CHAPTER 5: FRAGILE LIFE
Everything was white. The bed, the walls, the sheets, even the doors but that wasn't what made Micheal realize that he was in a hospital. It was the beeping sound from the monitor close to his bed and the tear streaked face of Liz sleeping on the chair hair whipped back. He was still wondering how long he had been unconscious for her to look so haggard and why he was in the hospital in the first place. He tried to sit up but couldn't as his entire body felt devoid of energy. As he tried to move , the door opened and a nurse came in.
"Oh look who's finally awake" she said in a voice that sounded like silk.
"How long have I been out", Micheal asked noticing how raspy his voice sounded.
"Probably twelve hours or so, You were brought in early this morning looking pale, purple and shivering like someone stuck you in a freezer" she said in a tone that seemed to calm him down.
Micheal tried to recall what happened but the last thi g he remembered was reclining into the bathtub and thinking.
"Wait... The bathtub.... I must have come down with pneumonia" he thought to himself.
"So who brought me here", he asked the nurse.
" oh it was a matured Lady, she said she was your mom and she came later", she continued pointing at a now awake Liz.
"Alright that's enough, I've got to check your vitals and go attend to other patients" the nurse said softly.
"Oh I'm sorry for taking your time".
"Don't worry about it, it's part of the job", she muttered, her voice lower as she started to concentrate on his vitals.
" Hey Liz" , he said as he turned his head to face his sister.
"Oh, you're done talking with the beautiful nurse and now you remember me" Liz said with a pout as the nurse left.
Micheal and Liz had always been the closest amongst the siblings. She was older than him by about five or six years but they always looked like twins. She was the one person Micheal knew he could trust his back too even if the world went to s**t. Ever since she returned to School after Dad died and stopped coming home as usual, their relationship became a bit estranged but the fact that she drove over 800 kilometers without a plan just to see him showed that nothing had changed between them.
"You know it's not like that Liz", Micheal said with a wry smile.
"Yeah I know, it's just that you had to talk to her first before speaking to me", she replied with a chuckle.
"So what really happened, I was still asleep after a late night working on a class project when mom called that you were in the hospital".
" Nothing really, me and mom had a fight, then I stormed upstairs and I sat in the tub to cool and somehow I fell asleep", Micheal said with a smile.
" what were you guys fighting about, was it Ray? " Liz asked as she tidied her hair.
" kinda, I got into a fight at school and she found out, she asked me about it and when I told her, she called me stupid so in the heat of the moment I might have said somethings, like how she had no right to call me names considering the fact that she locked us out after Dad died and now she's all about Raymond of you know what I mean", Micheal said with a sad smile.
" hmm, it was because of Teema right.... the fight I mean? ", Liz asked with a look that said she already knew the answer.
" yeah", Micheal replied.
"I won't ask why and I won't say you were wrong or right but you know that mom loves you right",Liz asked.
"Maybe ", he said with a low voice.
"I know for a fact that she does and I'm sure you do too, you are just too proud to admit it",Liz countered sharply.
"So why don't you come home then?. You stay at school year in, year out even during holidays and now you are saying all this!". Micheal replied.
" I stay at school not because I don't understand but because understanding doesn't stop it from hurting. Mom is going through a lot and now that she has found love somewhere with somebody I'm happy for her but that doesn't take away from the pain that she moved on or the fact that she makes us feel like extras", Liz said calmly.
" I know you feel hurt and betrayed, after all you were always the closest to Dad, I get it but you should also try to understand her".
" it's hard Liz, every day looking at the empty seats at the dining table that used to be filled with all of you, it's hard to think what our family has become in the last two years", Micheal said with watery eyes.
"Look at you, all cold and calm on the outside but no one knows you cry like a baby in private",Liz taunted with a small smile.
"I can only do that in front of you Liz", Micheal replied.
"Well no matter what we've got each other and that's what matters", Liz said as she hugged him.
As they separated, the door opened silently and his mom, Amanda, walked in.
"Hey Mich, how are you feeling", she asked calmly as she walked to the side of his bed.
"Much better mom", Micheal replied with a smile that seemed to hide the fact that their argument had a hand in his hospitalization.
"You know, you are lucky to be alive. How could you be so stupid, what kind of stunt were you trying to pull huh, sleeping in freezing water for hours, what's your deal huh Micheal, or is this your way of getting back at me about issues with Ray. I'm trying to keep the family together and stable so all this your stunts are getting on my nerves", she said angrily.
"Here we go again", Micheal muttered in a voice only he could hear as Liz was already standing up with and angry look.
"And what do you mean Mom, Mich just woke up after battling for his life all day and the first thing you can say after seeing him is that. How selfish can you be, huh. You talk about together and stable huh, stable is just a word you use as an excuse for your absence. You left us when Dad died and as if that wasn't enough, you came back with Raymond like nothing ever happened. We can't even speak to you about Dad anymore and you say stable? You think a badge can fill the empty spaces at the dining table where they eat every night or the void in our hearts? Do you even think why I don't come home anymore?",Liz asked as she stood up.
" Fighting for his life? All he had was pneumonia and that was as a result of his immaturity. Your brother fought at school yesterday for a girl no less, when I reprimanded him, you needed to have seen the disrespectful manner in which he replied me", Amanda said angrily.
" You caused it Mom, like it or not , it's your fault. You pushed us away, think about it, when was the last time gift spoke to you about anything, huh. We love you and want you to be happy but not like this mom. It's all about Raymond for you now, apart from Raymond all you care about is your job, how long are we going to continue like this",Liz asked with a sigh.
" I can't do this. If the both of you don't want me here I'll leave, I e settled the bill, I'll probably drop by when I'm done with work", Amanda said and turned to leave.
" There she goes as usual. Once it gets to this point, she'd just disappear. It's like she's okay with the way things are".Micheal said with a frown.
" You know what don't worry about her and just focus on recovery. I'll have to return to school later in the evening because of my project alright", Liz said.
"That's okay, it's nice that you even took out time to see me",Micheal said with a smile.
"Anything for my lil bro",Liz replied as she sank back into her chair, the argument of a few minutes ago replaying in her head.
Michael's eyes fluttered close again as the heaviness of the argument mixed with the lingering fog of the cold bath. The room felt colder and the emptiness was felt not just in the room but some how deeper in his mind.
He didn't know how long he'd stay here or what he'd have to face when he got home but he pushed them all to another part of his mind as he slowly dozed off.
The beeping of the monitor continued , a remainder that life no matter how fragile , kept moving forward.