Tyler's Hope
Chapter 4: I'll Be There
The next morning, and all the mornings afterward, it seemed routine. Get up in the morning, face his father, get beaten down the stairs, skip breakfast, go to school, go to work, go back home, and go to bed. Eventually, Tyler was too weak to do anything, so he found the method of lying in bed and letting people come to you worked well for him. One day, he was lying in his bed, when who should come through his bedroom door was Jamie.
"Hey man," said Jamie upon seeing Tyler. "You don't look so well," he said, totally unmindful to the fact that Tyler was pretty much lying on his deathbed.
"I'm doing ok," said Tyler weakly, trying in vain to smile.
"I just wanted to come over and see-," said Jamie who just spotted something. "Is this your mother?" asked Jamie, having no idea how painful that picture has come to be for Tyler.
"Yes," said Tyler before coughing.
When Tyler was done, he just lay there sweating and gasping. Through the sweating and gasping, though, was a single tear that threatened to fall down his face. When Tyler was calm again, he slowly lifted one of his weak hands and painfully wiped it away. He couldn't even look at Jamie. He was looking at the ceiling. The same old ceiling he had been staring at for the last three months. Even though Tyler wasn't looking at Jamie, Jamie was looking at him, and was at a loss for words.
"I'm sorry man. I had no idea. Your mother was beautiful," said Jamie having no idea what to do or say in a situation like this.
"Thanks. We were very close," said Tyler getting emotional again.
Jamie, being the compassionate person that he was, went over, and put a hand on Tyler's shoulder.
"It's ok. I'm fine," said Tyler, his words not matching his true feelings.
Jamie just continued to hold him until both of them heard the door open and a pair of heavy boots come walking into the house.
"You dang boy, get-" said his father who just spotted Jamie. "Well, hello son, how are you doing?" asked his father who turned his attitude around, but not fast enough.
Seeing Jamie stare at him suspiciously, Danny politely excused himself and shut the door.
Jamie, unable to speak, just looked down at Tyler. Tyler in return, looked up at him and started to speak.
"I have to tell you something," said Tyler, his voice so weak and quiet, you had to strain your ears to listen.
"Shoot," said Jamie, putting his ear up to Tyler's mouth to hear, not knowing what to expect.
"I have to tell you what has been going on," said Tyler fading, "with me."
"Come on man, come back. What do you have to tell me," said Jamie yelling just to keep Tyler conscious.
"I have to tell you-," said Tyler before he passed out.
"Buddy, buddy, come on don't do this to me. Wake up. Come on," said Jamie and after three minutes of trying in vain to rescue breathe him, rushed to call 9-1-1.
In a few minutes, Jamie could hear the distinct sound of an ambulance speeding their direction. Thankfully it wasn't his squad or else they would've freaked. After getting Tyler loaded up onto the gurney, Jamie was given permission to ride in the ambulance with Tyler. Rides to the hospitals usually seemed to take about 5 minutes but this certain ride seemed to take an eternity.
