Code Red

Chapter 24: She Had That Effect On People

Chapter 24: She Had That Effect On People

“Nina, you going to come?” Dylan asked, the sun beating on his sexy wet chest. God, he looked good enough to lick. Did I just think that? Yeah… Yeah, I did. I think I need to get checked. This is serious, what if I started thinking about sticking him on a lollipop stick and licking him then? … Yeah, and I just started thinking about that. I seriously do have a problem.

“Uh…” I was currently sitting on a towel in the sand with Elizabeth sitting next to me. Her skin looked so pale compared to the tan sand that she was sitting in. She was continuously picking up grains of sand and letting them fall through her fingers. Nurse Chanel was positioned next to Elizabeth holding her air tank in her lap and Selena was on my free side, tanning the day away.

 “Uh, no I’m good… I’m going to hang back with your mom,” I smiled up at him.

“Cool,” He nodded his head in understanding and followed Janie and Joe into the water. The beach wasn’t huge, it was more of a private little thing. Patients, nurses, and families all roaming around. They had a snow cone maker and an ice cream cart wheeling around and serving snacks to all the kids and adults. It was cute, and refreshing, especially with the warm sun and heat. It was much different than back home.

She didn’t say anything for a while, just looked out into the ocean, her eyes trained on her three kids. She smiled with love before turning back to me. “So, tell me… do you love him?”

My head snapped over to face her so fast, I think I cracked my neck in the process. I swear I had a dream that she was asking Dylan the same thing… “Of course,” I responded, reveling in the feel of having the soft wind push through my hair.

“I heard you wanted four kids,” She smirked, bumping my shoulder with hers. I looked towards my feet, my cheeks burning with embarrassment. He told her? I didn’t mean for it to come out, we were watching Good Luck Charlie, and I might have mentioned that I would like to have four kids too when I was older. You could say I was definitely mortified that day.

“Maybe,” I mumbled, picking at the end of the towel. Wow, this was certainly not the conversation I was planning on having, but if this made her happy then so be it.

“It’s okay honey, we all have dreams,” She grinned. I knew our conversation went on too smoothly, for the next thing she said was the point she was slowly getting to.

“I’m going to die soon,” Elizabeth whispered, picking up yet another handful of sand and letting it slip through her fingers. I tore my gaze from watching Dylan jump around in the crashing waves with Janie on his shoulders and Joe hanging on his torso.

“W-what?” Her words came from nowhere, making me choke on my own. Why would she say that now? Today was supposed to be the day she forgot all about her lung cancer, not worry over dying… Because if she did, then I would probably start to bawl over again.

She didn’t answer at first, just continued to look out at the ocean. “They should really call this place ‘Death Beach’. If you come out here with your family, it means they’re trying to make you forget about your misery. They’re giving you a day to be free from the sickness. I’ve watched people go out those doors with huge smiles on their faces and then the next week, I see their family hysterically crying in the halls,” She shook her head with a bitter laugh. “I’m next…”

“You don’t know that,” I assured, even though we both knew she was right. It pained me to think that she might be telling the truth. “It’s a beautiful day out here and there are plenty of people out here, surely they can’t all be…” I cut myself short, not wanting to continue that sentence.