The Gift

Uh-oh. In the bed was a small form, but I could also make out a larger form on the far side of the bed in a chair, covered by a blanket. I knew I couldn’t turn on the lights without waking everyone and it was too dark in the room to see much, so I decide to do the next best thing.

Quietly walking to the bathroom, I open the door just enough to reach in and I turn on the light. This casts a wedge of light on the near side of the bed, which was enough to see by.

My heart fell when I looked into the bed. In it was a small boy of maybe five or six. I wasn’t sure what was wrong with him, but he didn’t look too bad. Maybe whatever he had was a quickie so he wasn’t going to suffer much. Maybe that was for the best.

Pulling my beanie off, I walk to the bed next to the boy. I take his hand gently so as not to wake him. I concentrate on giving him time but nothing happens. The tingle never comes to my hand.

I stand there holding his little warm hand and finally notice that my pull is still causing the cramp-y feeling. The little boy isn’t who I came for I realize.

Laying the boy’s hand down, I walk around the bed, careful not to cause any noise. As I approach the chair, I see a woman sleeping under the blanket. I instinctively know this is who I’m here for.

My cramp-y feeling subsides as I stand there confused. This didn’t seem right. One way to find out I guess.

I touch the woman on the shoulder and right away feel the tingle I was expecting from the boy. The tingle trickles away and I turn around to leave and I see the boy sitting up, rubbing his eyes.

“Are you an Angel?” he asks.

What?!

“Why do you say that?” I ask in return.

He points at my head. “You’ve got glowing blue hair.”

So much for keeping a low profile. “Maybe,” I tell him. I don’t want to lie, but what else could I do?

“They thought I might have a tumor,” he tells me, “but it wasn’t cancer. So I guess you were looking out for me, weren’t you?”

I want to groan. “Yes,” I lie. “The problem is…” I start. “Your mom?” I ask pointing at the woman in the chair and he nods. “Your mommy is sick and I can’t fix it. I’m going to push your call button, but you can’t tell anyone you saw me. Just keep telling them it’s your mommy and keep them here as long as you have to until they listen to you. Can you do that?”

He nods again

“Good boy. Is your dad at home?” Another nod. “Okay, tell the people to call your daddy right away.”

I move to his bedside to get his call button and stop. “And remember one very important thing. The most important thing. You need to remember to tell your mommy you love her… very much. You want her to know that, even if you think she does. Do that, okay?” My eyes blur in that moment.

“Okay,” he promises.

I push the call button and hustle to the door. Slipping my beanie back on, I start walking back towards the elevators. As I approach the nurses’ station all the noise and talking abruptly stops. Throwing caution to the wind I keep walking only to see the nurse statues again.

Not wanting to delay things, I don’t stop until I press the down button at the elevators. I begin to hear the buzz of the call button and the talking again as I wait.

The noise covers the ding of the elevator and I hop on and jab three, then the close door button. As the doors close, I slump against the far wall to wait out the ride.

My Disney ride announces the ride has come to an end and the doors open, I scoot out walking normally now.

I get to my nurses’ station to find the clerk looking at me. I smile like an idiot.

“You’re up late, hon,” she says to me.

“Just trying to walk off some gas. Dinner was rough,” I reply sounding like the kid I am. “Time for bed,” I say continuing my walk to my room.

I hop into bed, kicking off my slippers and pulling off my beanie. Getting back under my covers, I find I’m tired but not exhausted like I normally am.

I turn the TV that’s still on, off, and close my eyes and drift off to sleep.