A Boy Called Noah

Chapter Fifty-Eight

Amalthea Galanos

Thea's fingers curl into the soft duvet cover of Noah's bed and her hand searches for his body. She flies up alarmed and starts searching for him in the dark bedroom, "Noah? Noah! No, Noah, please be okay." Thea's hands fly over his shivering form. His eyes barely open a sliver before they close again, "Pain... so much pain..." Thea's throat suddenly clogs up and her mouth dries.

"Jessie! Vick! Help! Please! Noah, please open your eyes. Please look at me." Vick bursts into the room white as a sheet. Jessica comes in straight after with a similar skin shading. Both sink to their knees next to Noah and Jessica scrambles for her cellphone, "Yes, hello, 911? My son... he's in danger of dying. He's barely breathing. Okay... yes, I understand. Please hurry."

She turns to face Vick, "The operator said to take him outside so they can immediately just load him. I have to- Danny! Sweetheart, don't come in." Thea turns to see Danny's little head peer around the half-open door with fat tears running down his cheeks. Thea is suddenly aware of her tears blurring her vision, "Come on, Danny. Let's go to your room."

She gently pulls the door shut behind them and he immediately falls to his knees, weeping in agony. She gasps in both pain and shock. Danny's voice is hoarse and pain-filled with a deep-rooted pain, "Why, God! My brother did nothing! I asked you to take his pain away! Why aren't you listening?! They promised me that you would make him better! Why are you doing this? He's a good brother?! I hate this. I hate You! Why...!" Tears choke in Thea's throat and she puts a hand to her mouth to cover her sobs.

Danny turns to look at her and her heart breaks at the look of utter betrayal and pain, "He's not good. He's hurting Noah and Mom and Vick and they say that He's supposed to love us all. If He does, then why is He taking Noah away? Why, Thea? Why!" Thea shakes her head and lowers her gaze in shame of not knowing the answer, "I don't know, Danny. I'm so sorry."

Danny's eyes fill with tears again and he stumbles towards her. His arms clutch her legs in desperation and he buries his head into her stomach. His tears quickly soak her shirt and she tightly wraps her arms around him. She sinks to her knees and he throws his arms around her neck. He buries his face into the crook of her neck and she quietly whispers the dreaded words, "I know... This is in His plan... Danny, I'm sorry. We don't know why He does some things but it is all in His plan. You must trust him."

Danny's whimpers turn into loud, painful wailing. Thea silently cries and holds tightly onto his thrashing form. His wails grow louder and Thea holds him tighter as the sound of ambulance sirens fill the silent halls of the manor.

Footsteps rush passed them and down the hall with Jessica frantically explaining to the medics. "He has Leukemia and the doctor said that any sort of infection or virus could k- hurt him. He's barely breathing and Victor didn't want to move him because every time we touched him he'd be in more pain."

They come rushing by with a stretcher carrying Noah and Vick fleetingly pokes his head into the room. He gestures for Thea to hand Danny to him and they both quickly rush downstairs.

Outside they find a flashing ambulance and a frantic and crying Jessica. Her voice is hoarse with pain and thick with emotion, "Please, be careful. He's my son... Noah, sweetie, you're okay. Keep your eyes open." Thea pulls her away from the van and hugs her tight, "He's going to be okay, Jess." Jessica nods her head unconvinced, "Thea, you should go with him, I'll come with Vick and Dan." Thea shakes her head and gently pushes the crying mother toward the ambulance, "Go, Jess. He needs you much more than he needs me."

Jessica looks torn between arguing about it and just getting in the van. "Jessica, go." She nods her head and quickly scrambles into the van with one of the medics closing the door behind her.

Thea quickly makes her way to Vick's waiting car and gets into the back with the terrifyingly silent Danny. His eyes are closed and his breathing shallow. Vick wastes no time in pulling away once her door is closed. She quickly buckles her seatbelt and pulls Danny into her side. His body is rigid for a moment then relaxes back into a teary state. His tears wet her shoulder and she hugs him closer to her, silently rocking them side to side.

***

Vick bursts through the emergency room door with Thea following with a crying Danny on her hip. Jessica quickly finds them and they stand and pray together for a moment, "Father, please, I know that it's too late to pray for him to live but please, release him from this agony. Let him pass and return to You in peace." Thea's face is streaked with tears and Vick quickly takes Danny from her.

Jessica takes her hand as Noah's Gurnee passes them. They run to catch up to it and each takes a side to lightly jog next to. Noah turns his head to look at Jessie then Thea. His eyes fill with tears and he reaches a weak and shaking hand for her. Thea's fingers lace with his and he opens his mouth for his last words to her, "Don't stop living for me... I love you." Thea stops just outside the surgical theater and her hands fly to her mouth.

Tears stream down her face and agony grips her heart, "I love you too..." The doors open and a nurse comes to escort her away. She glimpses a last sight of Noah and her throat constricts. Doctors and nurses rush around him in a panic and his eyes are filled with pained tears. His agonized scream slices through the hall as the nurse quickly ushers her away.

***

Thea's tailbone is numb from sitting on the floor for so long but she does not attempt moving to another position. Jessica and Vick sit in the chairs next to her, Jess with Danny on her lap. Dr. Brown walks through the open emergency room doors and both Vick and Jess move to greet him. Thea watches as Jessica gasps and tears flow down her face. Her own aching eyes fill with yet more tears. He's gone... He's really gone...