The city bus screeched to a stop at the bus stop in front of the UCH.
Jason rose to his feet and made a beeline for the exit. Luke, Jess, and I were right behind him, with Keisha trailing further behind. We thanked the bus driver as we hopped off the bus and watched it zoom down the street. I glanced at the grand hospital. I was here yesterday, under way better vibes. Today felt like a contrast in more ways than one. No sunshine to speak of. We don't even have a confirmed update on Stanlee at the current moment. Everything about today feels... unknown.
Jessica took my hand and squeezed it. I glanced at her, and she tilted her head towards Keisha. Keisha was still staring down the road, frozen. She was hugging herself as the chilly spring winds whipped around us. She and Jason had been quiet the entire ride on the bus. Jason sat in the front while we all sat in the back. Keisha was staring out a window the whole ride while Luke, Jess, and I were playing rock-paper-scissors to pass the time (also to ignore the crackheads and homeless people begging us for cash and asking us for lighters.) It didn't take a genius to know Keisha was prolly out of it. The bus was the last sense of safety. Now the burden of her childhood friend's fate awaits. Anybody would be frozen in fear.
I frowned as the images of last Friday played back in my mind like the horror show it was. That sense of powerlessness. Nothing I could do but pray for her health and hope it wasn't her time just yet.
I inhaled. "Yo, Keish—"
"Y'all hurry up! We have two hours before visiting hours are up! It's three right now!" Jason shouted.
We all turned to find Jason already by the entrance, tapping his foot impatiently, waiting for us.
Jessica squeezed my hand once more and whispered, "Don't worry, I'll be with her. Go be with J."
I hesitated; it wasn't that I didn't trust Jessica. It was more so the fact that Keisha had been there for me all day, by my side. I wanted to repay the favor. Deserting her now felt wrong.
Luke saluted Jessica. "Aye aye, ma'am. C'mon, Kevin, let's go."
He took my hand and basically forced me along the Jason train and left Jessica and Keisha on their own. Jason saw us making our way to him and made his way through the sliding automatic doors.
I glanced back at Jessica and Keisha. Jessica was standing beside her, leaning her head on Keisha's shoulder. Keisha looked like she was smirking.
"They'll be fine," Luke said as we walked through the double doors and he released my hand. "If anyone can snap her out of that trance, it's Jess. Right now, Jason needs us."
"This is ridiculous!" Jason roared.
Luke and I rushed to Jason's side near the counter.
I exhaled, "Yo, bro, what's up?"
Jason's eyes were small slits focused on the woman behind the desk. "She's saying she won't give us tickets because we aren't adults."
The lady in the white blouse nodded, "It's as he says, you guys may be teens, but you are not eighteen."
My eyebrow furrowed, "But, ma'am, I'm fourteen and I visited my mother Friday through Monday, and I wasn't an adult."
The lady shrugged, "Must've been a day I wasn't working 'cause I don't remember you, kid."
Luke crossed his arms, "Age shouldn't matter if the patient we're visiting is of our age and our bond with this patient is that we're friends of his. One of us is his childhood friend. Can't you have a little human decency?"
The lady's face now looked like a rhino preparing to charge. "Excuse me, I don't think I heard you right. Wanna repeat that?"
"Gladly," Jason and Luke said in unison.
"Hey, is that who I think it is?"
I recognized the voice immediately. I turned around to see Officer Tony, the same officer who was with me that terrifying night, and who I'd become well acquainted with since then, with all my visits. He was still wearing his black uniform and his badge in the top right chest area. His wavy brown pomadour shined in the lighting.
I smiled and extended my right arm, making my right hand into a fist. "Yo, big bro Tony."
He grinned and bumped it, "Hey little man. What's up with the bandages?"
I scratched my head, "I got a little hurt playing dodgeball. It's my warrior wounds."
Officer Tony nodded, "That's tough. Now, would you ,mind explaining what's happening here?"
I said to him, "We're here to visit a friend of ours who got admitted today. We're trying to visit him, but the nurses and lady here won't allow us to visit him because we're not adults."
Officer Tony glanced at the three of us before resting his gaze on the lady. "Jane, is this true?"
The lady Jane looked flustered all of a sudden. "Yes, I was just playing around with them, Tony. I was always going to let them slide on."
Officer Tony frowned, "That's very unprofessional of you, Jane. These kids have places to be. At least respect their time."
Jane looked defeated, "Yes, sir."
Tony glanced back at me, "Is this the visiting crew for the day?"
I shook my head, "Nope, we have two more people on the way."
Right on cue, Keisha and Jessica walked through the sliding doors and made their way to us. Keisha looked more like herself. That determined look was back on her face. Jessica shot me a thumbs-up.
I turned back to Tony, "They're with us as well."
Tony nodded, "Alrighty then, that's five tickets to see who?"
"Stanlee Yume." We all responded simultaneously.
