TFIOS: What About Isaac?

Dr Maria

Hazel lay still in her hospital cot, as far as I was informed by her mother, Frannie during the conversation I had with her on my cell phone, the whole 20 minute drive to the ICU.

My mother dropped me off at the ICU at 3:58am. She offered to stay but I told her to go home to Graham. He was still asleep at home, oblivious to the whole situation.

Oblivion.

Huh, Augustus Waters feared oblivion like death itself.

Although, that's the thing about the weird and wonderful- and late- Augustus Waters.

He feared the strangest of things. He feared oblivion, yet was so eager to prepare his own funeral.

Frankly, I just find that fucked up.

But, anyway...

Mom lead me to the waiting area and sat me down on a hard, uncomfortable- and I would bet my left leg it was blue- shitty hospital waiting chair.

God, I've had to sit on too many of these stupid things.

She went over to an information desk- probably about 10 metres away- and I could vaguely hear her talking to a woman. From the sound of it, a sexy, young woman.

Seconds later she returned, grasping my hand.

"Isaac, sweetie, this is Dr Maria, Hazels doctor." Mom informed me.

"Nice to meet you Isaac. I have heard so much about you" Doctor Maria grasped my shoulder instead of giving me a respectable handshake -And incase your panicking, no, Dr Maria wasn't the sexy assed husky voiced receptionist I had heard-I can see why Hazel likes this woman so much.

"Same to you." I answered, trying to cover the worry of my face by plastering in a thick, fake smile.

I sat, fiddling with my folded up white retractable guiding stick.

"Dr Maria will take you to Hazel sweetie. I need to go to Graham." I could sense her rising from the seat next to me. "Frannie or Michael will call me from your cell," she placed the cell phone into my cold hand. "When your finished. Bye, Isaac. I'll see you soon." She kissed my head and started walking out the automatic doors.

When I heard them shut, I felt Dr Maria's arm grasp around mine and she gracefully lifted me from my chair, and started guiding me to what I guessed was the elevator.

The smell of the hospital was a as it usually.

Sterile.

It smelled like hot bleach which burned my nostrils and lungs.

Hazel once described to me what it's like to have you lungs fill if fluid.

She said it was like drowning alive. Like her lungs were on fire.

That's how my lungs felt now- obviously not the the extent of Hazels of course- but it still made me feel ill and nauseous.

If this is what breathing is like for Hazel all the time, well then Augustus was right.

Hazel is a warrior.

We didn't take an elevator. We just walked- quickly- through the wards until Dr Maria stopped quite rapidly.

We had walked here the whole way in an uncomfortable silence and the she broke it like a sheet of glass.

"Hazel is unconscious, Isaac. As I'm sure your well aware, she had 2 litres of drained from her-"

"Lungs last night, yes doc, I get it. Hazels ill. No difference." I impatiently interrupted. " I just want you to answer me one thing- one thing doc. Is Hazel going to be okay?" I could feel the tears welling up inside me.

I had just lost my ultimate bestfriend Augustus, my beautiful soulmate Monica and I sure as hell was not ready to loose Hazel.

Not yet.

As the silence grew, I began to swim in guilt. I didn't mean to hurt Dr Maria, I just wanted to know the truth.

That's the thing with cancer. People sugar coat it. Well, I sure as hell lost my sweet tooth after Augustus, so I wanted the gods honest truth.

I think we all deserved it.

Especially Hazel.

"Isaac, come on inside to Hazel and her parents. I need to talk to all of you." She answer sensitively, leading me into hazels room.

"Okay." I answered weakly.

She had to talk to is? That didn't sound good.

That's when everything inside of me felt like it collapsed.