Ghost Boy

Ch 6. Hospital

We sit in silence for a while, neither of us daring to break it, Caleb eventually does.
"So.. do you remember where you died?" He asks timidly, not meeting my gaze.
"No.. my head is pretty fuzzy. I can remember texting you, slipping on the ice and tumbling down into a ditch, impacting into a tree. Calling for help, and then keykey. But that's all I remember of that day."

He frowns, "you died in the hospital. You were in a state of unconsciousness for a few days, most of us thought you were dead but your heart was still beating.. You died while keykey and I were visiting you. When the heart monitor stopped beeping I started panicking, and it only got worse as the nurses and doctors rushed into the room pushing us out. I had a panic attack in the hospital, you would've thought it was so funny. But when a nurse walked out with a frown on her face, I knew what happened. I pushed past everyone in the room. Just to see your lifeless body on the hospital bed. I cried for hours, nonstop..  I thought I lost you forever..."

I smile, he was there.. he was with me. My memories of me going in and out of a sleep like consciousness, unable to do anything,and the sound of the voices of Caleb and my siblings. Then the voices of the doctors and nurses, trying to save me. Then everything is gone.
I'm dead, I woke up at my funeral, unable to remember anything about my death.

But I'm here now, with him and that's all that matters.

"You're special Caleb.. I chose you out of everyone in my life to show myself too."

He smiles, shaking his head "Idiot.. keykey misses you more than you know. She cries a lot. I wasn't worth your choice. It was a stupid idea.. really."

"I couldn't just stand around and watch my best friend kill himself. I wouldn't be able to bare it. You're not allowed to carry the weight of the world upon your shoulders alone Caleb. I won't allow it."

"Why? If you leave I'll be miserable. I already have so much on my plate. I don't know how much more I can bare. After you died I isolated myself from your family and the world, regretting the things I didn't say to you."

I smile, "you can say all those things now.. it may be painful, talking to a ghost.. but it may help."

"God, where do I start.. I love you? Or.. at least... I loved you? You and I have been friends since you were 6. And I've loved you for 13 years."

I grin, "I love you too trevor."

Caleb groans, leaning back onto his bed covering his eyes with his hands. "My middle name isn't that funny. What's with you and making fun of it?"

"Your middle name is hilarious what are you talking about?! It's the same as Neville Longbottom's toad from Harry Potter. That's why it's funny!"

"Whatever you say blaue katze"

"Would you stop calling me blawe catze?"

"You're pronouncing it wrong. It's Bl-ow-eh ka-t-zeh" he says, annoyed.

I sigh "Whatever. What does that even mean anyway?"

He grins, "blue cat."

"Oh my god I hate you." I groan

"I love you too Lock." He smiles

I smile back at him.
Things may not be as bad as i thought..

I was wrong.
A week later, Ivy got sick. And had to be taken to the hospital.
Caleb was worried sick,
"What happens to young children when they die?" He asked me suddenly,
"I don't know. I can call the grim reaper if you want? Why?"

"I'm worried about Ivy.. that's all"

I smile, "I'm sure she'll be fine.."

He frowns at me, "but what if she isn't, Lock? She's my daughter now and I want her to grow up, get married, and maybe have a family."

"I know Caleb. But she's little, and little kids have weak immune systems."

He smiles, "I guess you're right.."

"She's going to be fine. I promise you that."

And she recovers quickly, but Caleb's wallet doesn't even have time to recover before Caleb himself gets sick.
Keykey takes care of him, and Ivy goes and stays with my siblings.

Keykey comes into Caleb's flat one day, her hair, cut short with some sort of bangs that are only on one side of her head.

She sits next to his bed, reading to him. Caleb lies there, his eyes closed but he's not asleep.

Keykey sighs and continues reading "he was trying to give consolation to a young man was being torn in two before his own eyes by the desire to go and the necessity to stay.."

Caleb looks at her, lifting his hand up and to touch her hair. "You changed it." He says groggily, his voice hoarse.
She smiles, "it was time for a change. Time to move on from the past, and this is my first step.."

"Well, meine Swester. You're stronger than I am. I'm not ready to let go of the past." He says with a smile, letting his arm fall back into the bed.

"You're being just as stupid as Lock was, I'm not strong. I'm a big crybaby, remember? You're stronger than me, you're keeping yourself alive despite your depression."

I smile, and lean over Caleb to keykey. "He's afraid of death. And he's afraid of losing you, you big pop tart.."

She looks up, tears start to form in her eyes, "See Caleb, I'm a crybaby. And I hear things, I thought I just heard his voice. But he's dead, and even though ghosts might be real he wouldn't choose to be one."

I grin, oh how wrong she is, I'm a ghost and I'm right in front of her.

Caleb wipes the tears out of my sister's eyes, and smiles. "Don't cry, he never liked seeing you sad and neither do I."

Keykey nods, and continues reading, as Caleb falls asleep.

They look so peaceful, and happy? But yet still in mourning, sad about me, and it's going to hurt when I have to leave.. but that's how it has to be. They'll be happy eventually and he'll know I'm still out there, waiting for him and my family to join me in the world of the dead...