Pink Ribbons

Chapter 3

We quickly walked up the hallway, Daddy clenching my hand so tightly I thought he was going to pull it off. I wondered why we were going so fast...was Dad too excited to see Mum to walk normally, was he scared like he was being chased, or was he running away from something. His brown eyes running around his head like a dazed bunny hopping around. I looked up at him as I startede to lag behind his fast speed. He started to slow down then swept me up from behind him onto his back, he continued on with his fast speed - with me on his back.

He slowed down his pace and looked more casual as a nurse walked out. She had layered red hair with brown eyes that seemed to look the same colour as her hair when she walked past a window. Her light blue blouse was perfectly pressed like her teeth were perfectly inline.  

As she passed us Dad gave her a friendly smile to look less like a runaway vistor who broke the rules of visiting hours. I decided to follow his lead and smiled, but it must have turned out like a lemon face as I tried not to sneeze from the overwhelming smell of her lily perfume. She looked at us happily, but had a bit of suspicion in her brown-red eyes, probably wondering why we were the only non-staff people in the private part of the hospital. Finally the nurse passed us as I read her nametag - Mikki. That was a cool name, it sounded like a name for a mouse, but it was cool.

We picked up our pace again turning down another corridor named 'Spring', I didn't understand what it meant at first, but then realised that it meant something to do with new just like all the baby animals were born in Spring. Spring was my favourite season with the warm weather and baby animals.  

I remember finding a skinny kitten on the side of the road on the first dahy of Spring last year, we cared for it - Mum, Daddy and I, but the next week it was getting really weak so we took it to the vet and Mummy said they put it to sleep so he can wake up in a better place. I don't understand what she meant by that, I suppose when I grow up to bea big girl I will understand it. Everyone understands things when they are big people.

 I saw another desk and Dad let me off his back and placed my feet on the ground gently. He held my hand tightly and looked ahead. I followed his gaze and found myself looking at another desk. Only this one had nurses behind it looking at records.  

They all looked like Mikki, the uniform that was. The three nurses behind the desk looked concentrated. One had black hair and the other two looked exactly the same - like twins - with light blonde hair, almost white. They had the same blue eyes and were the same height. There were two boys like this in my year 1 class, they weren't very nice though, always chasing me and my best friend, Maria.

Dad started walking again past the desk, making sure that the nurses weren't looking. I felt like a robber, sneaking around the building.

We passed - without being seen. Dad took out a small piece of paper from his pocket and read out the numbers to me - S103.

"Cupcake, can you help me find that room? The numvbers are on the doors. Mum is in that room, waiting to see your smiling face."

That fuelled me to look hard, S23...31...49.....55...63.....87...99...101...103.

"Daddy, found it!!" I yelled at him from across the hall. He raced over and gently knocked at the door. I heard a groan then a cry from a baby, a following creak of the bed then heavy footsteps.

The door started opening and there stood my mother, all 69kg of her dressed in a funny light blue dressing gown with dark dots splatted here and there on the fabric. Her usual bright face was replaced with a tired face. She had dark circles shadowing her eyes and her eyes were red and puffy. She didn't look like my mum at all. I was scared, my mum had been replaced by...by a tired monster. Mum had gained a couple of kilo's as I scanned her up and down, she didn't have her usual Mumly toned muscles and strong legs. I just wanted my own mother back, letting the baby slip my mind. I slowly walked towards Mum as her face finally left some of the fatigue behind. She smiled and I raced into her faster than a cheetah, glad to see the faintest glimpse of my old mum. Her loose fat was unusual, but comforting.  She didn't smell like jasmine flowers like she used to. but instead she smelt of cotton, milk and soap - the usual smell of a hospital. Nontheless I hugged her tightly, just reaching above her hips. I savoured the moment as Daddy came in on the embrace. We held tight for a second then Dad let go, me following along with Mum.

A cry came from behind Mum and I immediately peeped around her, the sight filled my eyes with tears - poor little people all bald and curled up. I felt so sorry for it, trapped in a clear cot next to Mum's hospital bed. Dad started crying, I think he was also sorry for the small person all pink and wrinkly. Mum raced over to the little thing and sweeped it up in a sweeping motion and bobbed it up and down over her shoulder, settling it. The big green eyes placed on it's head looked around at the room and then the gaze settled on me. I shifted under the gaze, uncomfortable with the miniature thing looking at me. Mum gestured for me to come over to her near the white window across the grey tiles. I slowly walked over and she held the small thing out to me.