While I Wasn't There [BoyxBoy]

Chapter Four

“Mmhmm…” I hummed not really voicing an actual answer. I was still worried about Kip. My Grandfather must have picked up on my anxiety because he ruffled my hair, then turned me to face him.

“Don’t worry, Kip will be fine and after he is better both of you will come live with Grandma and I. Alright?”

I nodded, setting my eyes on the ground. “As long as Kip can come too.”

My grandfather chuckled softly, but when I looked up his eyes were sad.  “Of course, now I’ll go get grandma while you get into the car.”

I turned to the car and my grandfather shut the front door behind me. I unlocked the car and stuck the keys into the ignition turning the key so I could get the heat going. By the time I had settled myself in the back seat my grandparents were locking up the house and climbing into the car.

My grandmother surprised me by climbing into the back seat. She patted the middle spot and I switched seats to be closer. I guess she needed someone to cuddle with as much as I did. Once the car started down the road I snuggled into the coat and started to cry. Grandma rocked me softly and stroked my head but I couldn’t stop, everything I knew was gone, my parents, Kip’s parents, my whole life turned upside-down in a matter of hours, and I couldn’t hold it in anymore.

It was really late by the time we reached the hospital, the doors were closed and we had to enter through the emergency wing. I never thought of it before but I really hated hospitals, the smell of cleaning supplies and sick people, long empty white halls, white lab coats everywhere, and the ominous feeling of death or the dying. Not to mention that hospitals where huge! It was a maze when trying to find places, I remember from when Kip had to get his appendix removed.

Now it was worse, my skin crawled with the eerie silence. Nobody spoke except in muffled whispers and even though the clock was hanging on the other side of the room I could clearly hear the ticking of the second hand.

I jumped when my grandma touched my shoulder. “We are going to have to wait here for a bit sweetheart. Kip is, well they are still running tests to make sure he is okay and Grandpa and I have to go through some paperwork.”  I could tell she was holding something back but I was too afraid to ask what it was so I just nodded.

We sat in a small waiting room; there were two couches, one love seat and six arm chairs they were all facing the middle where two coffee tables were set. There were a couple other people already seated when we sat on one of the couches together. A family was seated nearby all with solemn looks plastered on their faces. I didn’t have to look to know that we harbored the same grave look.

I could still hear the unnerving tick of the wall clock, why did they have those? It just made everyone nervous and sad, a digital clock would be much better in this type of setting; another reason I hate hospitals. I shifted uncomfortably many times, staring at the blank walls and watching as people came and went.

Once, a doctor came in to talk to the family seated near us, my heart dropped when the woman started sobbing loudly. The mood in the room went sour and chills etched in my spine. Something bad happened to whoever they were waiting for, the person probably had died. I gulped suddenly wishing each doctor that came into the waiting room wasn’t coming to talk to us, mostly because every doctor that entered had a scary calm look on their face.

Minutes passed into hours, I couldn’t be sure exactly because I was trying to ignore the clock by listening to music. Then I felt a hand on my shoulder again and I looked up to see my grandfather, grandmother and a doctor. I swallowed harshly, taking the ear buds out of my ear. “Y-yes?” I murmured glancing between the three adults.