The Fault In Our Stars: Augustus Lives

Chapter One

Gus was asleep. I listened to the EKG (Heart monitor) beep slowly as Gus breathed silently his crooked smile where it always was, even when he slept. I smiled, wondering how he did it.
The nurse walked in, telling me it was time to go. My mom was waiting for me by the door.
Suddenly I heard a noise behind me. I turned around, Gus was having a seizure. I screamed as the nurses rushed in to help him. Mom held me back as I struggled to reach him. "Hazel!", she said. I ignored her, still trying to get to him. She turned me around and shook me. "Hazel wake up!", She screamed.
I woke up right away in my own bed with my mom and dad standing over me. I sat up with such a force that I started coughing. My dad patted me on the back while my mom went to turn my respirator up. "No." I said. "I'm fine. Just a bad dream I'm ok."
"You sure sweetie?" dad said.
"Yeah, I'm sure. What time is it?"
"Three in the morning. You can go back to sleep.", mom said.
"Okay."
They walked out of the room, turning off the light as they left.
"Goodnight honey."
"Goodnight mom."
I fell back onto my pillow, thinking about what I would have done if that had actually been real. I couldn't imagine life without Augustus Waters.
I tried to fall back asleep. I knew I had nothing to worry about, I was going to see Gus tomorrow at his house. I smiled at the thought of watching a movie with him tomorrow, leaning against him and laughing when he said that the main character had to lose some weight.
Augustus Waters was my life, and I was his.
***
I woke up at ten that morning realizing that Augustus was going to be here in less than thirty minutes.
I got up feeling slightly upset with mom that she didn't get me up a little bit ago.
I put on a pair of jeans and my favorite blue polo shirt and went downstairs.
"Hey honey how'd you sleep?" Mom was making pancakes. I saw a plate sitting on the table. The syrup on the pancakes spelled "Hazel" with a heart around it.
"I was kinda wondering why I was sleeping when I woke up." I said.
"Nothing? I figured you'd like the heart." said a voice from behind me.
I turned around to see the one and only Augustus Waters. He gave me that wonderful crooked smile that just made me melt. I smiled back at him. "You said ten-thirty." I remarked.
"Well I guess I just couldn't wait." he said. "Eat up, we'll be doing a lot today."
"Such as?" I said eagerly.
"You'll see."
***
I watched as the dart popped three balloons. I couldn't believe my eyes. I was still staring when Gus poked my shoulder.
"Okay, which one?" He was pointing at the row of giant teddy bears. There were pandas, monkeys, even cheetahs.
"I don't know, you pick." I said.
"I'm not so sure I'll pick a good one." he joked.
"I could care less if there was a pigeon and you picked that, just pick one!"
He laughed. "I'll take that one." he handed me an extremely adorable ocelot.
"I guess you're not as bad as you think. I can't wait to see my birthday present when it comes."
"I guess I should start thinking about that shouldn't I?" he said.
Because of my oxygen tank I couldn't go on many rides, but we both still went on a few of the lighter ones. We started off by going on the big ship that swings you over the water. After that we ate lunch in the park. Then, we went back to go down the really big slide with the potato sack you had to sit on.
While Gus tried to convince the guy at the slide to let us go down together, I began to think about the dream I'd had.
Augustus had told me about his tumors a few months ago while we were in Amsterdam seeing my favorite author (who turned out to be a drunk asshole who sits around doing nothing in his apartment all day) and said there was small chance he would live. However, a little time passed and the doctors had started to see some progress in one of his medications. They ran some tests and now Gus's tumors are slowly beginning to shrink. The doctors said his new meds are working pretty well, but there was a chance that his body would develop an immunity to the meds and stop working.
I don't want Augustus to die. If he ever does I won't be able to live with myself.
"He said we could go down on one slide if you sit on my lap." said Gus. I nodded. "You okay?" He asked.
"Yeah, I'm fine let's go." I said. He smiled and took my hand.
At the top of the slide the man gave us the little potato sack to sit on. his name tag said, "Hello, my name is Jordan." As Jordan helped me onto Gus's lap, I began to realize something. I shouldn't be all about the end, I should be all about what happens now, right now. If Gus dies, I know I'll be sad and unprepared, but I'll let it come if it comes and I'll think about it when it's here. Right now I need to think about what I have now. And right now I'm going to think about surviving on the way down the slide with Augustus.
"You ready Hazel Grace?" He said.
I leaned back against him."Yeah. I'm ready Gus."