My Life as June

Chapter 6: Do You Believe in Miracles?

❝Nothing is so painful to the human mind
as a great and sudden change.❞
-Mary Shelley
Frankenstein

       Life is so damn unfair.  I'm sitting in the occupied hospital waiting room, my face wet with tears and my hair an unruly mess.  The ends of my sleeves are soaking from wiping away my tears. It's 5:30 in the morning and I've gotten little to no sleep thanks to my mind that won't seem to stop thinking and a crying infant that just won't stop.  This is not the usual way I spend my Saturday's. 

       We've been at the hospital for almost 9 hours and I've finally managed to calm myself down, somewhat, and stop sobbing.  My mom, though, hasn't stopped crying since she got the phone call.  Her sobs were stifled at first as she attempted to hide her grief, but then she'd be overcome by the wave of her emotions and she'd break down entirely.  When my mom wasn't crying, she would be arguing with Dad.  Her and Dad are arguing right now, and they're not even trying to keep their voices down.

       "I told you!  I told you not to work overtime!" My mom yells.  Her eyes are florid and damp from all the salty tears that's been rushing out of them.

       "Oh, so it's my fault that Jackson's hurt?!" My dad yells back as he clenches his fists.

       "Hurt? He could've died, Rob!  He might die, and Nathan, he could've-" Nora interrupts my mom.

       "Hey, you two fighting isn't going to do us any good.  That's all in the past now, we can't change that.  What we can do, is pray and stay positive.  Okay?" Nora tells them.  My parents both nod and keep quiet.  They take a seat on opposite sides of the waiting room, and busy themselves by reading a magazine, but I can tell that they're having a hard time doing so.

       Noah, along with his family, is waiting with us, praying, while Jackson undergoes multiple surgeries.  Noah's been the one comforting me while my parents have been arguing non-stop.

       The police had informed us about the car accident earlier: Jackson and Nathan were walking down the sidewalk, on their way home from the school.  Nathan, being a fascinated 6 year old boy, ran up to pick up a penny from the sidewalk.  That penny might have been the very thing that saved his life.  Had he been walking beside Jackson, he could've died, or gotten serious injuries.  Jackson was a few steps behind him, when a speeding car came swerving down the road with another car racing close behind it.  The first car lost control and crashed into Jackson, giving him multiple, serious injuries.  A lampost slowed down the car enough to keep Jackson alive at the scene- horribly injured, yes, but alive.  Thanks to that penny on the sidewalk, though, Nathan left the scene unharmed- physically unharmed, that is.

       Just thinking about what had happened to Jackson brings tears to my eyes.  I can't help but blame my parents for some of this.  I know it's wrong, but if they hadn't been so busy with work, they could've drove to Nathan's school and picked him up, rather than have Jackson walk.

       I see one of Jackson's surgeons come through the hospital doors, making her way toward us, her red hair tied up beneath her blue scrub cap.  Please be good news.  Everyone quickly stands up, eager to hear news about Jackson. 

      Her expression is blank and I can't read the doctor's freckled face.  I can't tell whether the news she was about to bear was good or bad.  She halts in front of us, her arms akimbo, displaying her self-confidence.  She explains how Jackson's 2nd surgery went, but by the look on everyone's faces, I can tell that no one comprehended much of anything she had just said.  When the doctor notices our confused faces, she sighs and begins to explain again, this time, using simpler words that we can actually understand, "Jackson is still in surgery.  There was a lot of bleeding and we are still trying to locate the source but-" The triplets interrupt her, and ask her numerous questions.