Hopelessly Devoted

[62] - Stay With Me (Part 2)

Thankfully, the streets weren't crowded with cars. Probably because everyone would be at work or school at this time. Ethan didn't dare speak, he knows right now is definitely not the right time. He drove so fast I thought every turn he made would flip us off the road, but he was so skilled.

When we arrived we took no time to get out of the car and run through the building doors. I pushed them open, my mind racing with so many different thoughts. My eyes stung from the tears, my vision as so blurry I could hardly see. My instinct was just so supernatural. The smell of medicine and typical hospital filled my nose, making me feel sick.

We ran to the elevators, pressing the buttons to go to the fourth floor, the emergency hospital floor. I banged on the buttons as they were taking so long, my sobs coming out. Ethan held my hand, trying to soothe me.

We got in and the doors shut. I cleared my eyes because I knew I'd need to see where I was going when it got to this point. The doors opened and I ran out. Sadness filled the air on this level, I hate it here already.

I went up to receptionist, "I'm here to see my dad, Dave Salgado, where is he?" I demanded, though the sadness overtook my voice. The lady kept a straight face as she scanned through the computer system.

"Mr Salgado's visitors are waiting in section B4, if you wish to see him." She didn't look at me. I nodded and looked up at Ethan, "this way." He said.

I followed him to the waiting area, and saw my family.

"Mama," I almost fell when I saw her. She was so distraught. Her eyes were bloodshot red, no doubt from the crying. Her hair was all tangled, her tears were stained with cheeks. Her scarf was even soaking from the tears. When she saw me she came over to me, engulfing me into the hugest hug.

"I'm so sorry, Elena," she hugged me tighter and I started to sulk again.

"Is he okay?" I asked into her shoulder and she stayed quiet. I took that as my answer. She moved off of me and surprisingly gave Ethan a hug as well. I saw my Aunty here and she was sitting in the corner almost zombie looking. I mean, this is her brother. She'd be absolutely broken. I didn't know if it would be a good idea right now to hug her, but she could use all the support she's got. I walked over and hugged her tightly.

Silence fell upon us, we didn't say much but we were quiet.

I looked over at Dylan who was completely shattered. Dad was his best friend. They would spend hours and hours in the garage when they were younger, fixing cars. So many nights they were camping, just them two. Every afternoon he'd take Dylan outside and they'd build anything they had the right resources for. Dylan loved him.

I hugged him tightly. I could almost feel his pain radiate off of him and onto me. I felt his sadness, and it made me hug him more. I reassured him everything was going to be okay, no matter what. Seeing him cry, was the worst thing.

I went to stand with Ethan and he held me tightly. I couldn't sit right now, I feel like I need to be alert with whatever happens. His hands played with my hair in an attempt to soothe me, and thought it worked I couldn't shake off the feeling of this being his last day, my dad's last day.

"We have a Code Blue in room B411, Code Blue in room B411," the intercom announced.

B411, that's my dad's room. I remember what the codes meant from when my friend Hannah was studying medicine in school.

"No," my eyes shot open wide as I saw a bunch of staff members enter a room and wheel out a limp body on a stretcher.

"No!" I screamed as I leaped out of my seat and began running towards the room, but Ethan's arms caught me by my waist and pulled me back even through my protests.

"Let me go!" I screamed, my cheeks burning from the tears that never ended out of my sore eyes. Just when I thought I'd cried it all out, I was wrong. I tried pushing myself out.

"Elena, you can't go right now," Ethan told me strictly, because he knew as soon as he let me go I'd go running, "if you go, you'll distract them from your dad and they won't be able to help."

I felt my heart break. I could seriously feel it. Like a part of me had just been snatched out from, and broken across the floor.

I gave up my protesting, and kept my movements to a minimal. I collapsed to the ground in sobs and Ethan went down with me, just holding me, stroking my arms in an attempt to soothe me. Usually, it would work but it's not this time.

My mother started crying again, my brother cried too but he tried to hide it. My Aunty sat in a ball on the chair, rocking. I buried my head into Ethan's neck as I cried and cried. I didn't care that I got his clothes wet. I didn't care that I was sitting on the cold floor. It's not like I'd be able to stand back up anyways.

The hours passed by, and when I say they felt like forever, they truly felt like forever. I didn't keep track of time, all I know is that by the time the doctor came out, the sun had begun to set.

"Salgado family?" The doctor spoke out, gathering all our attention.

"That's us," my mom nodded, getting out of her seat to speak to him. My aunty followed behind her and I decided to listen in.

"How is he?" My mother asked, her breath shakily.

"We're sorry to inform you," the doctor frowned, "but Mr Salgado has been diagnosed with a primary cardiac tumor."

As the words flew out of his mouth, I felt my head spin. Please, let this be a nightmare. Just a nightmare that I can wake up from in the morning. 

"Cardiac tumors are quite rare to develop, the problem is, is that it's malignant, meaning it is cancerous." he continued.

My mother's hands flew over her face as she silently sobbed into them, and I couldn't stop the tears falling out of my eyes.

"He, uh, he's awake for now. The tumor unfortunately hasn't been treated and it's spread on to most of his heart. You'll have an estimated few minutes with him." he frowned as he looked over at us. 

"I need to see him," I stood up, looking at the doctor. He nodded, and beckoned me into the room. Ethan decided to stay, since he wasn't direct family. Dylan, mom and my aunty followed behind me. 

Hearing the sound of the monitor beeping gave me the most strange feeling. I was thanking god that his heart was still beating, yet how slow it was, and the fact that he was even hooked up to this machine broke me. I bent down slightly next to him, holding his hand into mine.

"Hey dad," I croaked through my tears. His eyes were slightly open, just enough for me to see them. His mouth was gently parted, he looked so...

He smiled faintly as response. I could tell he was in pain. How much he wanted it to end. It broke my heart.

"I'm so sorry this happened," I cried, resting my forehead on his hand, "it hurts me to see you like this. If I could trade spots with you, if I could be in that damn bed instead of you, I'd do it in a heartbeat."

"Don't..." he wheezed, "say that..."

"Stay with me," I whispered as his eyes slowly fluttered shut, "stay with me... please, dad..."

"I love you, sweetheart..." he whispered back, his voice weak.

"I love you, too, dad," I sobbed as I watched his mouth twitch and the sound of the heart beat monitor fall flat.

My head fell into my hands as I cried, harder than I thought possible. I cried more tears than I think I ever have in my life, all put together. My chest ached, my heart was indefinitely broken. I felt a hand place on my back, and I turned around and looked up to see the eyes of my mother. 

She was broken. She lost her soulmate. 

My aunty lost her young brother. 

My sister lost the only man she knew she could ever trust with her life.

My brother lost his father. The male he looked up to his entire life, his hero.

I lost one of my best friends.

I held my mothers hand as we cried together, silently offering reassurance that maybe we'll be okay.