Remember Me

5. I Promise

For the next week I cared for Nea. I made her breakfast, did her chores, made sure she got to school and back, made sure she took her meds, helped her with homework even though she never needed it and put her to bed. My mom would wait for me at the hospital every evening. I'd see my dad for a short while and then we'd go home to eat and sleep.

This evening when I arrived at the hospital I received a call, it was Nea's dad. He told me that New had collapsed and he was bringing her to the hospital. I kept calm and went into my father's room after the phone dropped. I sat next to my father when his heart levels started to drop. Doctors and nurses flooded into the room and I ran out to get out of everyone's way. My mom was sobbing, she thought my dad would die but I just stood there, peacefully, as if I knew he'd be okay. When the doctors got my father's heart to start again the commotion died down, my mother didn't stop crying, though. She just sat there, crying next to him.

I got sent out of the room to go to the cafeteria but I went to see Nea instead. The doctor showed me to her room and I opened the door. It pained me to see her so pale and lifeless, she was barely breathing. I sat next to her, holding her hand for what felt like forever before her eyes fluttered. Nea looked at me with a smile, she smiled at me, not at the hills but at me.

"You came," she said rather breathless.

"Of course I came. You needed me," I made it sound obvious. "I've got to go but I'll see you around okay?"

I got up when Nea grabbed my hand. "Kris, I want to tell you something," her eyes started tearing. I didn't answer her, I just sat down and waited.

"I'm alone, Kris. People who surround me are plentiful but people who really know me are few. I'm scared that when I die because I will die, that no one will remember me. Since no one knows who I really am. I don't want the world to know who I am, I just want someone to know me, the real me," Nea's voice uttered those words so softly.

I looked at Nea, my own eyes cloudy with tears. "I will remember you, Nea. I will always remember you, I promise," I said it with such a shrill voice that it frightened me.

Nea's eyes closed, not because she was dead, because she was tired for her own thoughts, were too much. I walked back to my father's room and my mom and I went home. In the car my mom started shouting at me saying, "Where did you disappear to?! Your father is in pain and you just disappear!"

"My friend was also in hospital, I just wanted to check on her."

"This is nonsense! That's your friend, this is your own father! Think about that!"

I climbed into bed feeling weary that evening. My father was in hospital, my mom was angry with me and my friend was going to die. I started to worry for the first time in a long time. Then my worries made me tired so I fell asleep.