Claire
Claire
As I looked at her small, still form in the big white bed I couldn’t believe I never saw this coming. Sure, her parents weren’t the best role models and she didn’t always hang around the best crowds, but I never thought this could ever happen to her. It was just me, her, and the beep of the machines. I doubt her parents had heard any of the news anyway since her dad was in prison and her mom ran off somewhere taking her siblings with her.
No matter what happened, I was going to be by her side when she finally opened her eyes. I would be the first person she saw and she would know that I would never leave her side. Frankly, I was impressed with how well she had kept everything together, or, as together as she could, given her circumstance. She did a good job of holding her head high and masking the pain, but obviously it wasn’t enough. What she did just proves that.
I couldn’t see how bad her addiction had become because of the gauze that covered the injection sites on her arms but I knew it was bad by the state she is in now. How could so many people miss this? Better yet, how did I miss this? Yes she had been acting differently, but I just thought that was because of all of this stress that had been thrown onto her.
As I think about it now, before her “down fall” she could have been anything. She could’ve literally had it all. She had so much potential. I guess that is just what eventually happens. Everyone has his breaking point and I guess she reached it and crumbled. She crossed that line and never looked back.
When I look out the window I see how dark it has gotten. The streetlights have come on a long time ago and the traffic has becoming lighter. I’m surprised at how fast time has passed. I lean over and turn off the lamp by her bed so I can settle down to sleep.
The sight before me is so eerie. Her pale skin is illuminated by the moonlight that filters in through the window. If it wasn’t for her chest slightly moving up and down and the beep of the heart monitor someone would think that she were dead. My heart breaks to see her like this. I take hold of her cold, pale hand and speak.
“Claire,” I pause waiting, hoping for something. “Claire, I’m praying for you, so please don’t let me down.” I look up into her face searching for any movement at all. “Would you get better? Please get better. I can’t put you in the ground.” I pause again but there is still nothing. “Could you get better? When you get better we can take you out.” I don’t pause this time because I don’t expect anything now. “If you hear me now, if you understand, Claire, I'm praying for you, so please don't let me down because I don’t want to put you in the ground.”
I look straight into her face. Nothing has changed. The beeping continues. Her chest still moves up and down. However long it takes. I’ll wait. I’ll hope. And I’ll pray.
No matter what happened, I was going to be by her side when she finally opened her eyes. I would be the first person she saw and she would know that I would never leave her side. Frankly, I was impressed with how well she had kept everything together, or, as together as she could, given her circumstance. She did a good job of holding her head high and masking the pain, but obviously it wasn’t enough. What she did just proves that.
I couldn’t see how bad her addiction had become because of the gauze that covered the injection sites on her arms but I knew it was bad by the state she is in now. How could so many people miss this? Better yet, how did I miss this? Yes she had been acting differently, but I just thought that was because of all of this stress that had been thrown onto her.
As I think about it now, before her “down fall” she could have been anything. She could’ve literally had it all. She had so much potential. I guess that is just what eventually happens. Everyone has his breaking point and I guess she reached it and crumbled. She crossed that line and never looked back.
When I look out the window I see how dark it has gotten. The streetlights have come on a long time ago and the traffic has becoming lighter. I’m surprised at how fast time has passed. I lean over and turn off the lamp by her bed so I can settle down to sleep.
The sight before me is so eerie. Her pale skin is illuminated by the moonlight that filters in through the window. If it wasn’t for her chest slightly moving up and down and the beep of the heart monitor someone would think that she were dead. My heart breaks to see her like this. I take hold of her cold, pale hand and speak.
“Claire,” I pause waiting, hoping for something. “Claire, I’m praying for you, so please don’t let me down.” I look up into her face searching for any movement at all. “Would you get better? Please get better. I can’t put you in the ground.” I pause again but there is still nothing. “Could you get better? When you get better we can take you out.” I don’t pause this time because I don’t expect anything now. “If you hear me now, if you understand, Claire, I'm praying for you, so please don't let me down because I don’t want to put you in the ground.”
I look straight into her face. Nothing has changed. The beeping continues. Her chest still moves up and down. However long it takes. I’ll wait. I’ll hope. And I’ll pray.