Glass Dragon

Chapter 40

Rea takes him downstairs but she still seems shaken up by it. It makes sense, everything makes sense. Why Farasha said he never came up, why everyone treated him so kindly, why the woman at church didn't know him, it all makes sense. I stare down the stairs, waiting for Rea to come upstairs to tell me it was a prank or to wake up and this to be a dream but neither happens. I snap back to reality when I feel a hand on my shoulder. I look behind me to see Papa's sympathetic look "I know it's a scary thing. Kinda surreal the first time ya see it. I think..he would appreciate it if ya went and checked on 'im." I nod and head down the stairs, for once having a good enough reason to wander down the steps. As I get to the landing I see a hall with a door on either side. One side has a sign painted blue the other painted pink. At the end of the hall is a door much nicer than any other door in the house. As I get to the door the first thing I hear is water then the beep of a heart moniter. As I get closer and hold my breath to listen, I hear the hissing sound of a tank releasing oxygen, the drip of an IV, and the chaotic breathing, like someone crying. I quietly open the door and am amazed by the wealthy look of the room. Beautifully painted murals on the ceiling of the Eiffel tower, Taj Mahal, Golden Gate bridge, statue of liberty, Sydney opera house, places that were famous before the floods, heat waves, and so on and so forth. On one wall is a forest, on another is some plumeria and hibiscus just in front of a beach. I turn to look at the doorway. The whole wall is polished rocks with water flowing down. In front of me is a beautiful black curtain with cherry blossom trees. I almost don't notice the crying stops. I start to back away but his voice stops me "you heard me?" I sigh "yeah." He doesn't speak for a minute "I'm sorry you saw that." I head around to the other side of the bed and the curtain's open, though he turns his head as soon as I come into view "it's ok. Everyone cries sometimes." He turns his face back to me but it's heart wrenching to see him so sad "Amica?"
"Yeah?"
Tears fill his eyes again and his voice cracks as he speaks "stay with me... please." I nod and sit at the edge of his bed. He lays his head in my lap and cries again for a little bit but speaks "I'm dying...but I wish it would come sooner. A life is not worth living if one cannot truly live." I sigh "but you still have so many others to live for." He crys into my leg again "but e- everyone expects me to just lay here and- and watch everything pass by me until I- until I-" He can't seem to finish the sentence but I understand. I wrap my arms around him while he cries. Is this why he couldn't find a girlfriend? I guess no one was brave enough to put up their heart to be broken.