Tony blinked and cringed and glanced at Jane, who held his gaze before grabbing five pink slips and typing on her PC. After what felt like an eternity, she handed us each a slip and a visitor nametag sticker with a name and date. Way different from when I came to visit my mom.
Jane slid us each a pen. We each signed the name tags.
Tony yawned, "Okay, before I take you guys to see your pal, say thanks to the nice lady."
"Thanks," Jessica, Keisha, and I said in unison.
Jane flicked her hand dismissively, focused on her phone playing Candy Crush.
Tony walked us down the hallway full of transporters, nurses, patient care techs (PCTs), patient safety sitters, and doctors. We finally made it to the south side elevators.
Tony pressed the up button, and almost instantaneously the elevator door opened.
Tony held it open and beckoned for us to hop on. "Up we go."
We all filed into the vast, silver-plated elevator. Tony hit the seventh-floor button, and the elevator lurched upward slowly.
Tony elbowed my arm. "Say, son, are your pals good? Especially Jason?"
I scanned the elevator. Keisha stood in the back, fidgeting with her name tag. Jessica stood beside her, reading the posters plastered on the walls. Luke stood beside me next to Tony. Everybody was normal except Jason, who sat in the middle of the elevator, legs criss-cross applesauce, with his eyes closed.
There was no doubt in my mind that he was meditating. My mom would use meditation to calm her mind, especially when she was emotional.
I turned back to Tony, whispering, "He's fine, he's just meditating."
"Does that junk really work?" Tony whispered back.
For some reason, I felt irked by his question even though I knew I had never once meditated. Maybe it was because my mom holds meditation so highly that it's rubbed off on me. But something within me was fuming.
I exhaled loudly, "If it's helping Jay blow off some steam, then sure."
Jason began clapping slowly. "Good explanation, Kevin, but meditation does a lot more than help me regulate my emotions."
I furrowed my eyebrow, "Huh, what do you mean?"
Jason cracked his knuckles. "Well, let's start with my form. What form am I in?"
I scratched my head. "You're in one of the most basic forms. It starts with the letter B."
"Isn't it a snake?" Luke chimed in.
Jason nodded.
"Then it's got to be Burmese," Keisha blurted out.
Jason snapped his fingers. "Bingo! The Burmese form is the most basic. Unlike the lotus form, where you feel a little uncomfortable because of all the pressure on your legs, Burmese is for those who are trying to clear their heads of all the noise."
Jessica started pacing around Jason, "Is that why there is no pressure, so you can focus on emptying the noise in your head?"
"Exactly," Jason said.
Tony facepalmed, "I'm sorry you keep referring to 'noise'. What noise are you referring to?"
Jason picked himself up from the floor, dusting himself off before raising his gaze towards Tony. "Our thoughts."
Tony, Luke, and even Jessica were dumbfounded. "What?"
DIING
Everybody turned their attention forward as the doors slid open.
"Seventh floor," said an automated voice.
We all shared glances, sharing a single thought that didn't need words. The conversation we were in the middle of would have to be put on hold. Stanlee was close.
Tony stepped out first, beckoning us to follow him. Keisha didn't hesitate; she was right behind Tony, followed by Jessica, me, Luke, and Jason. We passed the overhead Comatose Intensive Care Unit (CICU) banner. We stopped by the nurses' counter, and Tony rang a call bell as there were no nurses behind the counter.
DONGGGGG
A lady in green scrubs, followed by a man in black scrubs with a stethoscope around his neck, marched up to the counter.
The lady smiled. "How may I be of service to you all?"
Tony waved at them, "Good afternoon, y'all. I was just following protocol, escorting them up to this floor since they're all just teenagers."
She nodded, "Thank you, officer, we can take it from here."
Tony turned and waved at us before making his way back to the elevator.
The nurse clapped her hands, "Alrighty, who is here to visit?"
Keisha was fiddling with her curly hair, "We're here to visit Stanlee Yume."
The doctor stepped up, "I can take it from here, Monica. He's actually my patient."
He walked back into the back and exited through the side door. He turned to us.
"Follow me!"
Monica giggled, "Aren't you gonna give them your name, doctor?"
The doc scratched his head in embarrassment. "I apologize for my impudence. You may refer to me as Doctor Heartland. Follow me."
As we followed him down the hallway, everything seemed to slow down. Each step felt heavier than the last as we went down the hallway. The five of us were all walking in sync, side by side.
Doctor Heartland finally stopped at room 713. "Here we are."
Luke's nose scrunched up. "Isn't thirteen a really bad number to have in a hospital?"
The doctor shrugged. "I just work here, man. You'd have to take that up with the engineers and the hospital president."
Luke scoffed. "That's crazy."
Jessica's eyebrow raised. "What's wrong with the number 13?"
Luke shook his head. "I'll tell you later."
"Before I open this door," Doctor Heartland said, "I always inform my visitors of everything that's happened since the patient arrived here."
Keisha, who was standing between me and Jessica, took her hand and my hand. "Well, spill it."
