UNEDITED
Not all storms come to disrupt your life, some come to clear your path.
Those are the words that Justin McCallister has been repeating in his mind since the day he was diagnosed with a non-cancerous brain tumour that's been causing partial...
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Adelaide
I don't know how they can handle it. Or maybe they're just doing a better job of hiding it from the world. Justin's been in there so long it's the afternoon already and we haven't heard a thing. I'm starting to panic. I should have asked Justin more questions about this surgery. Like how long it takes.
Mom, Helene, and Chris are sitting around the small table as we sip our coffees. Even though I disapproved, Helene said the best thing to do is walk around while waiting so the time doesn't feel like years instead of hours. Years is a freaking understatement. It feels like eons since the nurse walked me out after Justin fell asleep.
Part of me wishes they would sneak me some of whatever Justin breathed in so I could sleep instead of wait.
I begin to play with the lid of my coffee, glancing at the time on my phone.
Helene, clearly noticing how stressed I am, reaches out and squeezes my free hand. "The operation should be done by now. They normally wait for him to wake up in the ICU before letting us know. It's a precaution so they can make sure everything is okay."
I nod even though her words don't calm me very well. All I can see is the panic Justin was trying to hide from me before he slipped under. I can understand why he hates this so much. Knowing that anaesthetics basically freeze your body is scary enough. I can't imagine what it's like.
"I know," I reply, glancing at Chris. "It's scary."
Chris nods. He hasn't said much, but I can tell he's worried about his brother because he keeps looking over his shoulder at the hallway we used to find the Starbucks in the hospital.
"It is," Mom agrees, rubbing my back. "But Justin is in good hands, Addie. They may have made a mistake" – she glances at Helene – "but at least they still have the opportunity to fix it."
Now, I know my mom is forgiving, but when I told her what Justin told me about the team making a mistake, I could tell she was livid. In fact, I heard her rant to Dad later that evening about how unfair it is for Justin. So, clearly, Helene must have said something to her at some point.
"We should go back," Chris says out of the blue. "What if Justin wakes up and we're not there?"
Helene wraps an arm around her son's shoulders and pulls him close. His cheeks turn pink, but he doesn't try to escape the hug. "Chris," Helene says. "Your brother is barely going to know up from down when he wakes up, which is why the doctors take him to the ICU and let him adjust before calling us in. So, no matter what, he is going to wake up without any of us there. But don't worry about him, okay? He can do it."
Getting a little teary-eyed, Chris nods and goes back to his hot chocolate, but not before he looks at me. I give him a small nod. Justincan do this. He will make it. And the seizures will never come back.
I know I can't make the last promise, but I can hope and wish it will come true because Justin deserves a permanent break from all this medical drama. He deserves to know what it's like to drive a vehicle on the highway. What it's like to eat as much cake as you want on your birthday. He deserves everything a typical teenage boy is supposed to have.
