Chapter 2: When No One Can Really Help
The next day I dragged myself to the hospital. I walked to Megan's room.
She was switching TV channels with a dull look on her face. She noticed me
standing there and turned off the monitor.
"Can I help you?" she asked.
"Erm. I'm here to visit you. My dad made me come."
"Oh, well it's not like you need to stay or anything."
"My dad's probably going to ask a nurse how long I was here or something."
"That sucks."
Suddenly she rolled over away from me and regurgitated into a basin next to her bed. I pulled her hair back for her. When she finished she wiped her mouth on a napkin coughing occasionally.
"Are you alright?" I asked.
"Yeah, first time this month. I'm soo sorry this happened while you were here."
I looked at her, she some how seemed small and vulnerable. And I pitied her.
"What's wrong with you?" She sighed and I regretted asking her. "You don't need to answer that," I said quickly.
"It's okay. My liver's shot. I have an advance stage of cirrhosis. No one knows how I got it and there's no medicine for it. So if I don't get a liver I'll die. And the only way I can get a liver is if someone else dies."
"Is there any hope for you?"
"There's always hope. In my case that's all I can do. Actually I still have time to live in my case, but its borrowed time. Luckily I was stabilized a while ago so I'll be out at least by tonight."
"Oh, err. that's good."
"Yeah I can't stand this place."
I could see what she meant. Sure the room was bright but it was silent. The silence was to a point of scary. And the room was soo cold.
*that night* I went for a walk in the hospital's park. I heard a muffled crying and went to see who it was. I was Megan a foot away and I sank beside her.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing"
"Really? Then why are you crying?"
"I'm living in a nightmare. Any minute now I could fall over and die. People say I should make the most of the time I have left. But what can I do. No one can really help me. Sure my parents have a ton of money, but what I truly need is the one thing not even money can buy."
Her expression tore my heart. Sure I had problems but none were half as big as her's. I always thought people should die a ripe, old age. Now the truth speaks out. Not every one dies old. Many people like Megan have a significant chance of dying young and they can't do anything but accept that as a fact.
"So what problems do you face?"
"None as bad as yours."
"Well there's nothing anyone can do really for me. But maybe I can help you." She gave me a sincere smile and I smiled back.
I ended up telling her everything; what it's like to be separated from your brother than meet him year later never know you had any siblings; what it's like being teased at school; just everything.
She listened silently and respectfully. When I stopped she asked a few questions and our conversation ended. I walked her back to her room and was about to leave when she said to me:
"I'm glad you came."
"Well it's not like I had a choice, my dad made me."
"Actually you did. You could have said you forgot or something, but you actually came. And I'm glad you did."
"Whatever, not like I had any plans today anyway."
A nurse can in and informed Megan she could leave. As soon as the nurse left, Megan mumbled under her breath, "thank God."
She slipped off the bed and went to change. She came out in jeans, cross- trainers and a light blue vest.
"Well-" she began.
"Do you want to get some lunch with me?" I interrupted.
"I'd love to."
I brought her to this sushi place and we just talked. It was great. She acted as though she were just another girl, you know no problems and stuff. We just chilled and later on the others joined us. So we were all just cool with everything.
The day ended pretty well until my dad got home. Most kids like being praise by their parents. For me it's just torture.
In the end I lied to my dad saying I was never going to see Megan again. But really, I promised her I would go over to her house. We were going to go swimming and play some pool tomorrow.
The next morning I met the others at Megan's house. It was gigantic, kind of like the mansions you see on TV. She had a room with two pool tables and a ping pong table, an outdoor pool, and a gym.
After she beat my in about six straight games of pool she excused herself and went into another room. After a while we were beginning to worry about her and were wondering if she was alright.
We were all about to barge into the room when Zoeie stopped us.
"She might be doing something personal and you're guys. So I think it's best if I go in first."
We all agreed she had a point so she knock and took a step in.
"Megan are you- Oh." She stopped.
"It's alright you can come in if you'd like," I heard her answer. We all walked in and I was caught by shock. There was a tube inserted in her left arm and blood was dripping out little by little into a glass tube.
"What-" I began.
"Blood letting, and it's all because of a little accident yesterday," she sighed. "This hurts like shit."
"I'm sorry," I replied.
"For what? Not like this is your fault?"
"Still"
There was ding sound from the machine and Megan removed the tube and put a bandage on the wound. She took the glass tube filled with a bit of blood and placed it in a jar carefully.
"Well, I'm sorry you had to see that. Anyway, who's ready to get their ass kicked in some pool?"
"Don't be soo confident."
".yeah I'm about to kick you butt over the moon."
