Chapter 4: What a Boy Needs
The warm rays of sunlight beaming thru his window awoke Ephram from a long restful sleep. He still had a fever but had gone down a few degrees. His head still ached and the pain in his chest was still causing him discomfort. The last thing he remembered was the look on his father's face in the exam room. He couldn't tell if it was morning or afternoon. He glanced at the round clock on the wall by the door.
'3:15 pm?! Oh no! I was supposed to have picked up Delia hours ago!!' Ephram thought and tried to sit up.
"That is SO not a good idea. You're still weak." Said a female voice next to him. He turned his head and found Nina sitting in a sofa chair pulled up next to his bed.
"Delia." He had a hoarse voice. Swallowing was difficult.
"It's ok. She's here. I picked her up. She and your dad just went out in the hall for a while. They'll be back soon." Nina reassured.
"Am sick?" Ephram spoke only in short phrases since his throat was hurting so badly.
"Yea, you've really outdone yourself this time. Pneumonia. But you'll live." She felt her tone of voice change as she said the word "live." She hoped he didn't sense anything wrong.
"He mad at me." It came out as a statement when he meant to have said it in question form.
"Who? Your dad? What on earth for!"
"Getting sick." Pause. "Not take care of everything."
"What!? Your dad is not mad at you. No one is mad at you. We all love you, silly!! In fact, he can't stop talking about how wonderful you were during his stay at the hospital."
The words 'love you' echoed in Ephram's head. 'Nina loved me? Did she just say she loved me? Maybe I was hearing it wrong.' Ephram thought.
Andy and Delia walked thru the door. They were both glad to see Ephram awake. Nina got up.
"Ok kid, your dad and sister's here. That would be my cue to exit." She laughed.
"No - don't go mommy." Ephram grunted holding out his hand to her. With that outburst, everyone in the room froze. It was the most awkward situation Nina had ever been caught in. She was flattered that this poor sick motherless boy was so attached to her and calling her "mommy" but she blushed because Andy was present and she felt out of place.
"I think it's the drugs talking." She said to Andy with a chuckle. She turned back to Ephram. "Ephram, I'll just be outside. I promise to come back in a few minutes." She smiled warmly.
Ephram meant it. It wasn't the drugs. He was groggy but he was aware of his surroundings. He meant to call Nina "mommy." He wanted her to be his mommy. He wanted her to take care of him but what was the chance of that happening? Maybe it was the drugs doing a number on him after all.
"Well, Ephram. Glad to see you're doing better." Andy said taking Ephram's left hand while Delia took Ephram's right hand.
"You walking." Ephram noticed.
"Yeah. I'm almost as good as new and ulcer-free. I get outta here tomorrow. No more gross hospital food and green jell-o."
"But I like green jell-o." Delia voiced.
"Fine, then I'll make you some when we get home." Andy laughed wholeheartedly.
"I love you, Ephram." Delia squealed in delight turning her attention to Ephram.
"Too." Ephram smiled back at his little sister. He coughed. And it seemed to drain him of whatever energy he had.
"Delia, why don't you go ask the nurse for a glass of water for Ephram?"
Delia was more than happy to lend her services. She bounced out of the room.
"Sorry." Ephram apologized seeing they were alone.
"You don't have to be sorry for anything. Nina was great help. I can understand why you were getting attached to her."
"No. Not that." Ephram paused. His shortness of breath was really starting to get on his nerves. He couldn't even finish a damn sentence without stopping for air. "For letting you down."
"What?! If anything, I let YOU down. You have been the perfect son - well, since we stopped arguing all the time." He chuckled. "You have done so much for me these past few weeks and I can't even begin to say how much I appreciate it. I'm so proud of you, knuckle head."
Ephram was shocked at that last sentence. First Nina said she loved him, now his dad said he was proud of him. 'Life was good.' Ephram thought.
"Proud of you too." Ephram grimaced as he shifted in his bed to get more comfortable.
Delia came back with a tall pink plastic cup of cold water with a straw in it. She moved slowly to the bed carefully not spilling its contents. She held the cup for Ephram as he sucked the liquid from the straw.
"Better?" Delia said after Ephram took a long sip.
"Mmm." Ephram nodded in approval. "Thanks."
Andy watched Ephram paying attention to one of Delia's zany stories and wondered how he was going to break the news to his son about the aneurysm. He wasn't sure how Ephram would react to the news. Was he going to cry? Would it shatter him to pieces? Would he be scared? Or would he be brave?
