was but thinking about someone having a worst day was hard to have my head wrapped around.

"Coffee for the big kids. Sprite for you, Haley." Savannah winked as she handed us our drinks. Her hand caressed my shoulders as I sipped my coffee nervously, burning my tongue from the scorching liquid. She sat next to me. The three chairs lined up next to each other in the waiting room just outside of the hallway lined with hospital rooms, one of which had contained my mother. 

"Was she acting weird this week?" I finally speak, turning my head towards my step-sister.

"No." The silence lasted for what seemed like an eternity. Any little noise got even louder with the silence that grew heavier with each moment passing. There was nothing more we could do but wait for a doctor to show up and tell us what was going on. 

"Actually." Hayley shuts herself up by taking a big swig of her soda. Her eyes shift around the room as if to signal that she forgot what she said. "Nevermind." Her shoulders come up as if to shrug the thought off herself.

"If there's something that happened, you need to let us know." I nodded when I heard Savannah talk. I needed the reassurance and the words that I didn't have the energy to say. "If you know something, you're not going to be in trouble."

Haley clenched onto her bottle of soda nervously. She took a deep inhalation followed by a deeper exhalation. "James. Mom has cancer." 

"Since when." I stared off blankly without an expression to fill my colorless face. I wasn't even surprised at this point.

"About a year now. She's been on Chemo."

"James where are you going?" Was all I heard before I was getting held back by nurses that awaited the hallway in which held my mother. The screams and yells collide together to a big blob of nonauditory nonsense.

"I need to see her. You killed her! You killed my mother!" My finger extends to point at all the nurses staring back at me. Spit flies out of my mouth but I don't care, I needed to do whatever it took to  get to my mother. I couldn't let them continue to kill her.

"Look, sir, we know you're upset but you need to wait out here." One holds me back, trying to comfort me as I swat her hand away. 

"Haley." I look up to see the doctor with a facial expression filled with defeat. I push the nurses off of me gently and jog up to the doctor as Haley follows me. 

"I'm her son. Well, the woman's." I gave unnecessary reassurance. "What's going on?"

"She's awake. But I'm afraid her time is limited." The wrinkles on the doctors forehead stuck out, his eyes looked like he hadn't slept in weeks.

"How limited?" I thought the next few months were going to be the busiest of my life, trying to make up for all the years I lost with her.

"It's hard to tell. A few minutes maybe. I would suggest leaving your sister out here. You and your girlfriend can go in though." He gestures at Savannah now standing next to me. 

"No that's fine-."

I grab her hand. "I wanted you to meet her. Come on." I assure, taking her hand as I lead her in with me to the room. My mother looked so small in that bed, the many different machines hooked up to her, in attempt to save her life looked like they were draining the life out of her even more. It was too late, she didn't have longer to live. I wanted to believe it was my fault and that none of this would have happened if I would've sucked up my pride and spent time with her. 

"Mom?" Her eyes lighten up at the sight of me getting closer to her. "Hey mom." 

"My sweet baby boy." Her hand extends toward my cheek, caressing it gently. I grabbed her forearm tight as if it was the only grip left in the world. "Who's the beautiful lady?" She smiles at Savannah.

"Oh mom, this is Savannah."

"Hey." She waves at my mother.

"James, can  we talk alone?" I nod as Savannah leaves the room.