The Diversion Program

Chapter Three- And Christian

"You may come in Christian." The nurse said to me as I was sitting on the bench outside of my mother's hospital room. My head turns to her and I get up. Tears were stained on my eyes, and showed from my bright blue eyes. She held the door open for me, smiling. But there was nothing to smile about. Just to mourn.

I nod my head and enter the door. My mother lay there, limp and lifeless. Her soft brown hair that once was glowing turned to barely anything but a few hairs. IV's stuck into her arms on both sides and her head was turned to the left side. Right after I stepped in, the nurse shut the door quietly. Leaving me and my mother alone.

The roses I left her a few days ago were right next to her. Like she charished them. That sight made me happy. There was a white chair that matched the room right next to the bed. I sat down slowly, staring at the room and my mother. My arm reached out for her knee that was tucked under the hospital blanket. "Mom." I said nicely, shaking her leg. "Mom, wake up."

Her eyes slowly opened and when she saw me her eyes brightened. "Hello Christian." Even with her cancer, she still had the brightest smile. "How have you been honey?" Her voice was a little raspy and upset.

"I've been doing fine. Same with dad. You're not looking better." I replied, rubbing her hand with my thumb. She giggled almost silently.

"I'm alright." Mom smiled again. I haven't seen her smile like that in so long. It was probably from me actually being with her in this stage of her life. "Instead of third stage cancer." She slowly swallowed. "It's getting worse, now to fourth stage." Tears came to my eyes at the thought of my mother being away from me. She has been here for me since I was a little kid. This is weird to say, but she is also my best friend. Ever since my brother left, I can't let another love of mine die off so quickly.

"They can cure it right?" I questioned, looking down trying to clear the tears from my eyes. Just enough to notice that a nurse snuck into here. I didn't pay any mind to her though. Finally, I realized that the life support was beeping unusually. "Sir you are going to have to leave." The nurse added, stepping closer to me and my mom.

Just then, my mom's grip loosened and the life support turnd to one long beep. I looked down at my mom, seeing her face turned to the side again. But this time, heavier on the pillow. "Mom." I said, shaking her again. "Mom!" I raised my voice, shaking her harder. The nurse came up to me and pulled my arms back.

"Sir, you are going to have to leave." She said, pulling me away from my mom.

"I can't! Not now!" I screamed loudly, trying to resist her pulling me away.

I quickly sat up, looking around my room. My friend Aaron threw a pillow at me. I watched it fall to the floor. "Why are you screaming?" He said angrily, sleep still in his eyes. My hands moved up to my tired, dreaming eyes to rub them. It was a dream. Only a dream.

"My mom was in the hospital." I say, staring at the floor. My mother has been sick for a long time. Going in and out of the hospital.

"Again? You're nuts." Aaron said and laid back down again. He invited me to a cottage with his family for a week. I would enjoy it if every night I didn't wake up screaming from terrible dreams about my family down south.

My arms stretch straight out as I yawn loudly. I swing my feet over the side of the bed and stand up, nearly falling over. "My parents made brunch down there. We missed breakfast." Aaron said, in a tired tone. Aaron lives in Tennessee and I live in South Carolina, so we have strong southern accents.

"Great." I said, walking over to the door. "I'm starving." Aaron got up after me, stretching and following me out the door. Their cottage was cozy and welcoming. Stone fireplaces in every room you walk into, tan walls that match the wilderness, and wood floors. Aaron's parents greeted us at the end of the hallway, smiling. I smile back, waving my hand.

"I made your favorite breakfast boys." Aaron's father exclaimed. He had the heaviest accent out of all of us, including my family. "Sausage and eggs!"

"Yes!" Aaron said under his breathe. His mother was already sitting down at the dining table, reading the magazines from different cosmetic stores. Aaron and I sat down on the other side of the long table, waiting patiently for our breakfast to come.

"So Christian" Aaron's mother began to ask. She had a polite, slightly accented voice that always is very proper and soft. "I heard your mother is in the hospital." My mind felt like it was just shot. I stared down at my table and reply with a low whisper.

"Yeah. She is." Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Aaron giving his mother the "I can't believe you just asked that" look. She looked down the table at me and before she was going to say anything else, his father came in with the food. "Eggs and sausage" he repeated.

He carried over a pan filled with yellow fluffy eggs and scooped them down onto the plates in front of us and his wife until it was all gone. After he went back to the kitchen to take back the eggs, he came back with another pan that had flat circular patties of sausage. He gave us all 3 and placed the pan in the middle of the table if any of us wanted more.

"Were leaving here around one o'clock." Aaron's father said in between scarfing down eggs. I nodded and smiled towards his dad as he looked over at me. Now, everyone was eating their food. His mother was eating in little dainty sections, his father was eating everything at one time, and Aaron ate slowly, staring at everything in the room.

My phone ringing broke the silence. I excused myself and walked out of the room. "Hello?" I ask, looking around their living room.

"Hey Chris, it's your father." That's what he always said when he calls me. Even though phones have caller-ID.

"Hi dad. What's up?"

"It's not good news bud." My father's tone was upsetting and down low.

"Well. What is it?" I got worried and started shaking a little bit.

"Your mom." He said, taking a short pause. "She's in the hospital." He took a short pause. You could tell he was truly upset by the tone of his voice and heaviness of his breathing. "Again. She ain't gettin' much better." I stopped talking a bit. I didn't want to say anything. I couldn't say anything.

"How bad?" I ask, swallowing harshly attempting to hold back my heavy tears.

"Why don't you come home? She would love for you to see her. Like I said she ain't feeling well Christian. I could pick you up from Aaron's place. It'd take me a bit but I want you to see her." As I stood there in silence, I heard Aaron walk up next to me. I removed my phone from my face to hear him talk.

He whispered to me. "You alright?" All I could do was shake my head side to side. I pick my phone back up and tell my father I must go. We both hang up and I put my phone in my back pocket. "I could hear your dad while I was standing here. He doesn't have to pick you up. My pa can probably drive you over back to South Carolina." I look at him with all the happiness left in me.

"That would be great."

. . .

in the car. he falls asleep. aarons dad talks about taking him away.