* end of chapter 4 *
The warm rays of sunlight beaming thru his window awoke Ephram from a long restful sleep. He still had a fever but had gone down a few degrees. His head still ached and the pain in his chest was still causing him discomfort. The last thing he remembered was the look on his father's face in the exam room. He couldn't tell if it was morning or afternoon. He glanced at the round clock on the wall by the door.
'3:15 pm?! Oh no! I was supposed to have picked up Delia hours ago!!' Ephram thought and tried to sit up.
"That is SO not a good idea. You're still weak." Said a female voice next to him. He turned his head and found Nina sitting in a sofa chair pulled up next to his bed.
"Delia." He had a hoarse voice. Swallowing was difficult.
"It's ok. She's here. I picked her up. She and your dad just went out in the hall for a while. They'll be back soon." Nina reassured.
"Am sick?" Ephram spoke only in short phrases since his throat was hurting so badly.
"Yea, you've really outdone yourself this time. Pneumonia. But you'll live." She felt her tone of voice change as she said the word "live." She hoped he didn't sense anything wrong.
"He mad at me." It came out as a statement when he meant to have said it in question form.
"Who? Your dad? What on earth for!"
"Getting sick." Pause. "Not take care of everything."
"What!? Your dad is not mad at you. No one is mad at you. We all love you, silly!! In fact, he can't stop talking about how wonderful you were during his stay at the hospital."
The words 'love you' echoed in Ephram's head. 'Nina loved me? Did she just say she loved me? Maybe I was hearing it wrong.' Ephram thought.
Andy and Delia walked thru the door. They were both glad to see Ephram awake. Nina got up.
"Ok kid, your dad and sister's here. That would be my cue to exit." She laughed.
"No - don't go mommy." Ephram grunted holding out his hand to her. With that outburst, everyone in the room froze. It was the most awkward situation Nina had ever been caught in. She was flattered that this poor sick motherless boy was so attached to her and calling her "mommy" but she blushed because Andy was present and she felt out of place.
"I think it's the drugs talking." She said to Andy with a chuckle. She turned back to Ephram. "Ephram, I'll just be outside. I promise to come back in a few minutes." She smiled warmly.
Ephram meant it. It wasn't the drugs. He was groggy but he was aware of his surroundings. He meant to call Nina "mommy." He wanted her to be his mommy. He wanted her to take care of him but what was the chance of that happening? Maybe it was the drugs doing a number on him after all.
"Well, Ephram. Glad to see you're doing better." Andy said taking Ephram's left hand while Delia took Ephram's right hand.
"You walking." Ephram noticed.
"Yeah. I'm almost as good as new and ulcer-free. I get outta here tomorrow. No more gross hospital food and green jell-o."
"But I like green jell-o." Delia voiced.
"Fine, then I'll make you some when we get home." Andy laughed wholeheartedly.
"I love you, Ephram." Delia squealed in delight turning her attention to Ephram.
"Too." Ephram smiled back at his little sister. He coughed. And it seemed to drain him of whatever energy he had.
"Delia, why don't you go ask the nurse for a glass of water for Ephram?"
Delia was more than happy to lend her services. She bounced out of the room.
"Sorry." Ephram apologized seeing they were alone.
"You don't have to be sorry for anything. Nina was great help. I can understand why you were getting attached to her."
"No. Not that." Ephram paused. His shortness of breath was really starting to get on his nerves. He couldn't even finish a damn sentence without stopping for air. "For letting you down."
"What?! If anything, I let YOU down. You have been the perfect son - well, since we stopped arguing all the time." He chuckled. "You have done so much for me these past few weeks and I can't even begin to say how much I appreciate it. I'm so proud of you, knuckle head."
Ephram was shocked at that last sentence. First Nina said she loved him, now his dad said he was proud of him. 'Life was good.' Ephram thought.
"Proud of you too." Ephram grimaced as he shifted in his bed to get more comfortable.
Delia came back with a tall pink plastic cup of cold water with a straw in it. She moved slowly to the bed carefully not spilling its contents. She held the cup for Ephram as he sucked the liquid from the straw.
"Better?" Delia said after Ephram took a long sip.
"Mmm." Ephram nodded in approval. "Thanks."
Andy watched Ephram paying attention to one of Delia's zany stories and wondered how he was going to break the news to his son about the aneurysm. He wasn't sure how Ephram would react to the news. Was he going to cry? Would it shatter him to pieces? Would he be scared? Or would he be brave?
* end of chapter 4 *