"Okay"
I gave him a look and it was obvious his statement didn't make any sense but what ever.
"Can I help you?" she asked.
"Erm. I'm here to visit you. My dad made me come."
"Oh, well it's not like you need to stay or anything."
"My dad's probably going to ask a nurse how long I was here or something."
"That sucks."
Suddenly she rolled over away from me and regurgitated into a basin next to her bed. I pulled her hair back for her. When she finished she wiped her mouth on a napkin coughing occasionally.
"Are you alright?" I asked.
"Yeah, first time this month. I'm soo sorry this happened while you were here."
I looked at her, she some how seemed small and vulnerable. And I pitied her.
"What's wrong with you?" She sighed and I regretted asking her. "You don't need to answer that," I said quickly.
"It's okay. My liver's shot. I have an advance stage of cirrhosis. No one knows how I got it and there's no medicine for it. So if I don't get a liver I'll die. And the only way I can get a liver is if someone else dies."
"Is there any hope for you?"
"There's always hope. In my case that's all I can do. Actually I still have time to live in my case, but its borrowed time. Luckily I was stabilized a while ago so I'll be out at least by tonight."
"Oh, err. that's good."
"Yeah I can't stand this place."
I could see what she meant. Sure the room was bright but it was silent. The silence was to a point of scary. And the room was soo cold.
*that night* I went for a walk in the hospital's park. I heard a muffled crying and went to see who it was. I was Megan a foot away and I sank beside her.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing"
"Really? Then why are you crying?"
"I'm living in a nightmare. Any minute now I could fall over and die. People say I should make the most of the time I have left. But what can I do. No one can really help me. Sure my parents have a ton of money, but what I truly need is the one thing not even money can buy."
Her expression tore my heart. Sure I had problems but none were half as big as her's. I always thought people should die a ripe, old age. Now the truth speaks out. Not every one dies old. Many people like Megan have a significant chance of dying young and they can't do anything but accept that as a fact.
"So what problems do you face?"
"None as bad as yours."
"Well there's nothing anyone can do really for me. But maybe I can help you." She gave me a sincere smile and I smiled back.
I ended up telling her everything; what it's like to be separated from your brother than meet him year later never know you had any siblings; what it's like being teased at school; just everything.
She listened silently and respectfully. When I stopped she asked a few questions and our conversation ended. I walked her back to her room and was about to leave when she said to me:
"I'm glad you came."
"Well it's not like I had a choice, my dad made me."
"Actually you did. You could have said you forgot or something, but you actually came. And I'm glad you did."
"Whatever, not like I had any plans today anyway."
A nurse can in and informed Megan she could leave. As soon as the nurse left, Megan mumbled under her breath, "thank God."
She slipped off the bed and went to change. She came out in jeans, cross- trainers and a light blue vest.
"Well-" she began.
"Do you want to get some lunch with me?" I interrupted.
"I'd love to."
I brought her to this sushi place and we just talked. It was great. She acted as though she were just another girl, you know no problems and stuff. We just chilled and later on the others joined us. So we were all just cool with everything.
The day ended pretty well until my dad got home. Most kids like being praise by their parents. For me it's just torture.
In the end I lied to my dad saying I was never going to see Megan again. But really, I promised her I would go over to her house. We were going to go swimming and play some pool tomorrow.
The next morning I met the others at Megan's house. It was gigantic, kind of like the mansions you see on TV. She had a room with two pool tables and a ping pong table, an outdoor pool, and a gym.
After she beat my in about six straight games of pool she excused herself and went into another room. After a while we were beginning to worry about her and were wondering if she was alright.
We were all about to barge into the room when Zoeie stopped us.
"She might be doing something personal and you're guys. So I think it's best if I go in first."
We all agreed she had a point so she knock and took a step in.
"Megan are you- Oh." She stopped.
"It's alright you can come in if you'd like," I heard her answer. We all walked in and I was caught by shock. There was a tube inserted in her left arm and blood was dripping out little by little into a glass tube.
"What-" I began.
"Blood letting, and it's all because of a little accident yesterday," she sighed. "This hurts like shit."
"I'm sorry," I replied.
"For what? Not like this is your fault?"
"Still"
There was ding sound from the machine and Megan removed the tube and put a bandage on the wound. She took the glass tube filled with a bit of blood and placed it in a jar carefully.
"Well, I'm sorry you had to see that. Anyway, who's ready to get their ass kicked in some pool?"
"Don't be soo confident."
".yeah I'm about to kick you butt over the moon."
"Okay"
I gave him a look and it was obvious his statement didn't make any sense but what ever.
