Wheelchair Races

Chapter 10: Growing Tired

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Do you know that feeling you get when you wake up after a night of rest but you don't feel rested at all? That's how I felt when I woke up this morning. Right now I'm laying here in my uncomfortable little hospital bed staring up at the ceiling wishing things had been different. But we can't change what life throws at us and that was really getting to me. I was scared of dying, I was scared Be was dying. I was just plane scared about everything. But this tired feeling was starting to really get a hold on me and I knew it was getting to Gavin too. We had our fair share of experience of having to plaster a fake smile on our faces and be strong for the sake of others. There comes a time, like now, that I grow tired of having to be like this and I doubt if I can go on. 

"Manda?" I turned and saw Trevor standing in my doorway. Still in his pajamas and holding his red firetruck. 

"Hey buddy, come here." I picked his small frame up so that he was now sitting on my lap with his head in the crook of neck, just like he had when I woke up a few days back. "You wanna tell me what's up?"

"I don't like it here anymore. Everyone is sad and Be is still sleeping. My mommy said to me one time that too much sleep is bad." 

Again my heart broke for this poor kid. He was just a baby, even though he was already 8 years old. 

"Manda, are we going to be OK?" 

"Of course Trev, I promise."

 "That's why we're going to have a wheelchair race." 

"What's that?" I had no idea what a wheelchair race actually was but it sparked his interest and he pulled back to look me in the eye. "You'll just have to wait and see. Let's go get Gavin." The best answer you can give a little kid, you'll have to wait and see. I just hope Gavin can maybe help get out of this one.

After we got Gavin the three of us walked to the main reception area of the hospital. Gavin looked at me then Trevor and I knew that we were only doing this for him. "OK, do you see that little room over there? We need to be super quiet because we have to stea- borrow two wheelchairs from there." Trevor soaked up Gavin's words and just like that we were leopard crawling like spies to the storage room. Even though the reception area was relatively empty, the people sitting around in the waiting area were giving us strange looks but none the less, they didn't alert the nurse working with the receptionist. Gav stood up and wheeled a chair out to us and then got a chair for himself. Let me tell you dear reader, that trying to crawl, push a wheelchair and not get busted was the very definition of difficult. We arrived at the elevators and quickly climbed in.

"OK, Trev, you and I are a team, and we're going to beat Gavin." Trevor scrambled onto the chair as i got ready for the doors to open so I could start pushing.. By now Gavin was also in his chair ready to wheel himself past us. "Are you really that sure of yourself, Amanda." There's that smirk that I knew was in the somewhere. The fact that he used my full name didn't even bother me.

"Um, yeah, I'm confident that you'll be eat my dust." And just like that there was a ding and the doors slid open. We were off and surprisingly, Gavin was giving me a run for my money, or he was giving Trev and I a run for our money. "Faster Manda! We can't let Gavin get past us. Faster!" We had no idea where we were going but we were going to get there fast. Gavin let out a manic laugh as he surged past us. 

"Hey! You kids. Stop that! Those are not toys.!" Seems that by having a wheelchair race the nurses would get upset and start chasing us. 

"New plan," Gav was calling out instructions from up ahead,"lose the po-po!" 

We must have looked ridiculous. Weaving around hallways, in and out of elevators. Each floor held hospital staff waiting for us as well as some patients that were cheering us on. Eventually we made it to Gavin's room and stashed the wheelchairs in the empty room down the hall. "I think we lost them." I panted out. Trevor was the only one not out of breath but we were all smiling together. 

After spending time with Trev and Gavin I decided to go back to my room to see if I had any news from the girls. Turns out I had an email from Jen and from my mom. My moms was the usual, love you miss you, hope all is well. That type of parental thing. 

Jens email read; 

Bring out the dancing lobsters! Amanda Please!

Hey there boo. We all miss you so much. Sport season is over so now we're all lazing around getting fat and being depressed because our glue is missing. Don't worry, we haven't forgotten about you. Everyone is here and we're writing this together. We attached some pictures for you too so you can see what's been happening. We love you babe! We can't wait for you to come home and we can see you again! 

Love, Your sisters (Jen, Jamie, Jess, Rachel, Caitlyn and Aiysha)

xoxo

I quickly scrolled down to see the pictures they had attached. There was one of the team after winning a match, holding the trophy up high. There was one of Jen and the twins all dressed in ridiculously funny outfits in the mall. The caption read Who are we?! Wild Child was our favorite chick flick and it was a tradition to watch it at any sleep over. Finally there was a picture of all my friends sitting on my bed back home, all smiling and holding a banner saying; Our hero Mandy. 

It wasn't until that picture that I stated crying. I heard a knock on my door and sniffed;'' Come in."

In walked Doc Swan and he didn't seem his cheerful self. 

"Amanda, Belinda woke up. She wants you."

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