Backstage: Third Time's the Charm

Alya Kendrick

Alya Kendrick
Grade 11
Music Program

"This isn't happening," I said. I paced up and down the ER waiting room. "This can't be happening. Tell me this isn't happening!"

"Alya, calm down," Bianca said. "We don't know anything yet. We can't jump to the worst conclusion."

"How can he be sick again?" I tugged at my hair. "Do you think something was wrong with my kidney?"

"Alya."

I turned and saw Mrs. Lennox looking down at me. She sighed. "If something had been wrong with the transplant we would've known immediately."

"But will Miles be okay?" Bianca and Jax patted my shoulders.

"I don't know." Her lip trembled. She sank into one of the hard seats.

"Alya!"

I rushed into my mother's arms.

"What happened?"

"Miles and I were on a date," I sniffed. "And he collapsed. I had to call an ambulance, and I rode with him," I rambled.

My mother reached for Mrs. Lennox and gripped her shoulder. "How are you doing?"

"I don't know what to do." She burst into tears. "Miles has always been sickly. And then his father left. And I don't know what I'm going to do if anything happens to him."

"It'll be all right." My mom tried to soothe her.

"Mrs. Lennox?"

A woman in scrubs stood in front of us. "If you could come with me. We have your son stabilized, and you can see him now."

Mrs. Lennox stood, and the woman escorted her out of the waiting room.

Bianca, Jax, and I waited impatiently with my mother for Mrs. Lennox to come back.

"Alya." Carly rushed up to us. "I came as soon as I heard."

"We all did." Vanessa, Sasha, and Jenna followed behind her.

"What are you doing here?"

"You were there when I needed help. Now we're here to be with you," Carly said gently.

"We haven't heard anything yet," Jax said grimly.

Sasha stood next to him and patted his back.

About an hour later, Mrs. Lennox returned, face pale. She took my mom aside and talked to her. My stomach tightened when I saw the serious looks on their faces.

They returned to our group and faced us grimly. "Alya. Bianca. Jax," Mrs. Lennox said. "I'm sure Miles never told you this. He never wanted to get sympathy because of his illness. But it wasn't just his kidney that gave him problems. He also has a weak heart."

"Well, what does that mean?" I asked. I stared at Miles' mother. "He'll be okay, won't he?"

Mrs. Lennox trembled. "Miles has gone into full organ failure."

"What?" Jax said quietly. Sasha gripped his shoulder tightly.

Bianca sobbed silently. Vanessa rubbed her back soothingly.

"He's on a ventilator right now, but he's not going to get better."

"He has too," I said. "He can't be dying. He's only seventeen."

Tears trickled down her face. "I'm going to turn off the life support, Alya. Miles is gone. I won't try to keep him."

With her words, my knees buckled, and I crumpled to the hard floor, sobbing. "This is my fault. This is my fault."

Bianca slid out of her chair, unconcerned with getting her clothes dirty. She sat down next to me and cradled me in her arms. "This isn't your fault."

Jax pulled away from Sasha and sank into one of the chairs. He rested his head in his hands.

"I want you to be with me when they turn off life support," Mrs. Lennox said.

"I don't know if that's a good idea," my mom said with concern.

"I want to be there." I wiped away my tears and stood.

"I'm sorry you all can't be there." Mrs. Lennox turned to the rest of our friends. "The doctors won't allow it. They've made a special exception for Alya."

"What about Miles's dad?" My mom asked. She rubbed Mrs. Lennox's arm soothingly.

Mrs. Lennox stiffened. "He won't be coming."

She led me back to a hospital room similar to the one I'd stayed in over the break. Miles's chest rose and fell gently, and the ventilator hissed. I stopped in the doorway, almost tempted to run. Could I really see him like this?

Mrs. Lennox's presence behind me urged me forward. I walked hesitantly into the room and sat in a chair next to his bed. I reached out and touched his hand.

"Hey," I said. "You know I'm going to hate you forever now for doing this. Because, well, because I love you, and I hate that you're going to leave me." Tears started to trickle down my face. "I wish we hadn't wasted so much time. Because I've loved you since freshman year, and we didn't spend nearly enough time together.

"If I could go back and stay at Keaton instead of going on tour with Da Boheme, I would stay in a heartbeat. Anything to have more time with you." I stood and leaned over Miles, leaving a kiss on his forehead.

Mrs. Lennox sobbed silently in the door way where a doctor had appeared.

"Are you ready?" He asked.

Mrs. Lennox's chest heaved, but she nodded.

The doctor flipped the switch, and I listened as the heart monitor flat-lined.

**************

I returned to the waiting room numb with shock. Bianca and Jax gathered around me. We sank to the floor sobbing.

Later that night, as I struggled to sleep, Jax texted me.

Jax: He was working on an album. He wanted to surprise you.

Alya: Did he finish it?

Jax: No. But he mentioned a few of the recordings were on his laptop, and he was always writing things down on his phone.

Alya: I'll talk to Mrs. Lennox. We have to finish his album. We have too.

I know. I know. I'm sorry. Don't hate me! Miles's memorial is going to be so sad. But how will his death affect the other students at Keaton? Will Alya, Jax, and Bianca be able to finish Miles's album?
I'm also sorry it's been so long since I posted. School started and it's a struggle.