"Everything Is Dust In The Wind"
This is a small piece from my story "She Is Only Twelve" that is in Hank's POV. If this is enjoyed by those who read it, I may tear apart the whole story and fix it and try to repost it. First things first.
Hank's oldest daughter Kaitlyn is fighting brain cancer and in this passage from the journal that he and Emily share she is in a coma and fighting for her life.
Nothing Emergency! Belongs to me. If it did, I'd be blissfully married to Hank, Mike, Marco and Kel. My original characters are mine and not for public domain. The song lines I am using are also not mine. They belong to Kansas, Simon and Garfunkel and the Electric Light Orchestra respectively.
Day 75
1000 Hank
Hello Darkness my old friend, I've come to visit you again. No change with Kaitlyn Emily's condition. She is still comatose and it's been seventy two hours and I refuse to leave her side.
I sit in the Intensive Care Unit in her room and listen to the machines breathe for her. The vent seems to play its own melody as the compression bellows go up and down, up and down in a steady rhythm. The oxygen hisses as it delivers life giving air to her. Even the IV's have their own sound as they are hung on the poles especially the glass ones.
I have been gently singing to her with the acoustic guitar quietly accompanying me, singing songs that I know she likes. I have sung a variety of them from favorite songs from the parish to Jimi Hendrix and still no response that I can discern from her and it is so discouraging.
The Brood have been here quite regularly as Saint Mark's allow visitors of all ages and they try really hard to keep things upbeat. They tell her about their school days, the good grades they've gotten, how big the hamster "Ringo" in their class is getting. Myranda Leah Ann talks a lot about Sunshine, just anything to get some kind of response from her and nothing so far.
Gannon Du Faul put his hand on her face and we thought for a minute he was going to say something to her but he didn't. We told her it was him that was giving her his love in his own sweet way.
When Kaitlyn Emily first fell into the coma, we had all the Brood here and explained to them what the machines were and what they did to help keep their sister alive. The older ones pretty much understood but the younger ones still have questions which we try to answer as honestly as possible.
Emily keeps me supplied with Octane. I have eaten very little and everyone around me insists on me getting some sleep. I have taken a cap nap here and there. I sleep with one eye open "just in case."
I haven't shaved in the seventy two hours this has been going on. I take Olympic record fast showers and get dressed like lightening so I can be back at her side in no time. The hospital staff have been very gracious and compassionate towards me and my family.
When and where does it end? How does it end? Many, many prayer warriors are praying it ends well. Dr. Burgess thinks that this coma in a strange way is good for Kaitlyn Emily because it will help her body rest from all it's been through with the chemo. He said that's not a bad thing. Perhaps. Perhaps not. We'll just have to wait and see.
Meantime…through all I sit here and I wait…you will return again someday.