Countdown (completed)

1.

I wake up this morning with a pounding head that feels like it's full of lead. Every part of me aches. My leg is stiff in its cast, which now has a ton of doodles from when I got bored and stretched over and drew yesterday.

When the nurse comes through with breakfast, I start to feel better, and stretch my head to have a look around my ward. There are 4 girls my age, but the most are younger, probably about 8 or 9.  There are a few people in casts, but most are not, so I'm guessing it must be a children's ward.

I desperately want to see Ruby. I need to see her. This is her last day being alive. Last night I realised that she wouldn't get out of I.C.U. and die in there. I need to see her though, to talk to her one last time. The nurse, Sammy, comes round at about 10:00.

"Please can I see Ruby," I beg.

"Ruby is just out of I.C.U., I don't know if you will be allowed to see her."

"But can you ask?" I say.

"I'll try," say Sammy, then she hustles over to the other patients. I notice the files she is clutching. There is a little skull with 1 underneath.

Mum and Dad come to see me. I really appreciate their presence, but I can't het Ruby out my mind. Dad goes away to the toilet and it is just me and mum.

"When is Ruby going to.... y'know" stutters mum.

"Tomorrow, but she's gonna die I guess," I say. It's a fact now. I want to cry but... I know it's true. There is nothing I can do about it.

"Please mum, get the nurses to let me see her," I say. Mum and Dad take out black pens and sign my cast, day drawing his terrible stick men to make me feel better. Then they are off.

Just after I have finished my tasteless hospital lunch, Sammy tells me I can see Ruby. When I finally am in my wheelchair, I am pushed through to Ruby 's ward. She's out of the intensive care unit, but she's still smashed up.

"Hey," she croaks.

"Hey," I reply. She looks wierd. I guess it's just I never really see her without thick black eyeliner and dark eye shadow.

"I did tell you we shouldn't have gone down town," say Ruby, trying to laugh.

"Yeah," I say, forcing a smile on to my face. Ruby is so much worse than me. She got hurt so bad. But she has hope. But no amount of hope can stop her from dying.

"Any news on Maya?" Ruby asks.

"Not heard anything," I reply. But thinking of Maya just brings me back to the signs. About how she's going to die.

"Ruby just so you know, you are the best friend I have ever had," I choke, my voice faltering. I stretch over from my wheel chair, and she stretches from her bed, and we hug awkwardly. Probably the last hug we will have.

"It's ok, I'm out of I.C.U. now Saiko. I still feel like shit. But I'm not going to die," says Ruby.

If only she knew how wrong she was.