Ocala Is Calling

Weeks passed and it seemed like everyday was a year to Gavin. His face was almost ghostly now, a pool of pale ashy blanch, surrounding is still-so-beautiful hazel orbs. His weight had decreased rapidly, leaving him looking sallow, and sickly. His gaunt, twiggy body looked so breakable now. His clothes draping over him like a blanket, a vast array of cloth sweeping around him, leaving him figureless.

His immune system had begun to fail, from the intense treatments of chemotherapy, and he had been admitted to the hospital to recieve a bone marrow transplant.

Over the past week numerous tests had been taken to determine whether he was physically capable of under going to transplant. Maggie had been tested as the ideal marrow donor for Gavin and was to go under a needle today to give her brother all she could.

I felt so hopeless sitting back and watching all of this happen. It seemed like nothing more than a mere horror movie playing before me, There was nothing I could do, but the worst part was it wasn't a movie. I couldn't fast forward through all of this, and find the better days. I couldn't pause it, to go on date with Gavin, or build a fort and play video games all day long. I just had to sit, and stare. And wait.

My mother dropped me off outside of the hospital, and slung my bag over my shoulder, making my way through the double doors, and to the cancer ward. Once arriving, I was greeted with a smile from one of Gavin's nurses, who knew me by name.

"Veronica, Gavin's been asking if you were here yet all day." She beamed.
I smiled back, nodding, and shuffled over to his room that I could locate on my own, now.

I made my way into the room slowly, dropped my bag to floor, and sunk into the chair across from his bed.

I rested my head in my hand, and glanced over at the hospital bed. He was fast asleep, snoring lightly, the dingy white sheets draped over him, rising and falling with his breaths.

I wasn't going to leave, and come back when he was awake, I was going to wait. I scavenged through my bag, and pulled out my ipod, laying my head against the wall, and closing my eyes, I let soft piano riffs, and acoustic melodies run through my mind.

Suddenly, I felt something lighty bounce off my forehead. I opened my eyes to see Gavin smiling, and averted my eyes to the cold tile floor, where a crumpled napkin lay.

"Sorry," He apologized, still smiling, "I wasn't going to let you sleep, and I can't get up.. too many wires." he said.

I glanced back at him, and pulled my headphones out. The heart monitor faintly beeping.

"Come to me, beautiful." he said, rolling over, and making a place for me to lay in his bed.

I walked over to his bed, and lay next to him, shivering when his cold skin brushed against mine. He pulled the sheet over me, wrapping his arms around my waist, and pulling tight.

I took it all in, and laced my fingers through his gently. Given the circumstances, it was perfect.