Waiting...Waiting...Waiting

• Lauren Wise, Grade 7
• Short Story
• 2013

Waiting...waiting...waiting. What's going to happen next. As I sat beside my grandpa, holding his cold hand, I began to wonder anxiously what was going to happen. Would he survive or would he just waste away into the rest of oblivion? I looked at the heart monitor, each beat dropping ever so slightly. I listened to the soft breathing from my him. Why was it him that had to have a stroke? He was a person who had never done anything wrong. Why did God choose him? Was he trying to send us a message? A nurse in a pale white outfit crept inside. Her long flowing, golden locks falling around her shoulders. She had eyes as blue as the sea and a smile as sweet as sugar. She called for my father to meet her outside. Now it was just my grandpa and I. His face was as white as a ghost. Maybe, just maybe, he would wake up or talk. Could he hear me? There were so many things I wanted to say. But I knew that in this moment, whatever I said, may be the last he will hear from me. I leaned over his fragile body and gave him a hug and a kiss.
I whispered into his ear, "I love you, please don't ever forget that. Please don't leave me. I have so many questions that need to be answered." I was hoping that he could hear me."Pa, can you please squeeze my hand if you can hear me?" Nothing. Not even a slight movement. Was he already gone, just in a empty body that was on life support? My dad returned with a devastated expression. I knew what he would say. I could feel my stomach doing somersaults. My air hole closing up, so it was hard to breathe. Please don't say it. My grip was tightening around the arm rests of the chair. I could feel the tears welling up in my eyes as his eyes were too. "Lauren.... Your grandpa.....he.....," he was biting his lip trying to hold back his tears, "he isn't going to survive."
My stomach dropped. He had said it. "Erh...I'll be back. Please excuse me." I said as fast as I could. I didn't want him to see me upset. I made my way to the patients' lavatory. I shut the door and the tears just came flooding out. Why can't this just be a nightmare. I'll wake up and everything will be fine. I tried to pinch myself. Nothing had changed. I slid down the wall and held my head in my hands. The tears were now falling effortlessly down my cheeks. I was numb all over. I felt as though a bus had been dropped on me. I saw the handle of the door turn open. It was my father. He knelt down beside me and embraced me in his arms. We just sat there together crying. There were no words that could describe the anger, pain and grief that we were both feeling.
After what seemed like forever, we rose from our position, we dried our eyes and made our way back to my grandpa. This would be the last time I was ever going to see him. I whispered into his ear "I love you so much. Be safe in Heaven." With that we left feeling like a piece of our hearts had been torn out.