Chapter Six:

  I fell asleep
with the phone connected to my face. There were large circles by my eye and the
bottom of my right cheek. I must’ve been way too lazy to put it back.

  As
I slowly moved out my bed groggy I came to remember that in two days I will be
in surgery. I will finally be able to be tumor-free in forever! It’ll only be one
less problem for my body to face, and fewer challenges to conquer. After the
surgery, I’ll just be a lung damaged patient and an Alzheimer victim.

  I
pushed my wheels out the door and just took one glance at Kyle’s old door
daring a flashback to come hit me. My wish came true because therefore I was
slipping out of my chair into a memory, a lifetime when I had Kyle alive. My
mind blacked out and only colored when Kyle’s face appears in front of my eyes.

  Kyle was fiddling
with my violet hair trying his best to braid my hair. My hair was only a bob so
therefore the braids were such tiny things. He failed repeatedly over and over
again. I just sat there patiently waiting for him to forfeit.

  “Got any luck yet,
Kyle?” I asked after a while.

  He grunted in failure
and dropped my hair. “I give up! I’m no woman and this job is way too complex
for us men.”

  “Oh, is that so?” I
asked before turning to face him with loopy grin. “You know I’ve met loads of
men who could braid.”

  “Yeah, like who,
Jamaicans?”

  I guffawed, “No, my
dad! My mother taught him while they were dating.”

  Kyle brought his
devious smile to me and curled his finger and brushed it under my chin. I
shudder at the touch of his skin against mine. It was something I never
experienced before. Something as flames engulfing the tips of my skin and
burning it.

  I gulped and forced
my eyes on his before speaking. “What are you doing?”

  Kyle slowly dragged
his hands to my own before drawing marks upon them, “Could you do the same?”

  “Date you?”

  “Well, if you wanted
to so badly all you had to do was ask.” Kyle said with a smirk.

  My mouth opened and
reopened not able to suppress words out of my mouth. I was in utter confusion
of what was coming on between Kyle and I. “Can you teach me to braid?”

  My lips formed into
an o-shape and spoke the words oh. “That’s what you really meant?”

  “Well, I ain’t
saying I don’t want to be yours.” Kyle confessed without guilt.

  I looked to him
shocked, “So, you would date me if you wanted to?”

  He nodded and
fumbled with his thumbs as if they were playing thumb war. “Okay, so, well, we
start off three strands,” I told Kyle while looping each strand over the other
as they weaved to the end of the strand. “And the end we usually put a
pony-tail to hold it.”

  Kyle looked at me in
such utter awestruck.  “You make it look
so easy! Let me try!” He grabbed my head close to his face before taking three
strands of purple hair into his. He weaved them sloppily into big rings. When
he finished he turned to me with such pride.

  “Amazing! Especially
on your first try.” I told him as I began to undo them. He slapped my hand and
redid the braid again.

  “Leave it! I want
the whole hospital to see what an achievement I did with a braid.” Kyle told
me.

  I smiled and left
the braid the way it was, “Fine. Whatever you want my Sire.”

  “You look stunning
with it, and that’s no lie coming from me.” Kyle told me
before the flashback disappear into ripples and my eyes awoke to a bright
light.

  “Dylan?
Dylan!” My ears heard from next to my head. I blinked until the picture in
front of me became clear and I saw a face. Not just any ordinary face before
me, Oliver Papke’s face hovering by my neck.

  “Ol-Oliver?”
I sputtered.

  “Yes?”
I heard him as he entwined his fingers with mine.

  “What
happened and where’s Kyle?”

  “Sweetie,
Kyle is not here.” My mother’s voice rang through the room. I turned to find
her in the seat next to mine. I absorbed in her chestnut curls, golden eyes,
and full rosy lips. She took my cheek and rubbed it comforting me as I
remembered how she used to this when I was about to throw a fit. “Kyle is in
Heaven, remember?”

  My
eyes prickled with tears as I soon came to reality of the world without him. “I
miss him. He’s the reason I have these pass outs.”

  “Darling,
Dylan, we can ask for medication to stop these hallucinations.” My father spoke
from the door ahead of me.

