Donovan King Breaks the Rules

during visitor hours

Speechless (Cover) ~ JNKTunes
" You already know that you're my weakness, after all this time I'm just as nervous, every time you walk into a room, I'm speechless. "
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XXIV

a r i a

DONOVAN'S TASTE IN MUSIC VARIED from Kodak Black to every song by Weezer, including Island in the Sun. He bellowed incorrect lyrics from all over the place, and despite how horrible they sounded, his voice wasn't half bad. The boy could sing, I'd give him that.

"Jeez, the speakers in this thing can't go any quieter?" I complained, half-laughing and half-wailing. Happy but painful tears stung my eyes. I was on an emotional roller coaster.

In one swift movement, Donovan turned down the stereo volume and looked at me. "You don't like Metro Station?"

"I did when I was like, 11."

"Then be 11 for me, just for now."

For the rest of the trip, Donovan told me he'd went through an emo phase at 13. I couldn't help myself from laughing as he sang the lyrics to Shake It, adjusting his hair to hang slightly over his eyes like bangs.

When we reached the hospital, Donovan parked his car and we both got out. I didn't expect him to grab a guitar case from the trunk though.

     "You play guitar?"

     He shrugged his shoulders, not quite a yes but not really a no.

     Heading inside the building, I noticed there was a sudden change in atmosphere. Silence walked its way into every part of the institute. People sat still in the waiting room, anxiously tapping a foot or biting a nail.

     Donovan lead me to the front desk, where a sweet old lady greeted the two of us and signed us in for visitor hours.

     "Thanks Ruth," Donovan said, waving a hand.

     "My pleasure Stephen. Rain's been looking forward to seeing you for a while. And who might you be?"

     Between the warm hand being held out towards me and the fake name Donovan was hiding under, I was utterly confused.

     "I'm Aria," I played along, shaking Ruth's hand. "Stephen's friend."

     We were on our way to Rain's room when I asked, "Do you know what she's sick with?"

"Doctors say it's cystic fibrosis," he said nonchalantly. "Currently incurable and pretty fatal. She's been getting better though. She's strong."

I didn't say anything as we walked into a doorway labeled 107. The first thing I saw though, was a little girl asleep on a hospital bed.

One nurse greeted Donovan and I and stepped out of the room to leave us alone. That was when he crept to one side of Rain's bed, heart swelling in his hands as her own struggled to beat.

"Hey," he whispered, putting down his guitar case. "I'm here."

He softly curled his hand in hers and that's when her eyes opened. They lit up with wonder when they landed on him. "Donovan?" she asked groggily.

It took her a while before her mind registered that someone else was in the room. She looked up at me and put on a frown. "Who's she?"

     "That's Aria. She's a friend."