The Thing that Differs Us...

A surprise.

I returned to the hospital with smooth arms and wrists. I resumed to my post by Addison's bed and collapsed my head on it. I held his hand that had a drip and a finger pulse oximeter connected to it. When would he wake? I want him to wake up, it's been too long. 

2 weeks later.

I had fallen asleep at around noon. I don't know for how long but when I woke up it was day and two unfamiliar people were looking down at me. A couple, I assumed. A woman with blonde, frizzy hair with grey roots, wearing a thick dark green trench coat. With a pitiful smile plastered on her face. The man looked old. The wrinkles made his eyes sag with dark circles and a beer belly popped through his jumper. His hair was brown and slightly curly. 

'Who are you?' I asked them, lifting my head up. 

They paused. Glanced at each other and responded. 

'We're Addison's parents.' The woman announced. She had this smile that was rather patronising.

'Wait... you're what?' I held Addie's hand a little tighter. 

'We're Addison's parents.' she said again. Looking rather irritated.

'Wait...'  I started, thinking about how the nurse said they haven't seen him in six months 'You haven't seen him in...' 

'Six or seven months, now. Yes.' The man cut in.

'Why? Why are you here? How do you deserve to see him?' I confronted.

'Hold on. He left. We didn't.' he said, pointing his finger at him. 

Addison's hand flinched in mine. My head turned rapidly round to look at him. I leaned close, 'Addie? Addie... Addie.' I stroked his face, my fingertips went across the band of his gas mask on his cheek. His head slightly tilted to the side and back again. 

'He's waking?' Addie's mom's voice enlightened. 

'I don't know. He's been here for nearly 6 weeks. They said they'll start the chemo as soon as he wakes up.' I whispered. 

He stopped and exhaled. I turned back to his parents.

'So, you're his girlfriend?' she scoffed

'Yes. I am.' I hissed.

She sighed with a face of sarcasm.

'We have been paying for Addison's treatment since his diagnosis about a month ago. But, as the doctors say, the cancer has spread to his lung,' she paused and closed her eyes 'They uh...,' she stuttered'They don't know if he'll be okay. Since he got shot and the cancer together... It's all too much for him to cope.'

'He will cope.' I stated, slightly hissing at them.

'Hopefully, the chemo and the other medication will help him.' Added his father. 

'Good. Let's hope. They've done the surgery on his lung by removing the bullet and inflating it again about 5 weeks ago. He'll be fine.' I clipped

'You're forgetting about the cancer, child.' she raised her voice.

'I'm not a child!' I shouted.

'Could we have a moment with our son?' They sneered

I got up and stormed out of the room. Soon, they had finished and left the hospital. Why would they come now? They don't turn up and see him or beg for him to come home when he's well. But the guy suddenly gets cancer and boom. They're all sympathetic and shit. 

After 10 minutes of thinking about his asshole parents, I walked back to Addison. 

I sat down with a thump on the stool and held his usual right hand. 

'I'm sorry.' I sniffed 'I'm sorry this is happening to you. You deserve so much better. My forehead collapsed onto the side of the bed and I wept into the sheets.

Suddenly, he flinched his fingers which were held in my hand. Then his whole hand collided around mine. My head turned up as fast as lightning and looked at an awake Addison. He had taken off his gas mask and he was smiling.

'Addie...' I choked 

'Hey, Archambeault.'