  “They’re
not hallucinations! They’re memories of our great times!” I spitted at him with
such fury. I hated him. This man who married my mom only because he got her
pregnant and never divorced her because of the title she gave him;
Millionaire.  His eyes were black specks
that were too small for his bald head, fat ass body with thousands of layers of
chubbiness, and his sour personality.

  “How
dare you talk me that way!” He growled at me. My mom got if her seat and ran to
him to calm this selfish man down.

  “Oh!
Well, I got two letters for you!” I yelled at him.

  “What
is it ungrateful brat!”

  “F
and U!” I shouted. “Fuck you!”

  His
face burst into purple and his eyes pulled back into his fat head. “Bitch!”

  “Ouch!
That so hurts your ungrateful daughter who’s fucking dying you
head-in-the-ass-of-a-father!”

  My
mother slapped my face and ran out with tears brimming in her eyes. My father
turned to me and scowled and ran after his wife. I heard them arguing about how
are relationship is going to be a regret if I pass. He spoke of how I was
better off without him and she said to remember I had cancer and the hormones
get in the way.

  My
parents never returned to my room again that day, or for the rest of the week.

  “Ass.”
I heard Oliver say next to me.

  I
faced him in a blink. “Who are you talking of?”

  Oliver
turned to me guilty, “Uh, no one. Just talking to myself.”

  I
flicked his forehead, “Like hell it is!”

  Oliver
scrunched his head in pain of my flick, “Ow!”

  “Baby.”

  “Am
not!” He spitted back at me.

  “Well,
tell me who you were talking of.” I said.

  “Fine,
it was your father.”

  I
broke into a loud and crazy cackle. Damn right he is! Oliver stared at me in
bewilderment and amused. I soon began to feel the prickles of tears form into
my eyes as I realized I’m the reason for my family’s burden. Wow, such amazing
mixed feelings I get for this wild family.

  “Dylan?
Are you alright?” I heard Oliver ask concerned.

  I
shook my head as more bundles of tears poor out my eyes. All these years I held
in all this hurt and now it’s finally coming out in front of someone who
doesn’t deserve to witness this. Oliver’s arm wrapped itself against my back
and rubbed it in soothing me.

  “Would
you like me to page Nurse Jen, Dr. Andris?” Oliver whispered into my ear.

  “No.
It’s fine, I would rather have you besides me.” I replied.

  Oliver
squeezed me closer, “That’s alright with me.”

  I
wiped my eyes and faced him and gave the best smile I could at the moment.
Oliver return his and I knelt my head into the corner of his neck and shoulder.
He just held me closer and brushed my hair gently. His fingers curled a single
strand and played with it. My eyes began to flutter close as I began to relax
in Oliver’s arms.

  Mutters
of people talking filled my brain from corner to corner. Each sound of
individual voices booming louder and louder as my senses came back. I kept my
eyes shut close and controlled my breathing to look as if I were sleeping. I
targeted my hearing on the two male voices.

  “-if
she doesn’t have the surgery now the tumor will grow larger.” I think is Dr.
Lopez voice.

  “I
can’t let her go unless she awake.” That was obviously Oliver’s.

  “Mr.
Papke, you are not in charge of my patient’s medical decisions. May you please
move away from the door, or I’ll call security.” Dr. Lopez threatened Oliver.

  “No!”
Oliver yelled at him. “I don’t think Dylan would appreciate waking up knowing
she got put through surgery.”

  “1,”
Dr. Lopez started counting. “2,” Oliver still stayed budged I guess. “3! I’m
getting security.”

  “Please
don’t!” Oliver screamed as Dr. Lopez grabbed nurses to move Oliver out of the
way.

  I
broke my lids covering my eyes and jumped out of my bed and stood over Oliver
all wobbly, “Leave him alone! I’ll do the surgery!” I fell into Oliver’s lap as
I lost the strength and balance for my legs. Oliver caught me swiftly and held
my waist as if I was his lifesaver.

  “When’s
the surgery Dr. Lopez?” I asked politely.

  “We’re
supposed to be in OR 2 in five minutes, so I would like to take you down now
before we lose our advantage.” Dr. Lopez responded with gritted teeth.

