All That I've Got
Sleeping at the Hospital
"Pneumonia? But how..?" Gerard asked.
"Pneumonia could easily be caught by just being out in the cold so much." Dr. Sharp explained.
I sat there, lost in thought. Pneumonia could easily kill someone. But...I don't want to stay here.
"I don't want to be here. I want to leave now." I said seriously.
"You do that, and you'll have to undergo lung surgery, if you just stay in that bed, you'll be fine. Your choice." Dr. Sharp looked at his clip-board.
I thought again. That was something I really didn't want to do. I could easily die from that too.
"Can I have a minute alone with Gerard?" I asked.
He shook his head and lead Donna and Mikey out into the waiting room.
Gerard looked hopelessly at the ground. No words spoken between either of us. I finally broke the silence.
"Gerard...I'm afraid to stay here...I don't wanna be here." I said, tears running down my face.
“I know, baby. But, I want you to get better.” He said, still looking at the floor.
“But I don’t want to be alone…” I said sadly. Being alone was something I’ve had to deal with my whole life. And in a hospital? Much worse.
“That’s why I’m going to stay here with you.” He said and placed his hand on mine.
“Gerard, will the doctors let you do that?” I asked.
“Of course. I’ve known Dr. Sharp for a long time. Hell, he’s been my doctor ever since I was born. Mikey’s too. I know he’ll let me stay.”
“Okay, if you’re sure.”
“I am.” He said and smiled at me.
I looked up from the bed.
I leaned in close, our lips touching.
We stayed close for a passionate kiss. I put my hands on both sides of his face.
Suddenly, we heard a cough from the door.
It was Donna and Dr. Sharp.
“Come on, Gerard. We need to get home. Let Katlyn get her rest.” Donna said, picking up her purse.
“Dr. Sharp, would it be okay if I stayed here with Katlyn?” Gerard asked.
The doctor looked at him for a moment, then sighed.
“I suppose. If it’s okay with your mother.” He gave in.
Gerard looked at Donna. She gave a gentle smile.
“Gerard, you can stay. But what about school?” she asked.
“Fuck school. I’m close to graduating anyway.”
“Okay…I’ll see both of you tomorrow.” She said.
Donna walked over to the gurney and gave Gerard a kiss on the cheek. Then a kiss on my cheek.
“Thank you.” I whispered into her ear.
“For what darlin’?”
“For letting Gerard stay with me. Also for letting me stay with you.”
“Oh honey, it’s no problem at all.” She said and walked to the door.
Once she was out of the room. Dr. Sharp turned to us.
“Okay, now let me go get you a pillow and blanket for you, Gerard. I’ll be right back.” He said and walked out of the room.
I looked at Gerard again.
“Thank you for staying with me.” I said quietly. Like the hospital wasn’t quiet enough.
“You don’t have to thank me. I’m gonna stay with you until you get released.” He stated.
“I know…but still. It means a lot to me...”
He smiled and pecked my lips. At that moment, Dr. Sharp walked in.
“Here you are. Now you guys get some sleep. It’s 10:30.”
“Okay,” Gerard said and laid down on the couch with his pillow and blanket.
The doctor walked out of the room.
Then Gerard jumped off the couch, and turned off the light.
He walked over to my bed.
“Can I join you?” he smiled in the darkness.
I moved over as far as I could so Gerard could have room.
He got in and wrapped his arms around me. I snuggled close to him.
“Goodnight baby. I love you…” he said and kissed my forehead.
“Goodnight. I love you too…” I said.
Sleep had overcome both of us easily. That night was so tiring…
TO BE CONTINUED…
"Pneumonia could easily be caught by just being out in the cold so much." Dr. Sharp explained.
I sat there, lost in thought. Pneumonia could easily kill someone. But...I don't want to stay here.
"I don't want to be here. I want to leave now." I said seriously.
"You do that, and you'll have to undergo lung surgery, if you just stay in that bed, you'll be fine. Your choice." Dr. Sharp looked at his clip-board.
I thought again. That was something I really didn't want to do. I could easily die from that too.
"Can I have a minute alone with Gerard?" I asked.
He shook his head and lead Donna and Mikey out into the waiting room.
Gerard looked hopelessly at the ground. No words spoken between either of us. I finally broke the silence.
"Gerard...I'm afraid to stay here...I don't wanna be here." I said, tears running down my face.
“I know, baby. But, I want you to get better.” He said, still looking at the floor.
“But I don’t want to be alone…” I said sadly. Being alone was something I’ve had to deal with my whole life. And in a hospital? Much worse.
“That’s why I’m going to stay here with you.” He said and placed his hand on mine.
“Gerard, will the doctors let you do that?” I asked.
“Of course. I’ve known Dr. Sharp for a long time. Hell, he’s been my doctor ever since I was born. Mikey’s too. I know he’ll let me stay.”
“Okay, if you’re sure.”
“I am.” He said and smiled at me.
I looked up from the bed.
I leaned in close, our lips touching.
We stayed close for a passionate kiss. I put my hands on both sides of his face.
Suddenly, we heard a cough from the door.
It was Donna and Dr. Sharp.
“Come on, Gerard. We need to get home. Let Katlyn get her rest.” Donna said, picking up her purse.
“Dr. Sharp, would it be okay if I stayed here with Katlyn?” Gerard asked.
The doctor looked at him for a moment, then sighed.
“I suppose. If it’s okay with your mother.” He gave in.
Gerard looked at Donna. She gave a gentle smile.
“Gerard, you can stay. But what about school?” she asked.
“Fuck school. I’m close to graduating anyway.”
“Okay…I’ll see both of you tomorrow.” She said.
Donna walked over to the gurney and gave Gerard a kiss on the cheek. Then a kiss on my cheek.
“Thank you.” I whispered into her ear.
“For what darlin’?”
“For letting Gerard stay with me. Also for letting me stay with you.”
“Oh honey, it’s no problem at all.” She said and walked to the door.
Once she was out of the room. Dr. Sharp turned to us.
“Okay, now let me go get you a pillow and blanket for you, Gerard. I’ll be right back.” He said and walked out of the room.
I looked at Gerard again.
“Thank you for staying with me.” I said quietly. Like the hospital wasn’t quiet enough.
“You don’t have to thank me. I’m gonna stay with you until you get released.” He stated.
“I know…but still. It means a lot to me...”
He smiled and pecked my lips. At that moment, Dr. Sharp walked in.
“Here you are. Now you guys get some sleep. It’s 10:30.”
“Okay,” Gerard said and laid down on the couch with his pillow and blanket.
The doctor walked out of the room.
Then Gerard jumped off the couch, and turned off the light.
He walked over to my bed.
“Can I join you?” he smiled in the darkness.
I moved over as far as I could so Gerard could have room.
He got in and wrapped his arms around me. I snuggled close to him.
“Goodnight baby. I love you…” he said and kissed my forehead.
“Goodnight. I love you too…” I said.
Sleep had overcome both of us easily. That night was so tiring…
TO BE CONTINUED…