I live for her

Chapter 16: Lambs And Lipstick

Emily 🌹

The elevator ride up was a shaky and tense one. Leroy didn't utter a word; neither did I.

Its bell dinged. And Leroy's chest started to rise and fall erratically like he was an unfortunate soul entering the colosseum. I grabbed his hand and made his fingers intertwine with mine: it was symbolic. His cold hand squeezed mine and he gazed down at the odd sculpture our coupled hands formed. No words - just the echoes of the footsteps of a poet boy who is not ready to be mauled by gladiators...

And a girl, with secrets of her own, but she pushes them aside to walk the lamb into the lion's den. She would cry, if she could, because the lamb will most likely die unless there's a Daniel in him - but they'll die together. Both lamb and girl will die if the lamb lacks Daniel's spirit because -

"Em, what's the plan again?". He didn't make eye contact and kept his eyes drowning in the halo of the row of cylindrical white tubes on the ceiling.

"It's not... about the op being successful but you showing her the love she... deserves. She's your mum, she's hurt, she's lonely - so empathize, poet boy..."

"Empathize?"

"Yes, empathize."

"What do you mean?"

Yes, I'd rather have hit him when his tongue formed that sentence - but smart kids are allowed to be human... and ignorant... and stupid. "Put yourself in her shoes. She hasn't seen her son in days... or weeks. She's got a brain tumor. She's drowning in meds. Same routine everyday of drowsiness, uncertainty of whether there's a possibility she'll win this battle.". Guilty body language is difficult to ignore. "And do you know the cherry on top?". Is it bad that I saw him sink deeper in the sea of guilt because of that question... and still, I thrusted his head in: "Her son... doesn't even care.". Some words can't be taken down like graffiti on walls - so I pretend like I never had the spray can in my hand and didn't hear them permanently taint the walls of his mind and didn't have white paint nearby to erase the evidence of such mental vandalism.

"Oh... I didn't -"

"Save it for your mum, okay?"

"Kay". I flashed him a smile.

We were approaching the end of the long rectangular prism laden with innumerable doors to hospital rooms. Lies: it was round about fifty doors in total - twenty-five on each side.
I stopped walking and pulled on his arm to get him to stop his zombie-like gait.

"Did you forget her room number?"

His lips moved... hesitantly: I watched them cage and liberate his tongue. I watched his gaze slowly shift towards floors as white as fake teeth. I watched him think long and hard before replying.

Now his eyes leave the floor and try to hold mine as he feebly utters, "Well... it was over there by the elevator." - if I slapped him... it would make a bad impression on his mum, but yes, I did think and imagine it. My fingers squealed with disappointment when I held my hand back.

As calmly as my vocal chords could utter, I said, "Ten minutes." and exhaled all the rage begging for me to damage his body somehow, in someway, that would be so, so satisfactory.

He points at the door - I grab the knob and open it slowly and quietly. The crown of her head hosted both black and grey hairs. Her skin was definitely wrinkled with age. And the only part of her showing life were her eyes that lit up like the sun when she saw Leroy peep over my head.

"Hi, sorry to disturb."

"Lee..." she said in a voice struggling to hold onto its owner's life. Her face morphed into a satisfied smile that gravely subcommunicated that she was ready... to die.

He pushed the door open and walked over swiftly to his mother's bedside. "Yes mum, it's me, Lee."

The old lady laughed - a heart-warming laugh. "I can see boy, I'm not blind... yet."

It felt weird being the only one crying... I'm just really sensitive I guess and I did try to wipe away all the fluids exiting my tear ducts... but there reached a point where I got tired and I just smiled and cried while they went on with their mini-family reunion.

"Don't say such things, mum."

She giggled. "At least somebody I love... cares about me."

Leroy grabbed her hand. "You mean dad?". She said nothing and just lifted her smile and squeezed his hand.

"If only you knew mum... he cares. Believe me... he loves too - mum... dad loves you."

"Hmm..." her face scrunched into straight lips.

"And you?" she turned her body towards him and pointed innocent brown stones at his eyes.

"He... tries. It's not easy for him."

"In other words, he treats you like crap, right?"

"That doesn't matter."

"Okay, then tell me what matters."

"You mum... and your health."

"Oh."

He leaned down and kissed her forehead. "Yes."

The brown grey-haired queen blushed and looked at me, then back to her son. "Is it her lipstick I'm smelling?"

I blushed, the tears had died down, but I still felt like my hiding my face. I walked up towards the hospital bed avoiding her tongue-in-cheek face.
"Lee" seemed unfazed. He stood tall like a tower and proclaimed (yes... proclaimed) to his mum, that I was Emily Grey his rose red rose.

"Cute, she looks pale though." I smile awkwardly.

"Don't scare her away mum."

"Yep, sorry son. Sorry dear, forgive my manners."

A/N: Hey you! Yes, you! Thanks :)

And am I the only one that almost cried?

What do you think of his mum -

Do you want her to die?

And Leroy, does he seem too weak here? Or it flows and is not strange that he behaves like he does in this chapter?

Choo-choo 🚉 I greatly appreciate you. Thank you.