Doctor Heartland nodded, "When he was brought in, it was very clear that he didn't just fall down some steps. Bruises like those simply do not appear in the places we found them. Not to mention the footprint mark he has on his forehead and his black sweater, which has prints all over it."
The five of us all shared a glance. It felt good to know we weren't going crazy.
Doctor Heartland continued, "He had already lost consciousness on his way here. He was in a seizure, clearly from the brain trauma from 'falling down the stairs.' Fortunately, we were able to stabilize him. He was struggling to breathe at one point, which is why we hooked him up to an oxygen tank. Despite that, he has still not shown any signs of regaining consciousness."
I shuddered in fear. I knew exactly what the agony of suffocation looked like. Flashes of my mother clutching her chest and collapsing last Friday. Keisha bit her lip. Jessica gasped, covering her mouth with her right hand. Jason's eyebrows rose, and Luke hugged himself.
Jason closed his eyes, "Thank you for informing us and taking care of our friend."
The doc nodded, "Now I will say even though your friend isn't conscious, he can still hear the voices of his loved ones or any other significant other. We tried to call his parents but nobody picked up after our 5th call."
Keisha's hand was sweating profusely as we shared a knowing glance. Stanlee's parents were always working overseas. They always came and visited Stanlee during the holidays and took him with them in the summer. He lived with his grandmother and grandfather up until this summer. He now lives with Keisha and her folks since the start of our 8th-grade school year.
Doc Heartland shrugged, "Well, I'm going to assume that they'll call back like everybody else. Anyway, here's Stanlee."
He pushed the door open and the very first thing that hit us was that the lighting was nearly dim and the windows were cracked open. The drapes were rolled up so sunlight rays streamed into the room. In the middle of the room rested our friend Stanlee. He had multiple IVs in his right arm. He had a clear nasal cannula hooked up to an air tank.
I gasped in disbelief. Stanlee was awake and conversing with us just a few hours ago. He had that annoying chuckle and that mischievous smirk all over his face. Now his face looked pale, nearly gray. The Stanlee we knew was here but also not here. Monday was the last time Stanlee was at his peak. Though he wasn't completely himself for the few minutes we saw him today, he still had enough strength to encourage us to go to war.
Keisha fell to her knees. Her black shades slid off her ears and fell to the porcelain floor. She'd been holding on for so long, just to be met with a horrendous sight. She no longer had the strength to even stand at the moment.
I dropped down to a knee and put my hands on her shoulders, "Keisha, it's okay. He's still here with us!"
Keisha slowly raised her gaze from the floor to me. Her left eye was bloodshot. Her right eye was nearly swollen shut from the earlier hit in dodgeball.
Keisha stared at me blankly. Her voice barely a whisper, "How is he still with us?"
I fiddled my thumbs, "The Stanlee we know is still there deep inside. He's just, just, just..."
Keisha glared at me, "Just what, Kevin!"
Her yell boomed through the corridor, capturing the attention of some nurses and other techs within the area.
I returned my gaze to Keisha. "Slowly recovering right now. Comatose isn't permanent. Right, Doc H?"
Before the Doc could answer, Luke beat him to it. "I read somewhere that comas are a type of stasis. But the faster Stanlee regains consciousness, the better."
Doc H sighed, "That is only half true. It's true the faster he shows signs, the better his chances are. However, the same applies the longer he stays unconscious. Here at the hospital, we like to keep a positive outlook."
Everything was silent. All I could hear was the vitals monitor's constant beep. All I could feel was Keisha trembling under my hands.
SKREEE
We all turned to see Jason pull up a metal folding chair. He folded it open right beside Stanlee's bedside. Then he looked back at Doctor Heartland.
"Didn't you say that Stanlee can still hear us?"
Doctor Heartland nodded, "Yes, he can. Right now Stanlee is in a dreamlike state in his mind. It differs from person to person. Some are in continuous random dreams; others are just marching through the darkness. Memories are what bring us back and remind us who we are, especially when it's a loved one retelling a memory from their point of view."
He smiled at us. "Guys, get in. We gotta picture this for our guy Stan. It won't be easy without everybody's voice!"
Luke walked in and grabbed a wooden foldable chair and sat right next to Jason. They both glanced back at us.
Jessica takes Keisha's other hand, "Keisha I—"
Keisha slowly shook her head, "I'm n-not ready yet. I'll stay here. You guys can head up there. I'm straight."
I looked at Jason and shook my head. "B.S., you're far from straight, gang. Jason, we'll stay over here; we're good to start whenever you're ready."
Jason took a shaky exhale, "Alright. Hey homie, it's yo boy Jayce. I'm here with Luke, Jess, Keish, and the living legend himself, Kev."
The heart monitor rate increased a bit. The beeping was still steady, just slightly faster.
Jason stared at the heart monitor and then just broke out laughing.
"Stan, remember the first time we met? It was my first day at Lyons. I had no idea what I was in for..."