"Mom, don't cry," Harry said to my mom. His voice was weak, as was his body. "I need you to take care of yourself, Mom. You look so thin and tired." He smiled. Well, attempting to with the bondages on his head and his body, and all those machines connected to him. I could see his pain in his eyes, but he fought it from showing.
Mom wiped her face and smiled at him. "I'm just happy to see you." She touched his cheeks and hugged him lightly, not wanting to hurt him any further.
"I'm sorry, Mom, for causing you so much pain. I hate seeing you like this." He tried to reach out, but he could barely lift his hand.
"It was an accident, baby. Focus on getting yourself better." Mom patted his hand. "I need you to get better. Scarlet needs you more than ever."
"She's going to be alright, Mom. She's strong. She will survive this. Just be there for each other even when I'm gone." Why did it felt as if he was saying goodbye?
"Don't say that. You're not leaving us yet. I won't let you," Mom said firmly. Willing her words to be true. The doctors said that there was a high chance that you would get better now that you are awake."
"I love you, Mom." He took a deep breath, still finding it hard to speak. I could see how hard it was for him even to take air inside his lungs, but he fought it.
"I'm sorry, Scar, I let you down. I love you." Harry said as he looked up as if he was whispering to himself. Seeing him so weak broke my heart. I never knew him weak, not even when he was sick. He was my protector, my best friend.
"I love you too Harry," I answered back. "I'm the one who is sorry for putting you in that position," I said, but he seemed not to hear me.
After a few seconds of pause, Harry smiled, and the room seemed so bright. "Don't worry, Mom. I'll be ok." I was relieved to hear him say that. I could not lose my brother.
Mom kissed his forehead, "I love you, my baby." That was my mom. She would not stop calling my brother his baby. "Mia is outside. She's been waiting to see you."
Harry slightly nodded his head, wanting to see Mia. He closed his eyes to hide the pain he probably felt in that small movement. I would visit him later when he had already rested. I thought to myself. I followed Mom outside the room while Mia went inside.
Mia was so happy to hear that he was finally awake. She had never left the hospital, always wondering outside his room but never actually entering inside. Mia was afraid to see him. Frightened that he would leave her because she would never make it without him. He was her life.
Mom and I sat in the waiting room. She looked tired and beaten. After a few minutes of being quiet, she started crying again. Harry was awake and getting better. I did not understand. Why was she crying?
After a while, chaos broke loose. Mia was walking towards us. Her face told us that something was wrong. She was crying so hard that we could not understand what she was saying. My mom started shaking her, and then what Mia said next shattered our hearts. "He's gone." What? I did not understand. He was ok when we left him. The doctors said that he was going to be ok.
"My baby, gone, you're mistaken. I was talking to him just a minute ago. I have to go to him." The denial was so evident in Mom's voice. We left Mia as she broke down on the floor of the waiting room. I wanted to comfort my friend, but I needed to see my brother first. My mom and I went back to Harry's room.
Mom walked real slow, dragging her feet back to his room. Her hands were shaking; her shoulders slumped while her eyes showed dread. I had only seen my mom like this once before. The day my dad passed away. It felt like everything was going in slow motion, but there was no stopping the inevitable.
I could see inside his room from where I was standing just outside the door. Several men and women in uniform were going in and out with defeated expressions, clearly indicating that they just lost another battle. The room was almost eerily quiet compared to our earlier visit. The constant beeping sound that monitored his heartbeat was now silent while the machine that pumped air to him was not moving anymore.
I watched my mom paused at the door, just watching my brother, peacefully lying under the sheets. I could feel she was struggling, but in one deep breath, she moved inside the room. The doctor said how sorry he was for our loss as he slid the white sheet revealing my brother's once handsome face.
I felt paralyzed on my spot outside the door. I could not move. Maybe I was shocked that my brother had left me. He promised that he would always be there for me, but he left me. The doctor explained that a complication caused the stroke. My mom finally cried so hard that I wanted to hug and comfort her, but I could not.
The doctor placed his hand on her shoulder and whispered something, which made her stopped. She gathered herself. I wondered what the doctor said to her to calm her down. She kissed Harry on his forehead and placed her hands on top of Harry's heart. As if she was willing for it to beat again. The doctor looked at my mom with sympathy.
Mom turned to the door and looked directly at me. Her eyes were pleading as she shouted in anguish, "Come back to me." Why was she looking at me when she said that? What was happening? I was confused.
She fell on her knees as she continued to look in my direction as she whispered, "I need you to come back... Cupcake." I barely heard her. A steady beeping sound interrupted the silence that seemed to envelop me. I found myself searching for its source, turning around to the opposite room. Looking at the glass partition, there I was, lying motionlessly, tubes and wires attached to me.
Wait, what was happening? Was I dreaming again, or was this real? I tried to figure it out, but nothing seemed to be clicking in my mind. There was no indication if anything about this was real.
Without warning, my vision blurred, and I could not see or hear anything anymore. I wanted to ask my mom what she meant, but no words came out of my mouth. I could not speak at all. I wanted to know what was happening, but time was not on my side.
Then, there was only darkness.