7th Heaven

"


It all started with the flu.

A simple, ordinary flu that no one had noticed, least of all Simon. He felt lost in his huge family, and since his father had barley gotten out of the hospital he didn't think he should worry his mother by telling her about how weak he felt and how, at times, he could barley get out of bed. Maybe he should of. Maybe then something could have been done in time. Maybe… Maybe…. Maybe. That thought ran through his mind as his world went black.

*

"Is he ok?" Annie asked the doctor with a tearstained face. She remembered watching her son collapse as he had come downstairs for dinner. This couldn't be happening. She had only been in this very hospital waiting for word on her husband a few months ago, now she was here again with the same sinking feeling in her heart. Simon had to be okay. Eric had and now her son would be too. He had too…

"I'm afraid not," the doctor began, "Apparently your son had a infection that went untreated. The infection then went to his heart. Simon's suffering from cardiomyopathy. What that means is that the virus has attacked and destroyed his heart."

"His heart?" Eric repeated solemnly.

"Yes. The muscle has become enlarged causing it to work harder to give him oxygen. Right now we're working on stabilizing him and putting him on medications so he can go home."

"Once he's home will he be alright then?" Annie put in.

The doctor paused as if he knew he was going to tell them news that they didn't want to hear. "Normally a heart transplant would be his only real hope but I'm afraid a transplant wouldn't do any good in Simon's already weakened state. He'd only reject the new heart. I'm so sorry."

" So, what you're saying is that you're sending him home to die?" Eric questioned. Hoping that he worst fears weren't about to come true.

Dr. Laboryteux shifted from one foot to the other. He hated doing this. His job was to heal and when he couldn't he didn't know what to do. "I'm sorry." he repeated.

Annie couldn't believe it. It was her fault really. How could she not notice her sick son? She was his mother and mothers weren't suppose to let their sons fall through the cracks. But with seven, basically nine, counting Kevin and Robbie, children and Simon- with the exception of the drinking episode- being one of the less attention grabbing ones, it was easy to overlook what was going on in his life. Hell, she had paid more attention to Lucy and Kevin's never-ending love saga then to Simon. How could she have done that?

"How long?" Eric asked.

"Two maybe three months at the most. I-" the doctor stopped. "Would you like me to tell him?"

"I'll do it." Annie responded. She had brought him into the world and she felt it was she who should tell him that he was dying. Dying. She repeated to herself again. Dying. Even the word seemed too final. So horrible.


*


"Get ready, they should be here any moment." Lucy called to the rest of the Camden clan. They had planned a welcome home party of sorts. Something to bring up everyone's sprits. Lucy still couldn't believe it and frankly chose not to. So, she had called Matt, Sarah and Mary and told them to come home. Basically the welcome home party was for them, so Simon wouldn't feel like things had changed and would have to deal with his entire immediate family making him the center of attention and reminding him about-
Her mind skipped that thought and went back to planning the party.


Eric sat paralyzed in his office. He was suppose to be at the hospital helping Annie bring Simon home but for some reason he couldn't get up from his chair. Okay so physically he could, but mentally he didn't seem to want to. As if he stayed in this spot things would go back to as they were before. Sure he had his faith but even that seemed to be faltering. He had come close to death twice now and both times he had walked away. Why couldn't his son? He and his family had been in tough spots before and all those times except now, things had turned at alright. It didn't seem fair to Eric. If someone had to die why couldn't it be him. He had watched his parishioners go through the loss of a child, but then it hadn't been him. It hadn't been his family. And he didn't see how they would ever get through this. But somehow he had to. Somehow he had to be there for Annie and Simon and the rest of his children. Just as he always had in the past. So he stood up and walked out the door.


Simon tried to accept what was happening to him but found he couldn't. He was scared. Scared for his family, but mostly for himself. Thankfully his medication kept him pretty out of it most of the time so he didn't have to deal with it much. But when he couldn't catch his breathe or went to sleep he wondered if it was his last. One day it would. And what would become of the people he left behind? Oh, he had often wondered if his family really needed him or where he fit in or if they would really care he wasn't there. But he knew that was all crap and that they loved him but had he told them that enough? Had he done enough? Had he made any mark on the world by being in it? There wasn't any time. No time at all.


"Surprise!" they yelled as their parents and Simon walked through the back door, oxygen tank in tow. It felt strange to Matt, being home again. Especially like this. He had a whole separate life back in New York with Sarah but that didn't mean he hadn't missed this one. And now when he was finally back he was going to loose his little brother. All the wrongs he had ever done to Simon went threw his head and he regretted everyone of them. He knew it was silly but he felt like he should of protected him for this somehow. Like he could. Maybe that was what being a doctor meant. Being powerless and to know when you were. He didn't like that feeling.

Simon walked behind his parents and saw Mary, Matt and Sarah standing there and sighed. He didn't want his entire family to come rushing to his deathbed. All they needed now was his grandparents, Ginger, Julie and Hank. Granted he knew they meant well but it seemed false.


"Maybe you should go lie down." Annie questioned after the festivities were over. Her son looked pale, his bluish lips and nails, due to the lack of oxygen, apparent and a weariness settling over him. He could only go twenty minutes without coughing and taking a breathe out of his oxygen mask.

"Alright." he said smiling slightly at her. He placed a hand on Annie's shoulder as if to reassure her and turned around knowing full well that everyone in his family was watching him walk away.