009 | The Art of Surmise
Beep
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THEY were louder, drumming in his ears like a permanent echo that followed him everywhere. His head hurt, a dull ache traveling through every part of his skull. He blinked, eyes adjusting to briefly unfamiliar surroundings, to familiar. He was able to make out his his mother's greying blonde ponytail. She was curled up on a chair beside his hospital bed, head buried in his lap. Which were damp with tears.
Had she been crying?
That's a dumb question, he knew she'd been crying, after overhearing her and her father's conversation.
Was he really... dying?
He didn't even know how long he had left before he died, if it was months or even years. He hadn't been given enough time to properly live his life, and say goodbye to those he loved.
Hell, knowing he was going to die, but now when, he wanted to fit as many things as he could on his agenda for one day.
Given he didn't have much to live his life carefree, without the cares of Cancer and bullies like David, he'd have to make a bucket-list of things to do before he exited the earth.
He'd have to make one with Teddy. Teddy always knew how to have fun in unfun conditions.
Detecting movement, his mother head up like a bullet, her red-tinged eyes widening in stress and relief at the sight of her son.
She immediately pulled him into her arms, her body softly racking with silent sobs.
''Mom,'' He called softly, running his fingers through her hair. ''I'm fine. Don't cry''
''I know.'' She sniffled. ''I'm just emotional, I hate seeing you passed out in a hospital like this.''
A hospital wasn't that bad, soon she'd have to see him in a casket.
He cursed at his own thoughts, fixing the despondent expression on his face, just as she looked up. Wiping her cheeks clear of tears.
She didn't know he knew yet.
''What happened?'' He quizzed, playing dumb.
''Your blood sugar was low.'' She voiced, voice still semi-cracky from crying. ''You passed out.''
That wasn't the answer he hoped to receive, he glanced around the room, seeing all of Teddy's things and crayons lying around, but no Teddy. ''Where's Teddy? Where's dad?''
''An emergency came up, your father had to drop Teddy back home.''
''Really?''
She nodded, smiling in a way that was meant to be happy, but came out sadder than she probably hoped.
''What's wrong? You seem down.''
She smiled numbly, ''I'm fine, mon amour. Was just worried for you,''
''Why?''
She raised an eyebrow, but answered anyways. ''Nurses said you did Chemo on an empty stomach, young man.''
He shrugged. ''Wasn't hungry.'' He was more on the tired, nauseous side actually.
She let out a deep sigh, massaging her eyes, and pressing a hand to her chest as if she were telling it that he was fine, and that it didn't have to worry anymore. ''One day, you're going to be the death of me, Boo.''
And Cancer's gonna be the death of me....
''You had me worried sick, next time eat even if you don't feel hungry. Doing Chemo on an empty stomach is unhealthy, and it only makes you more nauseous - ''
He droned out the rest of her words, finding himself thinking existential thoughts about death and the life after.
He couldn't live on knowing his and Teddy's promises to pick out the colors for his funeral, would one day come true.
And he couldn't, and didn't want to live in Heaven seeing his parents grief-stricken expressions, and hearing their sobs.
His heart psychically couldn't take it.
Teddy found him in a similar state the next few weeks, sitting in the dark just thinking. Boo never told him what he was constantly thinking about, he couldn't bring himself to even tell Teddy he was dying, knowing Teddy would immediately burst into tears and confront the doctors and nurses.
He'd done it before, a couple years before, when he thought Boo was going to die because of some cruel prank he had convinced the nurses to pull on him.
Teddy had cried his eyes out for weeks, and it took them months to convince him it was just a cruel prank.
Teddy had made him pinkie-swear that he would never do something like that ever again, and he promised.
Would he even believe him if he told him of what he had heard?
Probably not, though he wasn't going to tell the latter anyways.
''Hey.''
His head jerked up at the sound of a voice, his eyes brightened just a bit before dimming again. The thought of death hadn't left his head, ever since he heard the words come out of his doctor's mouth.
''There's nothing we can do.''
Andrei took a seat beside his bed, dropping his book-bag somewhere on the floor. He looked up through bright and curious blues. ''You look upset, something happen?''
How would one go about bringing up death?
One wouldn't.
''I....'' He bit his lip, hard enough to emit pain, but not enough to actually puncture skin. ''I just need a distraction.''
Andrei looked up in interest.
''I found out something that I shouldn't have, and . . . '' He trailed off. In other words. Andrei -- seemingly catching onto his words, reached into his bag. His lips curved up at the sides. ''You're in luck,'' He kept digging, until he finally pulled out a wooden-base instrument that had Boo smiling wider than he had ever smiled before.
Tuning his guitar, Andrei looked at the younger through unfamiliar eyes. ''Have a song in mind?''
YOU ARE READING
4:06 - A Tale of Leukemia
Teen Fiction[BXB] Boomer Soleil, a fifteen-year-old boy battling with Leukemia, struggles with the idea of dying this time around after overhearing a conversation with his parents, and begins exploring the things on his bucket-list, with the help of Twenty-six...
