AUSTIN'S POINT OF VIEW

It's been two days. Ally's been in surgery all night, the doctors are tense. I'm tense. I'm trying to focus on playing Crazy Eights with Dez but we're both distracted. Trish is gone to quit her job at Tim's Square Pizza. To be honest, I'm surprised she lasted this long. It's been five days. I smile.

"I'll be right back," I say abruptly, startling Dez. I stand up.

"Okay," he says. "Oh, wait," he pulls out a dollar bill and hands it me. "Grab me a soda." I nod and leave.

I head over to the front doors where the row of vending machines sit. If Ally were here, she'd try to tell me not to eat so much. I laugh to myself. I pop a couple bills in the machine and buy 2 sodas, a bag of chips and a chocolate bar. Trish's favourite. I walk outside in to the crisp, morning air. I'm never awake at 7 am. But I've been awake before noon every day for the last few days, when I actually slept.

I kneel down and see a caterpillar. I pick it up and study it. Ally's like a caterpillar, I think to myself. She's a caterpillar with questionable health and stifled beauty. Then she goes in to surgery, wrapped in a blanket like a caterpillar wraps itself in a cocoon. Then, after a while, she'll come out as beautiful, strong and healthy butterfly, better than ever.

I smile and put the caterpillar in the grass away from where people may walk. Protecting it like I want to protect Ally.

I head back inside to find Trish in my place, playing against Dez. They see me and look up at my smiling face, confused.

"Did you hear anything?" Trish asks.

"No," I answer.

"Then why are you happy?" Dez pipes in.

"Because I know Ally is going to be okay," I say confidently. From my peripheral, I think I see Mr. Dawson relax in his seat, almost like my words made him feel better.

I sit down and give Dez his soda and Trish her chocolate. I sit next to the table they're at and I try my hardest to distract all of us by adding unwanted commentary to their game.

I had them laughing soon and things started to look up.

ALLY'S POINT OF VIEW

"I need the defibrillator," a doctor says.

"She's falling," someone yells.

I'm falling.