Told Only in Whispers

I was floating in a colourful pastel dream when the husky voice broke through. "He's going to die." Snatched from the dream, I was thrown into a white, cold room with no character but a rhythmic beep of a heart rate machine. I tried to open my eyes to see where the voice was coming from, but they remained shut. I tried to reach for them, but my hand continued to lay under the thin-linen sheet. Clenching with horror, I realized I couldn't move any part of my body. I laid under the sheet, listening to people shuffle around the room, a woman sob, and the slight scratching noise of a rough, calloused hand catching on cotton. "You knew it was coming, dear," a voice whispered. The sobs grew louder as the woman shuffled to the bed. The smell of her perfume wafted into my nose. It was sweet but sickly; it was my mother's. My heart sank as I realized they were weeping about me. "We tried everything, but the infection has spread to the rest of his body." said the husky voice. My heart rate quickened, pounding in my ears like a drum. "There must be something we haven't tried or overlooked," my mother choked out. A deafening silence cloaked the room until the husky voice cleared their throat. "I understand your will not to give up, but..." he trailed off, "if there is any hope, it's within his body." "I'm going to get a cup of coffee. Do you want one?" My father's question remained unanswered except for the heavy footsteps that led out of the room. "I'll leave you two alone," the husky voice said, leaving quietly. I heard soft footsteps walk from the right side of the bed to the left. With a sigh and a thump, my mother fell into a piece of furniture beside the bed. I desperately tried to reach out and comfort her, but my body remained still underneath the blanket. She reached out and took my hand. Her fingers, wet from tears, were cold to the touch, but her palms remained as small heaters, like always. "I love you and –" her voice cracked, "I will always be here with you." My chest rose, inhaling deeply; before I could exhale, I heard a frantic rapping sound that snapped my eyelids open. *** Blinking rapidly, I adjusted to the sunlight in the room. It beamed down in yellow and orange beams, warming my face. I sat straight up in my bed, looking down at my limbs and wiggling each one. I spread my hands open with relief and cracked every toe as I sunk back into my bed. The knocking returned. "Yeah?" The door opened slowly, revealing my mother, a slight woman accompanied with red, puffy eyes. "Good Afternoon." "Good Afternoon?" "Yes, you've been asleep practically all day. It's two o'clock." I looked towards the window, squinting at the sun like I was trying to figure out its function. "Grandpa passed away last night." My eyes began to water as I turned to look at my mother. "Did he pass away at the hospital?"She shook her head and said, "He passed away in his room," as she looked at the small hole in the far left wall.