Falling for Him
Chapter Eight
The doctor's face is filled with sorrow when he enters the hospital room of Michael Rogers. The boy's breathing is shallow; his pale face filled with pain.
Michael is shaking, it's the middle of June and he's shaking which means he's in that terrible final stage of life Doctor Rhodes has seen way too often.
He's sleeping more than he usually does, he hasn't gone to the bathroom in over 72 hours.
Doctor Rhodes look to the side and find Camille sleeping, bundled up in a soft blanket.
He looks at the patient and smile sadly as the boy's brown eyes open. "Where am I?" Michael croaks out with excruciating pain.
"You're in the hospital Michael. In the Oncology wing" Doctor Rhodes says softly, he doesn't want Camille to hear this conversation. Confusion is one of the side effects of a cancer patient with a life span of 2 weeks or less.
All the symptoms Michael is experiencing now are signs that he's going to die very soon and although Camille has made peace with the fact that her brother is dying soon, he's not ready for her to see Michael this way.
"W-w-what am I doing here?" Michael whispers, he needs water but he's not thirsty. He's wide awake but he feels tired. He's hungry but he doesn't have an appetite. What the hell is wrong with him?
"You have cancer Michael. We have completed the Chemo now, we have done radiation but the cancer has officially won."
"Cancer?" he asks, "How?"
"It's genetic." Doctor Rhodes explains, "Your parents had it. They died of it."
"I-I don't remember." he whispers. "Do I have other family?"
Doctor Rhodes frowns, "Yes. Your sister, Camille." he points to the blonde sleeping, "That's your sister."
"My sister" he whispers. "Am I...dying?"
Doctor Rhodes nods, "Yes. Yes you are."
**
The warm water fell onto his body and Jonathan relaxed after an intense practice. Once the water turned cold he got out and dried himself off. He changed into a white shirt and knee-length shorts.
He exits the locker room and makes his way to the hospital. He needs to make up with Camille otherwise he will lose his mind.
**
Camille wakes up a few minutes later and sees Doctor Rhodes sitting on Michael's bed. Her brother's eyes are open and she frowns at the pale, sickening, color of his once tanned and healthy face. His once muscular body is now frail and anorexic.
"Mike" she stands up from the chair she was sleeping on and walks over to her brother's bed. She takes his icy cold hand in her own. "How are you feeling?"
"Camille-" Doctor Rhodes begins but she ignores him. "Are you okay?"
"Camille" Doctor Rhodes says again and Camille finally listens to his voice. His eyes give it away. He warned her of this. She remembers it from her parents.
Michael has no idea who she is.
"Are... you.... my... sister?" Michael whispers and Camille gulps. She nods her head timidly.
"I am. I'm Camille... Camille Rogers"
"I....I'm...s-s-sure....y-you....w-w-were....a...good....s-s-sister" he whispers.
Camille's eyes fill with tears, "You were an excellent brother" she whispers, rubbing her thumb over his face. His face relaxed a bit with her touch but it doesn't last long as a cough brings back the agonizing pain.
Camille flinches at the sickening dry cough.
**
Jonathan meets up with Patrick in the lobby of the hospital and the two make their way to the Oncology wing.
**
Camille cries silently as she hugs her brother's lifeless body. Doctor Rhodes excused himself, giving the girl time to grief and say goodbye.
"I love you. I love you so much" she whispers and Michael gives her a small, barely noticeable smile, he nods timidly. "I....I...l-l-l...love....y-you...t-too." he whispers and with all the power he has left in his body squeezes her hand.
"Goodbye Mikey" she whispers and kisses his forehead. "Say hi to Mom and Dad for me."
Michael lets out a noise, she's not sure if he's trying to say goodbye or agreeing to say hi to their parents, and he closes his eyes. "I'm....s-so...t-tired" he whispers
"Go to sleep. Go to sleep" she whispers and lies her head down on his chest. His breathing is peaceful; soft and then finally there was only one last breath and then there was nothing.
She looks up and cries out loudly. Her brother is dead.
He's finally at peace.
He's dead.
**
"Jonathan, Patrick" Doctor Rhodes walks over to the two hockey players.
"Doc, how's Michael?" Jonathan asks
Doctor Rhode's face was filled with despair and somber. "He's dead. He died ten minutes ago."
"Oh my God" Patrick whispers, his own blue eyes filling up with tears and Jonathan frowns deeply.
"Where's Camille?"
"In the room with him"
Jonathan looks at Patrick and the blonde nods, "Go. Go be with her. I'll wait here"
The Captain nods and walks into the hospital room. The scene makes tears spring to his eyes. Camille was hugging Michael's lifeless body with soft sobs coming from her body. Her hand was clasped tightly into his hand.
Jon walks up to her and pulls her gently from her brother. The minute she saw Jonathan she cried louder. "He's dead"
"I know" Jon whispers
"He's gone" she wails and Jonathan hugs her tightly, he doesn't care that her mascara has stained his white shirt. He doesn't care that his shirt is soaking wet from her tears. All he cares about is the girl he's in love with.
"I'm so sorry" he whispers. The two stay huddled up together for a long time. Camille's tears have dried up and she pulls away slightly.
