How To Save A Life

Chapter One: Red flag

KAYLEN'S POV:

"Hi Kaylen. So I didn't know exactly what you'd want, so I brought up a hamburger, french fries, blueberry yogurt, and skim milk." Stacy, the nurse, stated enthusiastically after bringing in my supper. "If you need anything else just make sure to let me know!" I smiled at her, for she was the best nurse ever. She always knew what I wanted and when I wanted it.

I had been admitted to the hospital earlier that month after having an asthma attack in the middle of class. I nearly passed out, but the school nurse kept me conscious until an ambulance arrived. My breathing had always been kind of rough, so I had been admitted before. But this time was different. This time I had tests done, and they revealed a red flag. It was a red flag in the form of a lung tumor.

I wasn't even really upset. Don't get me wrong, it's not like I was happy. It just hadn't sunk in yet. I didn't feel any different than I did a few months before, other than the constant checkups and treatment. It felt like I had asthma. But I probably should've known that it was something more than that. None of my inhalers or occasional humidifier sessions made any difference. But lucky for me, it wasn't even cancer. It was a tumor, and they were planning to take it out within the next few weeks. Then I could go and live my life. My diagnosis was just a bump in the road.

My parents were both lawyers. They met at law school, and now they were married with an only child. They were very successful, as I am often reminded, and they both had huge cases going on. This meant that I was alone during the day. I didn't really mind, for my friends and other family visited every once in awhile.

Since they were gone, I had nothing to do. I decided to walk up and down the hallways, connected to an oxygen tank. Next to each room was a sign with the name of the patient inside, probably so the nurses wouldn't forget. I read all of the names of all of the kids, like I had done so many times before. I already had all the names memorized, and that kind of made me feel like a creep. The signs read: Marilyn, Owen, Matt, Ella, JACK IS SLEEPING, and Alyssa. I just hadn't met them yet...or talked to them, for that matter.

My nurse, Stacy, had explained that the kids in this hallway were all my age, meaning they were 13, 14, or 15. They were here to recover from something or receive some kind of treatment. Stacy often encouraged me to try to befriend them, but that wasn't my style. I didn't see the point in making friends that could just die or something. I know how rude that sounds, but I once lost a close friend when they moved out of the state. It's not the same thing, but I never got to see her again.

I walked back to my room and disconnected myself from the portable oxygen tank. After taking off the tank, I connected to my oxygen back at the room. It was only 7:30, but I wasn't even hungry, so I decided that sleep may be the best idea. It took about ten minutes before my eyelids became heavy and I fell asleep.

-----------------------

The next morning:

I woke up at 7 AM and it seemed as if the hospital had already been awake for hours. The door to my room had been propped open, and I could hear the buzzing and beeping all around. I slept very well, for my parents had brought my pillows and blankets from home. They wanted me to be as comfortable as I could be, considering we didn't really know how long I would have to stay.

I got out of bed and put on some new clothes. I decided on a baggy shirt and running shorts. You may wonder why I wasn't wearing a hospital gown. It was because my tumor was very controlled, and it had been there for a long time. It wasn't putting me in any immediate danger. The only side effects I had were the basic asthma symptoms. The doctors thought that I could live with it for longer, but it was decided that I would be safer in the long run if it was removed as soon as possible. This way, the tumor couldn't grow and I wouldn't have to worry about it later in life.