The Fall of the Aftons

121: Michael Afton

Michael sprinted down the hall, on the way to Evan's hospital room in the pediatric intensive care unit. He had just visited Elizabeth's hospital room in the immunology wing. That's what he had been doing for the past thirty minutes--running from one sibling's room to the next, trying to get information on both of them. So far, the doctors hadn't given him any information. 

After he received nothing about Evan's condition, he sprinted back to the immunology wing.

After he received nothing about Beth's condition, he sprinted back to the PICU.

Then he went back to the immunology wing.

Then he went back to the PICU.

And then back to the immunology wing.

And then back to the PICU.

Then the immunology wing.

Then the PICU.

Immunology wing.

PICU.

Immunology wing.

PICU.

Immunology wing.

PICU.

But, on his way back to the immunology wing for what felt like the thousandth time, he suddenly ran into someone. He flew backward from the crash and fell, his head slamming on the tile. His vision blurred and fuzzed for a few minutes as his body jolted from the impact. Pain flared through his neck and down his spine, his whole body tingling as his nervous system freaked out. He tried to sit up but just fell back down, his nerves not ready to cooperate.

"Holy shit!" William's familiar voice exclaimed. "Are you okay?! That was a bloody hard crash!"

Michael slowly sat up, starting to sob softly. He didn't mean to. But he couldn't help it. He was stressed out beyond compare, he hadn't eaten or slept in days, and now his head throbbed while the rest of his body felt like pins and needles were being stabbed into it. He felt terrible, physically and emotionally.

"I can't do this anymore," he wept, pushing the tears off his face with his hands.

William stood in front of him awkwardly before he suddenly took off, shouting for any nearby nurse or doctor.