G E O R G E

Eighteen: Break Up

T U E S D A Y | A U G U S T
George:

IT WAS about a half hour later that Dr. Fossil came in with bandages and hospital tape a wide grin on his face.

"You ready to get that tube out?" He said coming to the side of my bed and I gulp, I'm not ready for this. I completely forgot I was getting my tube out today, but I remember getting it out the last time and it hurt really bad. "I'll need you to lay on your side, arms against your chest, okay?"

I followed his instructions and rolled on my side, making eye contact with Mila who was still sitting on the chair. I heard Dr. Fossil moving around behind me, opening the bandages and everything. I became nervous, everything was happening so fast, and Mila and I just got back on good terms.

He peeled the old bandage off, cleaning around it and then he said he was cutting the stitches that kept it in place off.

"Okay, when the time comes, I'll need you to take three deep breaths and on the third I'm going to pull it out." He started placing the bandages on my chest, taping them down in place but not taping the bottom where the tube was. His hand was on my chest, and I felt the tube shift, meaning he held it in his hand now, I squeezed my eyes shut. "You ready, George?"

I waited a second before nodding and started taking the breaths like he said. Mila reached out and took my hand, probably noticing that I was shaking due to nerves and uneasiness. Finally on the third breath I squeezed my eyes together, gripped Mila's hand tighter and the side of the bed as he pulled the tube out.

I screamed and groaned in pain, flinching forward as I felt the tube move and come out in my lung. Dr. Fossil start taping down the rest of the bandage. That hurt like a lot more than I remembered.

"Holy shit, holy shit, oh my god that hurt... that hurt so much more than the last time."

I heard Dr. Fossil chuckle slightly. Mila still held my hand and I blinked back some tears that were threatening to come out. I took a small breath in relief as the pain subsided and then I turned to lay properly, smiling slightly.

The tube is finally out of me.

Thanking god and Dr. Fossil I took the opportunity to stand up and stretch. Then, I went to the bathroom. I don't think I thought I'd be so happy to see a toilet in my life. This whole time I've been going through either a catheter or in a pan. It's not nice, I'll tell you that.

After roaming the hospital with Mila, we talked and kept casual, comfortable conversation, stopping at a vending machine to buy myself and her a pretty decent cookie.

Though, the night ended, and we had to go to bed and I really really didn't want to not spend time with her because she was leaving tomorrow at noon. At noon tomorrow she's going to be home, and I'll be here stuck in this hospital.

****

IT WAS the dreaded time now. One minute to twelve and we both stood in the lobby, silent, waiting, wishing for more time. But then her mom walked into the lobby and I knew it was her immediately because Mila sighed next to me getting up, grabbing her things.

I leaned forward resting my elbows on my knees and smiled up to her.

"So this is it?" I say softly flicking my lip ring. She nodded slowly, her mom now approaching us. "I'll miss our Netflix sessions, making fun of the food here, I'll miss you."