Anatomy Of Love (Camren Fanfiction)

Chapter 3

The drive to the hospital seemed to last forever. All the way there, through the stop-and-go traffic, Lauren sat in the backseat of Mrs. Cabello’s car and prayed that Christopher would be okay. Her mind flooded with memories of her little brother. A particular memory was a poignant one. 

It was a bleak and rainy October night. Lauren and Chris sat in living room, huddled together on the couch, while they watched the storm outside. Their mother insisted on turning off every bit of electrical equipment during the storm which left the nine and six year old with nothing to do but talk and to enjoy the terrifying but beautiful display that nature gifted. Thunder began rumbling above the house, and flashes of lightening pierced the cracks in the shutters. Despite the angry sounds outside the house, the breathless warmth inside was rare and, somehow, wonderful.

“Sissy?” Chris said out of the blue, turning his face a little so that Lauren could see one eye and half of his mouth. He blinked his hazel eyes at her. “What’s Heaven like?” he asked slowly, as if he was speaking of something forbidden.

Hesitantly, Lauren reached out her palm and rubbed Chris’s back. “Oh Chrissy-bear” Lauren said with a half smile, knowing how much he despised that nickname. She was hoping to distract him, Lauren really didn’t like the idea of her brother thinking about Heaven; he had a lifetime to find out what it was like.

“My best bud Ralph, you know, the one from the chemo center. Well his mom told me today that Ralph went to Heaven” he said darkly. “And she that he wasn’t coming back. That he was with God and the angels.” Chris sat up and cleared his throat. He was on the verge of tears, his dry eyes burning. “He was my best friend… and he didn’t even say bye. He just left.” Chris stared down at his knees and mindlessly picked at a scab. “I need you to explain what Heaven is like. So if I have to suddenly leave, at least I’ll know what to expect.”

Chris looked up at his sister. The bold, confident, larger-than-life Lauren, who barreled through life  like a lioness in a jungle was now quiet, afraid. The very idea of Christopher dying unraveled her, made her smaller.

“Heaven is beautiful” she said bleakly as she blinked back tears. Lauren’s face was ashen, her voice small and feather light. “There are streets of gold, you can sleep on clouds and they taste like cotton candy.” Chris’s eyes widened as a smile lifted the corner of his cheeks. “And you will be able to fly amongst the stars and hang out on the moon.”

“Like Peter Pan?” he replied excitedly, his face transformed into a picture of pure delight.

Lauren gave him a sad smile. “Yes. But I’m sure you’ll be ten times faster than Peter Pan.”

“Good! Ralph and I are going to have so much fun racing each other.” Chris said. He stopped suddenly and furrowed his brows in fear. 

“What’s wrong, nino”  Lauren said, concern etched in her voice. She put her arm around Chris’s shoulder, pushing him slightly deeper into the cushion of the couch with the weight of her embrace.

“I know what the doctors are saying. Even though I get a little better, I’m still very sick.” he said sadly, his narrow shoulders slumping. “If I go to Heaven, promise me this- don’t ever forget about me, okay?


Lauren swallowed hard, tasting the bitterness of her tears in the back of her throat. “I’ll never forget you. You’ll always be a part of me. And when I miss you, I’ll just look up at the stars and watch you flying amongst them.”

“Yeah. When you see a shooting star, that’s me racing through the sky.” he said, nodding eagerly. “I promise I’ll say good-bye before I leave. I won’t be like Ralph.” Christopher’s voice suddenly broke and Lauren held him close, embracing him tightly. Lauren’s shoulders trembled with tears, finally accepting the inevitable fate of her brother.

Lauren ran into the hospital with Camila and Sinu following close behind. She dashed through the familiar hallways that she’d grown accustomed- heading towards the third floor. Lauren was in too much of a hurry to wait for an elevator so she sprinted up the stairs. She surged towards the hospital door, breathing hard. 

Inside the shadowy room, her gaze immediately fell on Christopher. In the span of a day, he looked completely different. He was conscious, but barely so. He looked like a broken doll against the stark white sheets and piled pillows. His skin was as pale as an old over-washed sheet, there was a bluish tint around his mouth and a shade of red ringing his eyes. Even his hazel eyes, usually so bright, were dull and glassy. He had barely resembled her little brother who always had a twinkle in his eye. Lauren’s first instinct was to bolt and leave the room but she planted her feet firmly on the floor and tried to stay strong. It was difficult seeing him that way, she found it hard to believe how quickly his condition had worsened.

Clara knelt beside her son, clutching her rosary beads and silently whispering a prayer. Lauren’s father, Mike, stood by the window. Everything about him looked disheveled- his unshaven face was a contrasting palette of pale skin and stubbly black beard, his hair was a tangled black mess, and his eyes bespoke a bone-deep exhaustion. 

“Chrissy-bear” Lauren gently said moving towards him, her voice cracking and breathless, sadness crossing her features.

He was taking short breaths and seemed to struggle with each one. “Laur,’ he slurred, reaching out his gaunt hand towards her.

Careful not to disturb the tubes that connected him to the machine, Lauren pulled the hospital sheets back and crawled into the bed with her brother.

“I’ve been waiting for you, sissy” Chris said pulling the oxygen mask away from his face. He drew her into a hug as Lauren rested her head against the rough fabric of his hospital gown. Her tears were slow in forming; it was as if each one were made of blood and too thick to pass through her tear ducts.

Mike stepped towards them, clearing his throat. “The doctors say it’s pneumonia. He doesn’t have an immune system to fight it off. His oxygen levels are low. And it doesn’t look good…” A pained expression crossed his face, he choked up and couldn’t continue speaking..

Christopher weakly smiled, his breath ragged as he tried to speak. “I… fought a good fight. But..I’m…tired.”

“I love you,” Lauren whimpered, tears spilling down her cheeks. 

“Love you more,” Chris murmured, his chest rising and falling rapidly. His eyes shifted towards Camila, who had been silently sobbing in the corner. Chris lifted his hand feebly, and gestured for her to come over.

Camila sat at the foot of the bed, her face pale and free of that easy smile she always wore.