The Perfect Pair: Gabby and Cade

My Sunshine

Gabby felt the tears streak down her face, ruining the makeup she had tried to perfect
earlier. She couldn't keep the images of Cade from drifting through her mind. She was trying to trust God, trying to believe that this was all going to be alright. But deep down, she felt as if the whole world was crumbling at her feet, and she was witnessing the destruction. "Why him?" "Why such a sweet, caring man of God?" This was supposed to be his day to make his dreams come true, his day to show the world his talent. Instead, he was faced with hardship and hospitalization. It wasn't fair, it just wasn't. Gabby sobbed and sobbed, she couldn't stop, until she heard the bathroom door creak open.
A woman dressed in a flowy black blouse and tight jeans with super high heels strutted into the bathroom. At first, she seemed to pay no attention to Gabby, she started to wash her hands in the sink and him, but then she peered in the mirror, and saw Gabby's reflection.
Immediately, she ran over to Gabby.
"What's the matter, hun?" "Did you not get the golden ticket?" The woman asked, concern drenching her voice.
"No, no." "I got the ticket, that was awesome." "It's just that..." Gabby's voice filled with too much emotion to continue. She had to pause.
After taking a deep breath she said, "A guy that I just met, his name is Cade, well I became really close friends with him." "He's amazing, he truly is but..." Gabby had to pause again as she let a sob out, "He passed out today while I was doing my audition and they took him to the hospital." "I don't know what is happening, if he's okay, or if... If he will survive." Gabby choked.
"Oh dear, that is tragic," the woman said wrapping Gabby in a warm hug. No time to waste, though, I know a friend named Carla that works at Sunrise Hospital." "That's probably where they took him, it's only a couple of miles from here." "Let me call her now."
Gabby held her breath as the woman dialed Carla on her cellphone.
"Hi Carla, we're wondering if you could tell us if there was a guy named Cade that is at the hospital?" the woman asked.

... "What's his last name?" She whispered to Gabby.

"I don't know, I didn't have time to ask him," Gabby replied honestly.

"Then tell me what he looks like," the woman said hurriedly.

"He has the curliest long brown hair, deep brown eyes.." Gabby started.

The woman repeated what Gabby said into the phone. Gabby couldn't hear the rest of the conversation, but she watched as the woman's face turned worried and dismayed.

"Okay, thanks Carla, we're headed over straight away," the woman said, and then hung up the phone.

"Come with me, I'll take you to Cade, I'll explain everything in the car." the woman said in a rush.

Not thinking twice about following a stranger into a car, Gabby followed the lady into a red minivan, and texted her parents that she would be back in a couple hours.

As soon as they hopped in the car, the lady started driving at top speed and blabbering everything she knew about the situation.

"So here's the deal. Cade collapsed at his audition, they don't know why." "Right now he is in a coma and is hooked to a breathing machine and a heart monitor." "He has about a ten percent chance of survival, and the doctors are doing all they can to help." She shook her head, "We just don't know Gabby, we just don't know."

Gabby stiffled a sob. She had to be strong. For Cade, for her family, for God.

"Thank you so much, this means the world to me." "I just need to see him, even if it is just for a few minutes," Gabby said.

The woman nodded and said, "I can tell he is a very special man."

A few minutes later, she swirved into a hospital parking lot. "Hurry, follow me." She announced.

Gabby ran after her into the dreary hospital building. She couldn't help but think, "This is where dreams die, this is where people fade."

The woman rushed toward a man at the front desk.

"Hi, we're here to visit Cade." She said.

"Visiting is only open to family members, sorry," the man said gruffly.

"We have special permission from Carla," the woman retorted.

The man nodded, "Follow me," he gestured.

As they followed the man, the woman whispered to Gabby, "My name is Angela, just for future reference."

"I'm Gabby," Gabby responded.

"Here we are, this is where Cade is," the man said, opening the door.
"Thank you, sir." Gabby said quietly as she stepped inside the room.

Inside the room, Gabby only saw bleak, sad, dreariness. The walls were a dull grey, there was no artwork, no music, but worst of all, there was a practically lifeless Cade lieing on a cot. He wore an oxygen mask hooked to a breathing machine, and a steady beeping noise signified that he was hooked to a heart monitor as well. Gabby raced over to the side of Cade, and brushed his dark brown locks from his face, straightening out his hospital gown.

"It's okay, Cade, it'll all be alright." Gabby whispered into his ear.
She sat with him in silence, clinging on to the almost unrecognizable version of the man she'd met earlier. After a few minutes, she realized she must drown out that awful beeping from the heart monitor. She started to sing softly.
"You are my Sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy, when skies are grey." She let the tears fall freely as she sang the next part, "You'll never know, dear, how much I love you." She looked at his lifeless body, as she sang the last line as a sort of prayer, "So please don't take my Sunshine away."
She cried and cried, what if her sunshine was taken away? What if he never would know how much she loved him?

Suddenly, the steady beat of the heart monitor turned into a chaotic alarm. A flood of nurses rushed into the room, interrupting the moment she was having with Cade.

"His heart has stopped beating, we only have a few seconds to save him, hurry out of here." A nurse said frantically to Gabby.

Gabby took a longing look at Cade, and then rushed out of the room. She sobbed desperately, "Please, God, don't take my Sunshine away."

Beep.
Beep.
Beep.

"Have we lost him?"

Then suddenly, silence.

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Another cliffhanger?!? Stay tuned for Wednesday's chapter!