When Life Finally Began

Chapter 18

The hospital always felt dreary. It radiated sadness. Hospital beds lined the walls, nurses ran frantically around. I never knew how someone could stand working here.

"Here's Jenna's room." Dustin knocked on a door. 

"Come in," Jenna said. Her voice aged years since I talked to her. It was tired, and hopeless. I felt guilty for having such a good time when Jenna was in her room alone. 

"Heard your leaving the hospital today, that’s good news right?" I said cheerfully. 

"Yeah, I am so sick of this room." She smiles weakly. Her transformation was astonishing. Her hair was gone. She was no longer tan, she was insanely pale. Any fat she had was gone, she was a skeleton. 

"Is Mom taking you home?" Dustin sits next to Jenna, in a large blue chair. 

"She said she's busy with work, and wanted you to take me home." Her eyes pleaded.

"Don't you need to be discharged and stuff?" I ask. I had never really been sure of the process of getting out of the hospital. When I was younger I used to ride in a wheel chair, which was extremely fun at the time.

"Uh, Mom said she already took care of it." Jenna sounded unsure of herself. 

"Well let me just check with your nurse, I'll be right back." Dustin strolls out of the room. His muscles flexing.

"So is all your stuff packed?"

"Yup, except for me of course." She laughs weakly. 

"Well I heard your birthday is coming up, am I right?" I say brightly, trying to make her smile.

"Yeah, I'm going to be nine!" She grins, like I had just suggested she was going to become queen or something.

"Ooh so exciting! I can't wait!"

"I'm going to get a new doll, and one of those cool fairies that you use a control to make spin!" She cheers.

"Aren't presents supposed to be a surprise?" I slant one of my eyebrows, forcing her to giggle.

"Uh, well I mean I have no clue what I'm getting." 

"Yeah they said she can go, and asked if she wanted a wheelchair." He whispers to me, "They said she's too sick to walk."

"Ooh a wheelchair! We will have to pull you around!" I say like it was an adventure. 

"Okay I'll take one, it'll be fun." She says, half asleep.

"El, want to get my car? I should probably help Jenna." His eyes said sorry.

"Yeah sure, I'll bring it to the front." He throws me my keys, which I dodged.                               

                                                                                                                                                                       Outside it was much cooler, I could feel a summer storm beginning. I loved these storms with a passion. Especially when they occurred in the late evening. I always counted the thunder, and watched the lightning trying to figure out how close the storm was. 

I slid into his sleek car, thankful we dropped the tents, and camping stuff off at my house. His car wasn't abnormally small; but it wasn't large enough for all the stuff that was in it before.

Dustin stood next to Jenna's wheelchair at the pickup/drop-off doors. Jenna was fast asleep, and Dustin’s eyes followed me as I got out of his car, grabbing a bag and throwing in the car.

"Jenna, wake up." Dustin nudged Jenna, attempting to wake her.

"I was in the middle of a good dream!" She protested.

"Well you can dream another dream in the car!" He lifts her up, like she was a feather and helps her into the seat.

"Hey, hey, hey, I can buckle my seatbelt! I'm almost nine!"

"Right, my bad." He gives her a pillow pet, and a bright blue blanket with little owls.

"So, did your Mom start a Facebook page for her?" I ask, generally curious. My mom started the account four years after I was diagnosed. People said I was inspiring, and sent me a bunch of gifts. 

"Yeah, just yesterday actually. Jenna already has 100 followers, mostly family though." He replies.

"I hate my Facebook page. My mom said it raises awareness, but I don't like my life story being shared." I admit.

"I've looked at it, before we meant." He looked down at his hands. 

"Oh? Was there anything interesting on it?" 

"Well I learned you didn't have a boyfriend, and you spent most of your time at the hospital or in your room. It wasn't helpful."

"Were you...stalking me?" I say giggling, more than I care to admit.

"I just was curious about you is all, you know what type of person were you, are you a nice person." He shrugs, his ears turning bright red.

"Ooh, I'm glad I'm so interesting." I nudge him.

"Yeah, well you’re not like the other girls." He says shrugging.

"Have you dated anyone else?" I'd never imagine Dustin dating anyone else, he seemed to have deleted any other girl from his life. I couldn't imagine him liking anyone else that’s not me.

"I dated this one girl for three years, but she started acting strange so we broke up." He admits shrugging.

"Who?" I say, before I could stop myself.

"You know my crazy neighbor? She was once normal." He says slowly.

"So that's why she thinks she’s your girlfriend!"

"Yeah, she was actually pretty nice, we had been friends since childhood, and then she sort of went crazy."

"Mmh, well she isn't competition."

"You can't be jealous!" He gasps.

"Me? Jealous, I'm never jealous."

"Right." He smirks.

Dustin and Jenna's house was eerily dark. Her mom was still at work most likely. She would be driving home in a fierce storm. The clouds were dark with weather. I definitely would be not going home tonight.

"Let me call my parents," I mutter.

"Sure, I'm going to be upstairs."

I walk around the kitchen, waiting for them to answer. "Hello, Ella is everything all right?" My Mom said.

"Yeah, it's just the weather is getting really bad, I think I'm going to stay here."

"Oh please do, the weather is really bad. There are a few weather warnings. I don't want you out on the streets. Love you dear." My Mom says worried.

"Love you too, bye."

"Bye." The line ends.

I take the painful journey up the stairs, worried that I may get stuck in the elevator. The lights were already flickering.