When The Sun Came Up, You Were Gone

I'll See You All Soon(4)

Noah's POV

Every day my family comes to see me. Early in the morning before school and right after two. When my family leaves to go home, Dominic comes to see me. I found out he basically raises his siblings so he's always busy so his only free time is when his parents come home, which is around ten to eleven at night. Since I put him down as family, the hospital doesn't stop him. Lately, when he's here with me, he never gets close. Usually he stays in his seat and we just talk about our lives. As he tells me about each of his siblings and what he likes and doesn't, I want to reach out and grab his hand, but I get too scared.

Around eleven, Dominic finally came. Today he had a box wrapped in paper, "Your sister told me that it is your birthday... so I was kinda late because of this." A little chuckle came from me, but I reached out for the box. He placed it in my lap, pulling a chair up beside the bed, "I really hope you like it."

Inside was a small notebook. Flipping it open, I could tell it was hand stitched, "Did you make this?"

"When I was little, my parents couldn't afford notebook for the school year so I learned how to make them," he slowly reached his hand over to me, gently flipping a page, "after making so many of them, I just decided that I could start documenting my life, but not like a diary! More like... more like a record."

The paper was a nice tainted yellow, thick as well. I could here it scrap against each other as I turned the pages. The cover was hard, meaning it would last for a while. It was cute... I liked the fabric covering it. "I've never journaled before," I whispered out, still amazed by the little gift, "but... I think I could like it."

"Well... since you're stuck inside all day, I thought having this would ease your mind. You could write down memories, jokes, stories, anything... I usually wrote about Gracie... whether she was worsening or getting better. Sometimes it really helped me get through touch spots," he pulled his hands back, placing them in his pockets, "maybe... maybe this can help you."

Unsure if I would begin to cry, I just nodded. When he left around twelve-thirty, I begun writing my first journal entry. It was like I could finally let out all my pain and happiness.

~

"Dammit," I coughed up, a bit of blood dripping from my lips. Kendra stood In the corner, facing the window as the little ounces of my life came falling out of me. The nurses were rushing in and out, bringing whatever the hell they were going to shoot into me. My eyes begun to water up, my stomach becoming as heavy as a rock. My limbs were aching, like someone had tied a rope to them and were yanking them in different directions.

After another ten minutes, I stopped coughing up blood. Instead of coughing, a massive migraine took all my attention. It was throbbing so badly, that I couldn't even open my eyes. The world was swirling around me, like it was slamming me into walls in every twist. The loud noises the nurses were making only added to my pain, but I couldn't speak. Not one inch of my body wasn't hurting. It seemed that someone threw me into a pit of fire, letting me roast like a marshmello. It hurt so badly.

"Noah? Noah? Baby are you okay?" My mother took my hand, gripping it tightly, "It's okay... mom and dad are right here. Kendra too. It's okay."

"I-It hurts," I cried, unable to control anything anymore, "it hurts so much... please... p-please make it stop.... please mom."

I couldn't tell who was crying more; me from the pain or my mother from the sight of me.

~

My eyes opened up slightly, cursing the bright lights above. The migraine was still there, but it wasn't so bad anymore. Looking over to my sides, I saw Alison and Chase seated in the chairs, my family standing around the room. My ears were still a bit stuffy, so I groaned out. Someone took my hand, guessing from the shape it was my mom's, "Hey baby... Alison and Chase came by to see you. How are you feeling?"

"S... sit me up... please," coughing between each word, Alison quickly got up, aiding me as always. She went back to her seat, smiling at me. It was the first time I could see her smile properly. She wasn't in scrubs or covered in plastic. She was dressed causally, an Alison I never seen. Chase was laidback as always, giving me a little smile as well. Coughing a bit, I managed to get out, "Thank you for coming.... how have... have you two been?"

"We've been good Noah," Alison patted my hand, "I'm happy to see you awake."

"It's very boring without you around Rome," Chase joked, "I miss having my little bicker moments with you. I definitely feel lonesome now."

"Damn... no one to... to kick you in the ass for me?" Everyone chuckled a bit, especially Chase, "Alison... never go easy... on this guy. Whip him into shape... kick him for me while you're as it." Again everyone laughed.

"There's the old sarcasm we missed," Alison... she looked... she looked sad. Every time I saw her, she was smiling, throwing my sarcasm back... but this Alison looked so sad. I wrapped my fingers around her hand, causing her to tear up, "Y-you're so young... why you? Never have you hurt someone purposely... never have you done evil things, yet you're the one who is laying in this bed... suffering. I don't get it... I really don't understand. You could have brought so much goodness... helped so many people... it's... this is just fucked up." Chase held her against him, looking away from us.

Tightening my grasp, I mutter out, "If I never got sick... I would have never got to meet you two." Her cries got a bit louder, "At first... I didn't mind my sickness because I could stay away from people I didn't like. Then I resented it. I became lost and isolated myself from everyone I love... I regret both sides of me, so instead of not caring and beating myself up over it, I decided to enjoy... enjoy my last few moments... moments with the people I love." Kendra came closer, placing her hands on mom's shoulders. My dad just smiled at me, for the first time in such a long time, with pride. "It's sad to say goodbye... so why not say 'I'll see you all soon'?"