Make a Wish|| G. Gustin

1.

Seven years. Seven years getting poked and prodded in this bland and mundane building. Never once have I enjoyed my time here. Never once have I heard good news or felt joy while staying in this lonesome room. But I guess the saying is true- something good comes out of every bad situation.

Let me take a few steps backwards. When I was seventeen, my life was perfect. Well almost perfect anyways. I was a junior in high school and I had already won homecoming Queen twice. I had friends, I was popular, I had already been accepted into four different colleges on full ride academic scholarships. My entire future was laid out in front of me.

That was until I woke up one day with a massive headache and a nose bleed. Being the honors student that I was I powered through the pain and went to school anyways. There, I bled profusely from my nose and then passed out in front of my whole school. Waking up in the hospital wasn't even the worse part of my day either. No, the worse part of my day was when a doctor with a sorrowful look in his eyes entered the room and told me that I had a brain tumor.

An Astrocytoma.

A rapidly spreading tumor that invades my brain tissue. My entire body aches everyday.

That was seven years ago. Now I have little to no friends, I attended online college, and let's just say that I have no social life whatsoever. My days consist of eating the nasty food the hospital gives me and watching netflix.

Same routine everyday. Get up, medication, eat, medication, walk around the hospital, medication. Well today I was out on my walk around the hospital just like always. My gray sweat pants and black halter top would be cute on someone who wasn't deathly pale and had purple bags under their eyes. I put my thin, blonde, hair up in a messy bun an hobble out of my white walled hospital room with the help of my trusty rolling IV stand.

My feet are enveloped in a pair of red fluffy socks but not shoes because my feet hurt in effect of my brittle bones. I hear the soft tapping of my feet against the cold tile of Vancouver General Hospital as I walk down the halls. I walk through the large waiting room, seeing people jump with rejoice as they hear good news of their loved ones, and I can't help but feel a little envious. I have seen seven years worth of people come and go from this hospital. I have heard people cry and seen people die.

I get snapped out of my thoughts when I collide with an unknown mass. I get knocked down to the ground and slam my head against the cold tile. Ow.

Sitting up and rubbing my head I look around for the person who knocked me down. A tall guy around my age kneels down in front of me, worry in his eyes.

"Oh my God, I am so sorry," he says. "I didn't even see you. Are you okay? Do you want me to get a nurse?"

The man spills his apology out fast. I exhale in pain as I regain my stability. He reaches his hand out for me to take and he pulls me off the floor. The IV in my arm pinches my skin as I move it back in place.

"No no, I'm fine," I say with a chuckle. "It's not like a little clock on the head will make my brain tumor grow or anything."

His face turns shocked and he looks at his feet. I reach out and touch his arm in condolence. "I'm just joking," I say quickly. "I'm fine I swear."

"Are you sure? Can I get you anything?" The boy asks in a sweet tone. He looks sincere, but I deny his request anyways.

"No thanks. I'm gonna be okay," I say with a half smile. He breaths a sigh of relief.

"Okay good. Hey can you help me find the pediatric floor? I'm kind of lost."

My smile widens. I haven't done anything meaningful in seven years. The thought of helping someone, even just showing them to a new floor of the building, brings me a feeling that I have purpose.

"Of course," I tell him. "Follow me."

We walk a few steps towards the elevator. "My name is Marybeth by the way. You can call me Mare," I say as I press the elevator button.

The cute boy turns toward me and reaches his hand out. "Nice to meet you Mare, I'm Grant."

"Grant," I say looking into his sea green eyes. "You look very familiar."

"Yeah... I get that a lot."

-*_

The elevator ride is slow and lacks sound. I look out the glass wall of the elevator to see a snowy scape of high rise buildings and frigid ocean. I sigh wishing that I could go and touch the icy flakes of snow that fall from the white cotton sky.

"If you don't mind me asking," Grant starts. "But how long has it been since you have been outside?"

I give him a sad smile. "I go outside every once and awhile, when my family comes to visit. Which isn't very often actually. I think they gave up on seeing me a few years back. I don't blame them though; they have lives. You know your daughter is only dying, the least you could do is visit her once a week."

I see Grant look at his snow coated shoes. "Sorry," I say with a sigh. "It's been awhile since anyone has asked."

"I get it," he says with a smile.

"Now if you don't mind me asking," I chuckle mocking him. "Why do you need to go to the Pediatric floor?"

The elevator stops and opens to a floor of color. Women in animal scrubs walk around in a hurried manner and two little children race down the hall in wheelchairs. I smile remembering my year on the peds floor. Everyone was so optimistic here.

"I'm here to visit a few kids," he says. "I'm here for the Make a Wish Foundation."