The Conduit

Chapter 1 - Cursed

Just last week, my dad had a stroke. I was called out by our Math teacher, and she led me right away to the principal's office. There they broke the saddest news I've heard that week. They said my mom called the school to tell me that she'd be fetching me, and they also told me why. My mom arrived at the school shortly while I was waiting outside the principal's office; she was bawling her eyes out as she ran straight towards me then hugged me as tight as she could. When we were in the car, she told me it was around lunch when dad had the stroke while he was out with a client, visiting an old house somewhere south. My father is a realtor, so he would always go around places to sell new or old houses that are worth millions, to clients who are either huge business tycoons, politicians who conceal their mistresses or to just a wealthy family. It was sudden news, so during the whole ride, I was just quiet. I did not understand entirely the idea of what really happens when a person gets a stroke. I only hear it from other people—never really expecting to experience it by having one of my family members getting one, especially my father who I believe is always at his best shape.

When we arrived at the hospital, dad was already checked-in, and the doctor who was attending him told us that he's under comatose. Half of his body is now paralyzed, and he is inside the intensive care unit, still getting medications and stuff. My mother seemed to have her whole world crashed before her when she heard about the comatose, as she carefully sat on one of the chairs outside the ICU. I asked her if she wanted something to eat or drink, but I did not get an answer. I decided maybe it's best to let her absorb everything. I was devastated, too, but my father would always tell me: "Theo, when everything goes wrong, you should always be with your mother". I'm a 15-year-old teenager—I bet I can take care of her when things like these happen. Dad can count on me on this one. I tried to console her by hugging her in one arm and then kissing her in the forehead. She seemed to notice my sweet gesture and looked at me with a forced smile on her face. "Everything's going to be fine," she whispered those words to me, reassuring, but her tears said otherwise.

Minutes passed, two of my father's co-workers arrived, rushing to my mom who was still sitting still beside me. They were two guys, and I heard my mom called them "George" and "Jon". They spoke right in front of me, but one of the guys, I think it was George, quickly turned to me and asked me if I could get a bottle of water for my mother. My mother nodded, telling me to go. While I was walking away from them, I believed I heard my mother gasped in disbelief.

With the bottle of water in my right hand, I went back to them, but they were gone. I tried to check around, but to no avail. I decided to take a peek at my father's room and see if they are inside. And I was right, I saw them all inside, circling around my father's bed as the EKG machine and tubes were all connected to him. The two guys were talking while my mother just listened to them. I heard one of the guys said the word "insurance". Maybe they were just discussing my father's medical insurance. As I was about to leave, my mother saw me. She looked shock for a second, but then she called me in when she noticed it was just me. I was not really sure if we were allowed to just freely enter the room but seeing them all inside, maybe it was fine. As I approached my mother, I saw my father on his bed. He's still asleep, like he was just resting from a day's work. He looked fine and all. But then I noticed it, the slight twist on his right face, lips distorted in a way that is not normal. I handed mom the water and she drank it right away. I sat next to her on a small chair, just steps away from the EKG machine. They continued their discussion about insurance and how the company would also shoulder some of the medical bills. But these don't really ignite happiness in my mother's eyes. After all, who would want their husband in this kind of state?

The first night in the hospital was fine. We were allowed to use this small room next to my father's room as it was not allowed for anyone of us to stay with him in the ICU the whole night. Few of our relatives came, and even my grandma, who is already 78 years old, went to check on her son. It became lively a little bit as people were talking about this and that. Around 9 o'clock in the evening, mom asked me if I would want to stay with her in the hospital or would rather go home together with my aunts and grandma and have a decent sleep. I insisted on staying since I made that promise to my dad to be with her all the time. She looked pleased then she hugged me.