"Thanks for being here"
Jonathan smiles, "There's no where else I want to be."
Michael is shaking, it's the middle of June and he's shaking which means he's in that terrible final stage of life Doctor Rhodes has seen way too often.
He's sleeping more than he usually does, he hasn't gone to the bathroom in over 72 hours.
Doctor Rhodes look to the side and find Camille sleeping, bundled up in a soft blanket.
He looks at the patient and smile sadly as the boy's brown eyes open. "Where am I?" Michael croaks out with excruciating pain.
"You're in the hospital Michael. In the Oncology wing" Doctor Rhodes says softly, he doesn't want Camille to hear this conversation. Confusion is one of the side effects of a cancer patient with a life span of 2 weeks or less.
All the symptoms Michael is experiencing now are signs that he's going to die very soon and although Camille has made peace with the fact that her brother is dying soon, he's not ready for her to see Michael this way.
"W-w-what am I doing here?" Michael whispers, he needs water but he's not thirsty. He's wide awake but he feels tired. He's hungry but he doesn't have an appetite. What the hell is wrong with him?
"You have cancer Michael. We have completed the Chemo now, we have done radiation but the cancer has officially won."
"Cancer?" he asks, "How?"
"It's genetic." Doctor Rhodes explains, "Your parents had it. They died of it."
"I-I don't remember." he whispers. "Do I have other family?"
Doctor Rhodes frowns, "Yes. Your sister, Camille." he points to the blonde sleeping, "That's your sister."
"My sister" he whispers. "Am I...dying?"
Doctor Rhodes nods, "Yes. Yes you are."
**
The warm water fell onto his body and Jonathan relaxed after an intense practice. Once the water turned cold he got out and dried himself off. He changed into a white shirt and knee-length shorts.
He exits the locker room and makes his way to the hospital. He needs to make up with Camille otherwise he will lose his mind.
**
Camille wakes up a few minutes later and sees Doctor Rhodes sitting on Michael's bed. Her brother's eyes are open and she frowns at the pale, sickening, color of his once tanned and healthy face. His once muscular body is now frail and anorexic.
"Mike" she stands up from the chair she was sleeping on and walks over to her brother's bed. She takes his icy cold hand in her own. "How are you feeling?"
"Camille-" Doctor Rhodes begins but she ignores him. "Are you okay?"
"Camille" Doctor Rhodes says again and Camille finally listens to his voice. His eyes give it away. He warned her of this. She remembers it from her parents.
Michael has no idea who she is.
"Are... you.... my... sister?" Michael whispers and Camille gulps. She nods her head timidly.
"I am. I'm Camille... Camille Rogers"
"I....I'm...s-s-sure....y-you....w-w-were....a...good....s-s-sister" he whispers.
Camille's eyes fill with tears, "You were an excellent brother" she whispers, rubbing her thumb over his face. His face relaxed a bit with her touch but it doesn't last long as a cough brings back the agonizing pain.
Camille flinches at the sickening dry cough.
**
Jonathan meets up with Patrick in the lobby of the hospital and the two make their way to the Oncology wing.
**
Camille cries silently as she hugs her brother's lifeless body. Doctor Rhodes excused himself, giving the girl time to grief and say goodbye.
"I love you. I love you so much" she whispers and Michael gives her a small, barely noticeable smile, he nods timidly. "I....I...l-l-l...love....y-you...t-too." he whispers and with all the power he has left in his body squeezes her hand.
"Goodbye Mikey" she whispers and kisses his forehead. "Say hi to Mom and Dad for me."
Michael lets out a noise, she's not sure if he's trying to say goodbye or agreeing to say hi to their parents, and he closes his eyes. "I'm....s-so...t-tired" he whispers
"Go to sleep. Go to sleep" she whispers and lies her head down on his chest. His breathing is peaceful; soft and then finally there was only one last breath and then there was nothing.
She looks up and cries out loudly. Her brother is dead.
He's finally at peace.
He's dead.
**
"Jonathan, Patrick" Doctor Rhodes walks over to the two hockey players.
"Doc, how's Michael?" Jonathan asks
Doctor Rhode's face was filled with despair and somber. "He's dead. He died ten minutes ago."
"Oh my God" Patrick whispers, his own blue eyes filling up with tears and Jonathan frowns deeply.
"Where's Camille?"
"In the room with him"
Jonathan looks at Patrick and the blonde nods, "Go. Go be with her. I'll wait here"
The Captain nods and walks into the hospital room. The scene makes tears spring to his eyes. Camille was hugging Michael's lifeless body with soft sobs coming from her body. Her hand was clasped tightly into his hand.
Jon walks up to her and pulls her gently from her brother. The minute she saw Jonathan she cried louder. "He's dead"
"I know" Jon whispers
"He's gone" she wails and Jonathan hugs her tightly, he doesn't care that her mascara has stained his white shirt. He doesn't care that his shirt is soaking wet from her tears. All he cares about is the girl he's in love with.
"I'm so sorry" he whispers. The two stay huddled up together for a long time. Camille's tears have dried up and she pulls away slightly.
"Thanks for being here"
Jonathan smiles, "There's no where else I want to be."