  “Just
let me say something to Oliver first.” I told him. “Okay?”

  Dr.
Lopez looked passed me and left the room saying, “Okay, we’ll be waiting out
here for you.”

  Oliver
rolled us to my wheelchair and helped me out of his lap into my chair. “First,
sorry for falling on you-“

  “It’s
fine.” Oliver interrupted.

  I
gave a small smile and continued, “Second, this surgery is my lifesaver and I
would like if you didn’t wait for me after the surgery, because I need you to
worry ‘bout yourself.”

  “Dyl,
you have nobody left here for you.”

  “Oliver,
I have myself, Jen, and Chief Andris. There’s no need to worry.” I told him.

  Oliver
looked away pissed, “Yeah, you do have those people.”

  “What’s
your problem?”

  “Oh,
nothing important to you,” He spitted back at me. “Like you said, I don’t need
to worry.”

  My
mouth gaped, “You’re so bipolar!” I pushed myself out the room and left Oliver
behind with those three words. If I were to die from this surgery, those words
will be the last he heard from me. He should really choose his battles next
time.

  There
was a bed already set out for me, and the nurses including Nurse Jim were there
to help me upon the bed. Dr. Dewy arrived giving me a forced smile as she and
Dr. Lopez pushed me off towards OR 2. Before the elevator doors closed I caught
a glimpse of Oliver by my door.

  He
just looked at me as if that were the last time he see me. His eyes roamed over
my body and then they stayed upon my face. The doors started to close, and
slowly the picture of Oliver in front of me soon to fade away. Just before the
elevator door bounded together I caught Oliver give me a wink.

  Again,
isn’t he so bipolar?

  The
doors opened once again as the doctors and nurses pushed me out to the room
where they’ll be removing my tumor. Nurse Jim opens the OR doors and the
doctors walked into the wash room and left me there to lie in the middle of the
OR. My eyes roamed the blank ceiling above me.

  Needles,
tubes, and towels were being pricked, put in, and over my body. Nurse Jim came
into my eye view and smiled at me. He put the oxygen mask over my mouth until
the IV drugs got into my system and I pass out. “Can you count backwards from
ten for me, Dylan?”

  “Ten,
nine, eight, seven, six, five…four, three…two…one-“I spoke allowed until the
drugs put me down. My eyelids flutter slowly as Nurse Jim image disappeared
from my view and I drowned into darkness. I don’t know how long I will be out,
but I do know this darkness around me isn’t comforting. It reminds me of death
and how when you die that’s all it ever be; pitch black. Not just any black,
pitch black where it’ll be nothing.

  A
round light stands far off in the distance in the dark. It gets bigger and
bigger the longer I stare at it. Is this what Heaven looks like? Did I die
during surgery? The bright light engulfs me and hugs me wrapping itself around
my body. I see a figure standing in front me. God?

  “No
silly, I ain’t God.” A familiar voice says from the figure.

  I
look closer to the figure and soon his features show and I see the dark, wavy,
short hair. I see the brown eyes with green specks before me. The smile and
dimples of Kyle right here besides me.

  “Kyle!”
I shout and jump into his arms. Kyle’s arms wrapped around my waist and I
relaxed and melted into his body. Oh, how I missed his touch! “I miss you.”

  I
felt him smile into the nook of my neck, “I missed you too, Dylan.”

  I
pulled away from just enough to see his face. “What are you doing here?”

  “I
should say the same to you.” He said.

  My
face scrunched up in confusion. “What do you mean? Are you saying I died?”

  Kyle
broke out into laughter. I released my arms from him and began to freak out. He
stopped chuckling and got serious, “No Dylan, you didn’t die. You’re just
imagining this.”

  “Oh,
but are you saying this isn’t real.” I asked him scared of the thought this is
just a hallucination.

  Kyle
brushed my cheek with one finger. I leaned in never wanting him to end. “Who
said it wasn’t real, Dyl?”

  Kyle
took my wrists and guided me to the middle of the brighten white room. He
stopped where the color of light yellow shooting out from our feet. Kyle took
my right hand and held it and put my left on his opposite shoulder while his
right hand wrapped around my waist. I giggled as he started leading me in a
dance.

