Opposites Attract
He's Not Who We Think
"Hey Alex"
"Hey, hot stuff. You coming tonight?"
"Dude, want to get crazy tonight, my house?"
"Alex, come over here."
"Let's go for a smoke, man."
Just walking down the hall Alex felt bombarded with comments and questions. Sometimes being a popular guy worked to his advantage. Other times he wished to turn it off and be left alone. He was especially worried about the consequences of missing Seth's major party. Everyone would be there, plenty of booze and chances to escape. But he was going to the hospital to visit his dad.
***
His dad has first started to get bad headaches around christmas in December. He began to act differently, more angry. Various symptoms followed, vomiting, nausea, hearing problems, until he was diagnosed in January. Merry Christmas, you have a brain tumor.
It was the worst feeling in the world, feeling so powerless, he couldn't help his dad, he just had to watch him suffer. The man he looked up to, he respected more than ever wasn't going to see him graduate. It killed him. Here he was out living his life but his father's was ending.
It wasn't far, his father was a good man, he treated him, his brothers and his mother well. He didn't deserve this.
Thinking about his dad depressed him. Because he just wanted to escape his insignificance and meaningless. He couldn't even save him.
***
He put his hand under the hand sanitizer dispenser as he waited for an elevator. The elevator was empty and had a strip of mirrors surrounding the perimeter. He looked back at his reflection. He wasn't sure if he liked what he saw.
As the elevator rose, he tapped his hands on his leg to the muzac playing in the elevator. Finally the elevator dinged and the doors opened. He sighed as his eyes met big block letters reading " Neurology Ward". He took a deep breath and stepped off the elevator.
He was met with the caring eyes of Keshia, a slightly heavy black secretary of the Neurology ward. "Hey Honey, how are you today?" she asked, her voice filled with sympathy.
For once this was a question that Alex could bare to hear because it wasn't about some trivial teenage thing. "Just fine."
"No Scott today?"
"No, he couldn't come." Which wasn't a total lie, Scott, his brother and him weren't getting along so well recently, so Alex would guess Scott wouldn't come with him. But Scott needed to visit their dad as much as him, because like Alex, Scott knew, their dad wasn't going to see them to their graduation.
"You know where he is."
Alex nodded once before turning right. He walked casually down the white halls, passing gurney's and carts. But his mind was anything but casual, with a heavy heart, this was all he could do without collapsing on the floor crying. Finally he was met with room 224. He pushed it open. Fortunately, his father, Kevin had a private room and he lay propped up with pillows with various IV's in his arm while watching Dr. Phil.
"Hey dad." Alex whispered worried his voice might crack.
The man turned his head slowly and smiled faintly. "Sit," he croaked. Alex sat, and with pained eyes watched his father wince with pain as he adjusted in bed. The meeting was always difficult.
"How..long...are..you...staying for?" His father managed to wheeze out. He was so weak, nothing like the strong man who gave him piggy back rides when he was younger.
"How long are visiting hours?"
His father smiled.
"Hey, hot stuff. You coming tonight?"
"Dude, want to get crazy tonight, my house?"
"Alex, come over here."
"Let's go for a smoke, man."
Just walking down the hall Alex felt bombarded with comments and questions. Sometimes being a popular guy worked to his advantage. Other times he wished to turn it off and be left alone. He was especially worried about the consequences of missing Seth's major party. Everyone would be there, plenty of booze and chances to escape. But he was going to the hospital to visit his dad.
***
His dad has first started to get bad headaches around christmas in December. He began to act differently, more angry. Various symptoms followed, vomiting, nausea, hearing problems, until he was diagnosed in January. Merry Christmas, you have a brain tumor.
It was the worst feeling in the world, feeling so powerless, he couldn't help his dad, he just had to watch him suffer. The man he looked up to, he respected more than ever wasn't going to see him graduate. It killed him. Here he was out living his life but his father's was ending.
It wasn't far, his father was a good man, he treated him, his brothers and his mother well. He didn't deserve this.
Thinking about his dad depressed him. Because he just wanted to escape his insignificance and meaningless. He couldn't even save him.
***
He put his hand under the hand sanitizer dispenser as he waited for an elevator. The elevator was empty and had a strip of mirrors surrounding the perimeter. He looked back at his reflection. He wasn't sure if he liked what he saw.
As the elevator rose, he tapped his hands on his leg to the muzac playing in the elevator. Finally the elevator dinged and the doors opened. He sighed as his eyes met big block letters reading " Neurology Ward". He took a deep breath and stepped off the elevator.
He was met with the caring eyes of Keshia, a slightly heavy black secretary of the Neurology ward. "Hey Honey, how are you today?" she asked, her voice filled with sympathy.
For once this was a question that Alex could bare to hear because it wasn't about some trivial teenage thing. "Just fine."
"No Scott today?"
"No, he couldn't come." Which wasn't a total lie, Scott, his brother and him weren't getting along so well recently, so Alex would guess Scott wouldn't come with him. But Scott needed to visit their dad as much as him, because like Alex, Scott knew, their dad wasn't going to see them to their graduation.
"You know where he is."
Alex nodded once before turning right. He walked casually down the white halls, passing gurney's and carts. But his mind was anything but casual, with a heavy heart, this was all he could do without collapsing on the floor crying. Finally he was met with room 224. He pushed it open. Fortunately, his father, Kevin had a private room and he lay propped up with pillows with various IV's in his arm while watching Dr. Phil.
"Hey dad." Alex whispered worried his voice might crack.
The man turned his head slowly and smiled faintly. "Sit," he croaked. Alex sat, and with pained eyes watched his father wince with pain as he adjusted in bed. The meeting was always difficult.
"How..long...are..you...staying for?" His father managed to wheeze out. He was so weak, nothing like the strong man who gave him piggy back rides when he was younger.
"How long are visiting hours?"
His father smiled.