Chapter 4: Learning

The guys walked into the fourth floor, not finding it its usual busy, but quiet with a nurse sitting at her desk talking on the phone. It had gotten dimmer since the sun went down, and Travis could see a light coming from down the hall. "Hey guys, look, she's back."

They all rushed to her room, and saw her frail body on the hospital bed. She was hooked to a heart monitor, which was beeping slowly, and faintly next to the bed.

Mr. Randall looked up at them, "You're still here? Thank you for staying, but your parents must be worried sick."

Travis looked back at him. We are worried sick about your daughter. "We're here for Lily, sir. We'll stay until we have to leave."

Robbie came up behind him, "Yeah. Now what have the doctors said?"

Mrs. Randall was watching the Roscoe streets through the window, but lightly said, "It's her heart."

Ray blinked at her. Her heart? Is this fatal? Something could really be wrong... "What does that mean? Is it serious?"

"Of course its serious, young man, if not we wouldn't be here." Mrs. Randall continued staring out the window.

Travis was losing patience, quick. "Would you please tell us what's wrong?"

Mrs. Randall took a deep breath, and a few moments later started, "My mother and sister died from what is called pulmonary congestion."

Ray couldn't believe his ears. Died? Will Lily die? This doesn't make sense; we didn't know anything about it... Come on Lily... "What is that...?"

Mrs. Randall took a few more deep breaths before explaining. "It's when a ventricle in your heart slows down doing its job, or stops entirely." She stopped...and took a few more moments too herself. She was having a hard time explaining something like this that made her remember all that happened in her past. "There are many pathways in your heart. And two different types of blood that move along in the heart. Oxygen-rich, or good blood, and Oxygen-poor, bad blood." She stopped again, but this time permanently. She got out of her chair, kissed Lily on the cheek. "I love you, honey." And left the room.

Mr. Randall rubbed his forehead. "We have to go, and I think you should too. Visiting hours are almost over."

Robbie understood what was going on with The Randall's, but still wanted to know all of what went wrong, "But you haven't finished explaining."

Mr. Randall grabbed his coat off the chair and slipped it on. "She lost a bit of good blood to her heart, which caused her lungs not to get enough oxygen to her brain. That is by she passed out. She is in her the first stage of pulmonary congestion, but not too worry. It is early, and in a few days she should wake and they will give her some antibiotics, which should take care of everything."

He kissed Lily's forehead, and whispered his love in her ear. He then left the room, after his wife.

Ray looked at Robbie and Travis, "He says it will all be fine, but she doesn't look fine. What do I do, man?"

Robbie patted him on the back, "We keep going, Lily wants that. Lets go before one of the nurses kicks us out." They turned and went into the hall, but Travis stayed behind.

Travis set the flowers on the table, the necklace draped over them.

He moved a chair closer to her and sat. He looked at her, lying there, so silent. "I could die for one of your songs right now, Lily." He whispered to her, just for the peace of mind. "I picked some things up for you today, some lilies, and a butterfly necklace. Butterflilies, best of both worlds..."

He moved her hair behind her ear, and held her cold hand. "I don't know what I am feeling right now Lily, I know what the others are. Fear, love, care for a friend. But I feel like...I don't know. I would like to find out though, and I will come back everyday for that reason."