  Yellow
turned to sunset orange and this time it exploded into fireworks across the
floor. My eyes stared in awe. I never have seen such beautiful lights before my
eyes. I turned to Kyle with such a large grin. He smiled at me and continued to
lead us in a dance around the room.

  I
closed my eyes and leaned my head against Kyle’s. I felt Kyle push my body
closer to his and wrap both of his arms around my waist. I took my arms and
held onto his neck. We both sway back and forth to a song that I knew was ours;
“You and Me” by Lifehouse. The lyrics flowed around the room and I knew this
was not a hallucination; it was real.

  “You
remembered?” I asked looking to him.

  “How
could I forget? It was the song we dance to at the interns and residents party
you took me to.” Kyle responded.

  I
blushed, “I was just asking.”

  Kyle
smirked, “I still get you blushing don’t I?”

  I
looked to our feet and smiled wide, “Yeah, I guess.” I stated.

  He
put his fingers under my chin and made me look into his brown, green specked
eyes. “I bet you missed this more.” He said before placing his soft, rosy lips
to mine. It felt so real and alive that if my eyes were open during our kiss I
would see the showers of every colored light known to man exploding everywhere
around us. His tongue grazed my lips and asked for opening. I gave in right
away allowing him to travel my mouth. My body melts against him as we continue
to kiss.

  I
pulled back after needing my breath. I smile at the thought of kissing Kyle. He
looked to me lovingly that I almost believe that he never died. “I guess you’re
gonna have to change your scenario of me being in love with another girl,
because I wouldn’t find another girl better than you.” Kyle spoke entwining our
finger.

  “It
made me feel better.”

  “Well,
it doesn’t for me.” Kyle said. “How ‘bout you change it to me being in a band,
and I’m the drummer. I can’t visit you because my job is keeping us part.”

  I
smirked at him, “You would say that.”

  “It’s
cooler than yours and you know it.”

  “I
like it.” I smiled.

  He
kissed my temple, “Can we talk about this Oliver guy?”

  I
scowl at the mention of him. “Do we have to? Like you don’t have to worry about
him.”

  Kyle
turned to me serious, “Well, I am a bit jealous-“

  “You
don’t have to!”

  “-but
since I’m no longer here with you I would rather have him be there for you.”

  “Oliver?
No way! I could never think of being with him.” I said in disgust.

  Kyle
chuckled and kissed me lightly. “Don’t say things you know you can’t promise.”

  “But,
Oliver doesn’t even like me, so why should I?” I asked.

  “Trust
me, I can tell Oliver fancy my girl.”

  “Your
girl, that’s all I want to be.” I told him. “I don’t want to be Oliver’s.”

  Kyle
pulled me into his lap and set his chin above my head. “Dyl, I love you and you
know it, but I won’t be hurt if you fall for this Oliver guy. He seems like a
perfect guy for you during this time.”

  I
sighed, “Are you breaking up with me Kyle?”

  “Never!
You’re mine, forever and always.” Kyle told me. “Just think about it.”

  I
didn’t respond I just sat silent holding onto this moment forever. I don’t want
to wake up and forget this. I want to wake up and treasure this to the moment I
die. I want this to be a memory that stains my heart like Jack did to Rose in
Titanic.

  “I
love you, Dylan.” I heard Kyle whisper into my ear tickling it with his warm
breath. I was going to respond, but my eyes fluttered open to see a fan
whirring above me. I was no longer with Kyle. Tears were about to form when I
notice someone holding my hand.

  I
looked over to see Oliver holding my hand fast asleep. Kyle must’ve known that
Oliver was someone I needed when I awoke. I would be lying if I said Kyle
didn’t know me. He in fact knew every aspect of myself. More than I did of me.

  I
squeezed Oliver’s hand hard to get him to wake. He awoke groggily and shushed
me. I flicked his face and he scowled. He lifted up his face and turned to me
to say something awful before realizing that I was awake. Oliver’s face jumped
in pure happiness.

  “Morning,”
I said.

  “Good
morning, Dylan.” Oliver responded back with a smile.