I slowly walked into my room, holding a box that had just been delivered to me in my hands. I sat down in bed, knowing exactly what was in the box.. money.
I healed the guy.. ten thousand was our agreement. I opened the box, pulling out the suitcase from inside of it. I grabbed the letter that was on top of the cash.
It read:
"Dear Mrs. Maldonado,
I thank you for everything you've done to me Kirstin. I'm not sick anymore.. the tumor. It's gone. I feel normal.. all from one of your hugs. Ten-thousand dollars is the least I can do for you Kirstin. I get to watch my two beautiful daughters grow up because of you. Thank you for everything.
-M"
I sighed gently, rubbing my temples. I felt guilt start to wash over me. I didn't care about the money.. I just cared about making people better, the cash was just a little boost.
You see, everyone in my family has the gift to heal people through a single hug. AIDS, Cancer, you name it and we can heal it. It just takes a hug.
Now if I could just go around hugging every single person and be able to heal them. I would, it's just.. it takes out five years from your own life span. It physically drains you for the day.. week.. maybe even month. I can sense when someone truly does need it. Passing by a hospital.. especially a children's one, breaks my god damn heart every time.
I felt guilty.. I always did. I want to live my life, I want to get married.. have kids, do stuff like normal people.
Then again.. I wanna help people. I wanna help the kids the most. They're children.. they don't need to deal with stuff like that. Their family doesn't need to loose a child.
I shook my head, running my fingers through my hair. I started to tear up. I choked out a small sob, guilt washing over me. I want to help them so fucking badly.. I need to help them..
"I.. I cant fucking do this.." I mumbled to myself, tears running down my face. I took a deep breath. It's not worth it.. I've never saved a kid. Not once. I've saved four people in my life time. That's twenty years of my life gone. That leaves me with another what? At least forty? I don't know.
I stood up, shaking my head. I wiped my eyes, getting myself collected. I shut the brief case, slipping my shoes on. I grabbed a notebook and a pencil before I got in my car.
I quickly drove to the hospital, sending everyone I cared about a simple "I love you." Text. My senses were insane. I hated hospitals.. I could sense all the pain people were going through. I knew who needed to be saved.
I grabbed a notebook. I started to make my way into the hospital, my hands trembling. I kept my head down as I passed people, making my way to the children's ward. The feelings I were getting were unbearable. There wasn't much remorse for happiness here.
I looked into one of the rooms and teared up. I saw a small girl.. maybe seven or eight. She was sitting up, the hospital bed propped up to support her. God she was so fucking pale.. That little girl was dying. She had a tube in her nose.. she didn't have any hair. I wiped my eyes quickly, just watching. Her parents didn't pay much mind to me. She barely had her eyes open.
I shook my head, walking into the room slowly. I looked at the two parents, one at each side of her bed.
"I-um.." I paused, clearing my throat. The two parents looking at me. "I work in the children's department. I ran out of toys and trinkets before I could come to you guys, all I have to offer is a simple hug." I lied. It was a shitty lie, I know.
The girl cut her dad off before he could say anything. "Yes please.." she muttered, her breathing rather forced. Her voice was quiet, but bright.. she still had hope for herself.
I walked over silently, gently siting next to her. Not paying much attention to her parents. I slowly wrapped my arms around her, gently hugging the girl. I squeezed my eyes shut, feeling weak as I hugged her. My stomach churned, I tried not to yelp. I slowly pulled away, watching as a small smile grew on her face.
"Thank you miss.." she mumbled, her voice already starting to sound a little stronger. I watched as she looked over to her mother. "Mommy.. I'm hungry.." she said softly.
I looked over at the mother, her eyes lighting up. "You're-you're hungry..?" She asked, her voice starting to get shaky. She started to tear up, nodding quickly as she walked to the phone to order room service.
