The badger in sheep's clothing

Chapter 14

I feel someone shaking me awake as I ask without opening my eyes, "Yes?" It was Tessa and she sounded worried, "Your uncle, he's in the hospital Badger!" I open my eyes and hop out of bed in a panic! I get dressed up and run with her downstairs as I see Lauren sitting at the counter waiting for customers. "Hey boss, I heard your uncle was in the hospital so go ahead, I'll watch the shop." I quickly say thanks as we rush down the street, "Where even is the hospital Tess?" She catches her breath as she points at a building that was near the school. It was one story and was made of brown brick, I would have never known that this place saved lives, but that's just me for assuming that there'd be one here the size of a skyscraper. We then rush down the street as I head up to the desk and ask the lady, "My uncle Keith was put in here lately, he's the owner of the candy shop across town." She types something on the computer as I tap my foot rapidly, running out of patience as she says, "Looks like he was put in room 32. You both wear these stickers and go down the hall and make the first right, he should be right there." I hand Tessa her sticker as I peel mine and place it on the left side of my chest and rush down the hall. I turn right and see the room number as I catch my breath and feel Tessa's hand go on my shoulder, I face her as she says with a small smile, "I'll stay with you until you're done." I smile back at her as I take a deep breath and go inside. A nurse was doing something on the computer, then after a few seconds, she replaces the empty bag with a full one of clear liquid. She sees us from the side of her eyes as she smiles faintly and motions her head to tell us to sit down. And as I sat near Uncle's head, I feel Tessa grab my hand as I squeezed, worrying that my final family member would pass away too! I try to hold back my tears as I ask the nurse, "What happened to him?" She comes around the bed and says quietly, "He was diagnosed with cancer a few years ago, he was meant to succumb to the disease last year but he persisted on, making everyone believe that he was winning the battle, but late last night I got a call from him asking to hurry and send an ambulance. And ever since then, he was asleep." I look at uncle as he laid there breathing with his mouth open, having that oxygen tube go around his nose as it supplied him the necessary amount of air he needed. I felt too hurt to grab his hand as I ask the nurse one last question, "How is he doing?" She begins to look pale as she replies, "He hasn't been doing so well.. we give it a few more days before his heart gives in.." I grab my own heart as I felt it beat fast. I was going to have a heart attack at this rate! Tessa then says to me while rubbing my hand, "My parents were with him all night and morning, but they have to work still so they left about two hours ago." I didn't want to hear about her parents, I wanted to hear that everything was going to be okay and that nobody was going to die today! I then feel a tear go down the right side of my cheek as the nurse holds her hands together and says with a  frustrated and sad tone of voice, "I'm so sorry sir.. I even knew him as a kid, always treating my friends and I with candy when we would go into his shop."
The aura of the room went dark as the nurse left, leaving me and Tessa alone. I even got small flashbacks of my mom before she died, the memories just added onto the pain as I remembered the prison we were in and how she would make me food that was actually edible. I would starve thanks to the scientists knowing that I wouldn't die from not eating, I would heal faster than my stomach could eat itself and would naturally keep my water levels stable. I wouldn't lose my body's prime like shape though, and knowing that these guys killed kids and adults everyday for their experiments, it pissed me off. But as my mom withered away on her bed, I sat next to her like how I was now with my uncle. She smiles and rubs my cheeks while saying softly, "You should get out of here.. my brother Keith agreed to take care of you for a while down at that strange town. I forgot the rest of the conversation as I hear the sliding door open and see Shey standing there, she looked exhausted as she looked at my uncle and said, "I came... as fast as I could.. how's he doing?" Tessa faces me as I look at the floor, "He doesn't have too long now and there's nothing they could do." I didn't even look at Shey as she sat on the seat by my right side and rubbed my arm, trying to comfort me as I rest my face on my hands. "This couldn't be how it ended, he was going to beat cancer and say that we had a healing factor in the family's blood all along as we laughed together in the snack shop!" I begin to bite my bottom lip as I tell the two girls, "You both don't have to stay here with me if you don't want too. You should leave before it gets too dark." Shey immediately replies, "No Badger, I won't ever leave you behind to suffer alone, I'm going to stay by you until I have to go to school, but then I'll come back without a second thought!" She grips my right hand as I felt Tessa's side tighten up a bit more too as she says, "You wont be alone during this crucial part of your life. Healing powers or not I will not let you hurt yourself!" I sit there in silence as they thought they didn't get through to me, but quickly realize that I was squeezing tighter as I pull them both in and accept the warmth they gave, I was so lucky to have some genuine friends...