One Perfect Day

Chapter 44 | Dream

January 25th

"Is everyone here?" Dr. Khan's abrupt voice disturbs the anticipation in my small hospital room.

My tall dad nods as he wraps his long arm around my mom's shoulder. It looks like he's preparing her for battle or something even worse.

Her black shirt is falling off her frame as she blankly stares at the group of nurses walking in. Her eyes dart from the large machines to the medication and find their way to the IV in my arm. The numb look on her face when she realizes the enormity of the situation is enough to break my heart.

Grant is standing on the right side of my bed, with another deep blank stare in his eyes. His gaze has fixated on Dr. Khan, watching him as he maneuvers through the small crowd of people.

I'm almost positive that he hasn't slept in over three days. The dark circles under his eyes are from the long nights of watching my every move. Ever since I came home with stitches in my side and a killer headache, he hasn't left my side. He claims that I should've never left the hospital.

I don't blame him.

I move my head to look at Blake who is standing on the left side of my bed, close to my head. His hand is positioned on the plastic frame behind my body, and his stance is far stretched.

He is the epitome of casual handsomeness with his large muscles threatening to break through his tight grey shirt. His black hair is messed up in the front, carefully falling over his bright blue eyes. I can't help but notice the defined veins in his arm as he taps on the frame.

I slowly sense his mood change when a nurse comes close to check my stitches.

Blake's also been on edge ever since we returned from the beach. And I'm not sure if it has to do with his father's return, but he insists on standing outside the hospital when visiting hours are over.

He brings his car to the front of the parking lot and stays there until the sun rises. It's been going on for a couple of days now, and I'm beginning to worry about him. He hasn't been sleeping much because of it.

On the other hand, all I do is sleep. The pain medicine that Dr. Khan prescribed for my side is strong, causing me to drift in and out of consciousness while attempting to have conversations.

It's been frustrating, to say the least.

Krista catches my eyes when she walks through the door holding a small juice box. Her happy smile and positive attitude brighten the room the instant she walks in.

My eyelids slowly rise and fall as people bustle around my cramped hospital room.

I want to sleep.

But notice that today Krista is wearing scrubs with orange ribbons on them. I have recently discovered that orange ribbons represent leukemia awareness after my mom decided to make a large poster for me and take it to my school.

Despite my embarrassment, I know her intentions were pure. And honestly, It felt nice to know that I am not fighting this cancer alone.

There are almost three hundred signatures, which is surprising because I'm not sure I even know three hundred people at school.

It's lying on the desk in the far corner and is practically the only pop of color in this room. A couple of nurses have also signed the poster, making it almost full of writing.

I'm not necessarily mad about it, but I'm scared of how people will react now that they know the reason for my distance these past few months.

I've already had a lot of my friends reach out to me about coming to visit, and honestly, I'm scared to answer.

But, being the talk of the town is the last thing on my mind.

"Alright, everyone, today marks the first of eight rounds of chemotherapy," Krista slowly explains as Dr. Khan leaves the room for a second.

"On the days you receive an infusion, the nurses will get in here at around eight and set up your IV. It usually takes four to six hours for the medicine to administer, and you will be closely monitored the whole time."

I blink twice, trying to soak in all of the information that she is saying.

My eyes drift to Blake as his chest stretches the fabric of his shirt. His body seems stable, but his eyes look scared. My fingers travel to his hand placed above my head, and he interlocks his hand with mine.

A gentle smile is all it takes for him to calm down and listen to what Krista has to say.

Dr. Khan promptly enters the room with his hands gloved and a determined look plastered on his face.

"Are you ready?" His Indian accent startles my brain.

This is it; the moment when my cancer becomes real.

A swab of alcohol wipes against the skin of my forearm, causing me to shiver in discomfort. The prick of a sharp needle enters my vein, and I divert my gaze.

Blake lifts my chin towards his face and leans down to whisper something in my ear,

"I'm right here, don't be scared."

I let my body relax as the IV bag labeled "CHEMOTHERAPY" is connected to my IV line.

My parents give me tight smiles while anticipating something drastic to occur as soon as the liquid touches my body.

I know that nothing is going to happen, at least not at this moment. It generally takes a couple of days before the real side effects begin to kick in.

My room becomes less crowded as nurses start filing out, moving on to their next cancer patient.

Grant pulls a chair up to my bed and sits while grabbing ahold of my hand. Blake does the same while rubbing my arm with his tenderly calloused fingers.

"If you need anything, let us know," Grant speaks up as he notices my weakened state. His eyes meet Blake's, and he instantly sends him a look of his understanding, surprising me. At least they have learned not to bite at each other's throats.

I nod my head and shift into my hospital bed, uncomfortable from the awkwardness in the room.

"How about we watch a movie?" I question while pointing toward the large TV attached to the wall in front of me.

Grant reluctantly reaches for the remote on the nightstand beside me and flips through the channels until Top Gun comes on.

My dad deeply chuckles while settling into a leather chair, inviting my mom to join him.

They both love this movie.

She slowly crawls into his arms while draping a blanket across both of them. Blake smiles at the sight of my two loving parents, no doubt missing his own. I take his hand in mine and place a small kiss on the knuckle of his thumb.

He lowers the handle of my bed and nestles his head into my shoulder.

I fall asleep as faint planes and 80s music rumble from the TV.

Falling asleep knowing that everyone is watching over me somehow makes me worry a little less about what will happen once I wake up.

So I dream about a white house on a private blue ocean. I dream about the sand beneath my feet and the sea breeze in my long, luscious hair. I dream about my kids running along the shore and Blake carelessly laughing and running after them.

But it's only that; just a dream.

And waking up is only the beginning of a nightmare.