The father looked over at me as I leaned on the bed to keep myself up. "She hasn't eaten anything in days.." he said softly, wiping his eyes. "I-I don't know what you did.. but you did something.." he added, covering his face.
I nodded silently, my body weak from the hug. I grabbed my notebook. "She'll be out of-out if the hospital within a weak.." I said softly. I stumbled out of the room, falling on my ass not far from it.
I was exhausted, my entire body was trembling at that point. I grabbed my notebook, flipping to a blank page and simply writing out; "free hugs!" I propped the notebook up next to me, sitting against the wall with my legs crossed. I closed my eyes, my hands trembling.
I opened my eyes to find a little boy and his dad walking over to me. He tugged his dads sleeve, pointing at me. I couldn't tell what was wrong with him, but he had a hospital gown on. His dad picked him up and walked over to me. I smiled gently, looking up at him as he spoke.
"It looks like he wants a hug." The dad spoke. I nodded, holding my arms out to him. I smiled as he set his kid next to me, I gently opened my arms, hugging him.
It had honestly just occurred to me why some of these parents are so open to letting their child hug a stranger.. their kids seem genuinely happy when they do. I've heard rumors of kids having a sixth sense when it comes to stuff like this. Ghosts, ghouls, all sorts of things. Maybe they can sense I'll make them better.
I held the kid close, gripping onto his gown a bit as I started to feel weaker. I pulled away and coughed into my arm, feeling it get a little harder to stay awake. I shook my head, staying persistent. I sat up, smiling a bit.
"Thank you.." the dad said softly as he picked his son up. I nodded, smiling a bit. I had noticed a small line forming. I took a deep breath, hugging each child one by one.
By the eighth child I could barely keep myself awake. I leaned back, no one wanting a hug for a moment. I covered my arm with my mouth, coughing hard. I felt like shit.. I had hugged thirteen people in total. My body ached. My head was pounding. My mouth was dry. I felt fucking horrible.
Thirteen hugs, and the fact that I was twenty-two already, meant that I was technically eighty seven. I coughed hard, resisting every urge to pass out.
"O-one more.. one more please one more.." I begged to myself, my body shaking.
I tried to act normal as I saw an older girl walk bye. She was fourteen.. maybe fifteen. She looked at me, her wheeling her IV stand with her. She slowly walked over, smiling warmly at me.
"May I have a hug..?" She asked softly.
I nodded quickly, plastering a smile on my face. "Yeah.. of-of course.." I said faintly. Wrapping my arms around her as she hugged me.
I closed my eyes, my body trembling. Eighty-seven. In technical terms.. I was now eighty seven. I coughed as she pulled away, leaning back. I couldn't keep myself up. I fell onto my side.
I couldn't hug anyone else.. hell I couldn't move. My joints were aching.. I felt.. numb. I felt tears start to flood out of my eyes, choking out a small sob.
"I-I don't wanna d-die.." I panicked, my body trembling. I thought I was ready.. god I thought I was ducking ready. I'm not ready. "I-I'm not ready!" I screamed, coughing hard. "G-god I'm not fucking ready!"
The girl looked at me and jumped. "Nurse! Nurse!" She screamed.
I could barely hear her. Everything sounded fuzzy.. my ears were ringing. My body was trembling. I coughed hard, feeling tears run down my face. I looked down at my hands.. they were old looking.. the skin was wrinkly and thin.
My hair was turning grey rapidly. I breathed heavily, starting to wheeze as I breathed. I choked out a sob, a few nurses and doctors running over to me. They shooed the girl away.
I gripped onto one of the doctors as she kneeled down, looking me over quickly, her eyes wide. "M-make-" I paused, coughing. "T-tell.. tell.." I coughed, my body falling limp quickly. I couldn't continue on with my sentence. I closed my eyes, feeling my breathing slowly come to a stop.
Everything was calm as I went.. it stopped hurting after a few seconds. I closed my eyes one final time, my body going completely limp, and with that. I was gone.
