Royal Blue

Ten-year-old Isaiah walked down the long gray concrete sidewalk enjoying the change in the season. As summer ended, the leaves began to change and the air was no longer thick with the humid heat.

He passed by a chest-high wall of white bricks enclosed a lush green grass-covered yard; an ancient bur oak tree dominates the center, well-kept and well-maintained. He followed the sidewalk up to a matching large stone white building.

"Back again, just like clockwork," the robust balding doorman said as he waved his hand for the sliding glass doors to open. Isaiah returned the smile back nodding his head in agreement.

As Isaiah passed the man, he noticed a blonde-haired woman sat at the front desk in the same baby blue uniform, talking on her work phone. The uniforms had been adorned with an embroidered plus sign in darker blue that faded into a dark red over the left breast pocket.

The woman looked up at Isaiah and gave a big smile and quick wave before continuing her phone conversation. Isaiah did the same as he walked past the elevators behind her.

He stepped out onto the fourth floor and headed straight for room 408. The solid wood door unexpectedly opened, and two doctors absorbed in their conversation to notice the boy standing on the other side. They began to walk toward the nurses' station down the hallway stopping suddenly turning back to Isaiah. “Hello, son, it’s good to see you again,” the older gray-haired doctor said.

The other doctor, a younger man who brandished a thick brown mustache, stopped pulling his nose from the vanilla folder he was holding after noticing his comrade was no longer at his side and looked up to the boy. His stern face softened as a smile grew over it, “Hi, there.” He spoke softly. Isaiah returned the smile before quickly disappearing into the room.

Isaiah walked over to a frail older man that slept. His bed was slightly elevated, lifting his waist mid-air, tucked under him were large white pillows strategically placed for comfort. Isaiah stood over the man at his bedside. He watched as the frail man struggled to breathe at times. His lungs seemed to rattle like an empty aluminum can with a rock in it being shaken with every rise of his chest.

“Stop staring at me.” A strong raspy voice seemed to explode from the frail man’s thin, dry lips. “I'm not a carnival side attraction.”

As Isaiah watched the older man's eyes flutter open, he saw that they were now watching him.

“I knew you were here, I... I could feel you. I felt warm like I was getting a hug.” Before Isaiah could reply, there was a soft knock at the door. A nurse walked in looking down at her notes and then up at the pair. A smile grew across her face before she spoke, “Hello Joshua, I see your friend is back, just like clockwork, hu? It’s perfect to see you both. I’ve come to give you your pain medication. “She said as she walked over to Joshua’s bedside, he was attempting to set up on his own.

“He’s my little brother. He died when he was ten of the same damned things that are killing me now,” Joshua grunted.

“You’ve said that before, but he looks real enough to me. Use the bed button, Joshua.” The nurse spoke as she dropped her notes at the foot of the bed so she could free up her hands to assist Joshua.

He moaned out in pain before giving up and laying back down. “I don’t need it,” Joshua said, grabbing for the small gray plastic box that lay at his side. He pushed a bright red button summoning the nurses' station by accident. A female voice quickly responded from the speaker.

“Can I help you?”

“Doggone it!” Joshua bellowed out, slamming the box down on the bed. The nurse in the room quickly picked up the box pressing the same button. “I’ve got it, Noreen,”

“Okay, Jennifer,” the voice spoke back, followed by a click.

Isaiah placed his hand on Joshua's shoulder and tilted his head, looking into the man's soft gray eyes.

“Alright fine,” Joshua finally said poutingly. Jennifer pushed a gray button on the box, making the bed slowly incline higher until Joshua was completely upright. She then handed Joshua a small white paper cup with two small white tablets in it. He reached for the cup, throwing the pills into the back of his mouth, then crumpling the small container in his frail hand before she was able to get him any water.

“Would you like some water?” She finally said. Isaiah and Jennifer looked at Joshua waiting for a response. Joshua looked at both and grinned his biggest smile, “Nope,” he replied. Jennifer laughed, and Isaiah returned a toothy grin.

“So, what is on the agenda today boys,” Jennifer spoke as she assisted Joshua up. She held his back as he swung one thin leg off the side of the bed, then the other facing Isaiah, who had rolled Joshua’s wheelchair closer to him.

Jennifer walked around the bed and stood in front of Joshua, “Are you ready,” she said. Jennifer waited for his response, which came as a head nod before sliding her arms under his and locking her hands behind his back in a hug. Jennifer looked straight ahead as Joshua rested his neck against hers, “This is nice,” he whispered. Jennifer laughed as she stood Joshua up and gently put him into his chair. Isaiah giggled, standing behind the two.

Jennifer stood up, “Comfortable?” She asked as she leaned back over the bed, picking up the notes she had left.

“Yes, and as for today, I think we should eat some chili cheese dogs and go ride the roller coaster until we puke,” Joshua said, looking over his shoulder at Isaiah.

“Uh, hu...well bring me back a stuffed animal, oh and funnel cake. You two have fun.” Jennifer spoke dismissively with a soft giggle before walking out of the room.

“I’m going to marry that woman,” Joshua spoke after watching Jennifer leave. Isaiah tussled Joshua’s hair with his hand before he began to push on the wheelchair leading them out of the room.

“I think we should have doves at our wedding, what do you think? What kind of flowers do you think she would like? I am thinking of royal blue Calla lilies. Those were mom's favorites.” Joshua continued as they made their way to the elevator and began to ride it down.

The elevator bell dinged, signaling they had made it to the bottom. Isaiah listened intently as Joshua continued with his imaginary wedding to nurse Jennifer. He pushed Joshua past the front desk woman who was still talking on the phone and then past the doorway.

The Doorman was not there; he had left his post and was now down by the circle drive, opening a car door and assisting a young thin frail woman out of her car into her wheelchair. An overbearing plump woman dressed in a red dress jumped from the driver's side of the little silver Nissan rushing over, leaving her door ajar. She began telling the doorman everything he was doing wrong and how he needed to be more careful with her daughter.

“She’s a piece of work, isn’t she?” Joshua said rather loud, making sure the woman heard him. She looked up to see Isaiah and Joshua. Her eyes were swollen, lined with black sleep-deprived bags. She was exhausted both emotionally and physically.

“Are you done, Mom?” The young woman in the wheelchair snapped. Her tiny frame was abnormally thin, and her cheeks were sunken in. Her head was free of any hair, most likely from the poisoning medication given for certain cancers. “Jim has done this for me so many times already. Leave him alone, and he knows what he is doing. I’m sorry, Jim.” The little sick woman continued.

“It’s okay,” The round man smiled, “She is just looking out for you. I get that.” He spoke in a soft voice. The overbearing woman did not say a word. She did not have to; she was a human damn holding back emotions no mother should ever have to carry. Jim and everyone that stood there understood this. You did not come to this place for a vacation. She hung her head down, quickly walking back over to the driver's side of the car.

“I’m going to park the car, Jim...I am sorry. Madeline...I love you,” she said before disappearing into the driver's seat.

Jim gave a wave to Isaiah and Joshua before turning his attention back to Madeline, “Must have been a rough couple of nights, hu? ” Jim the doorman asked. He had noticed Madeline had the same matching black bags under her eyes that her mother carried. He began to push her wheelchair slowly up to the sliding glass doors.

“You have no idea,” Isaiah and Joshua heard Madeline say as she and Jim walked into the building.

The overbearing woman quickly parked the car at the first opening she could find closest to the hospital and hurriedly rushed back to her daughter's side. Isaiah and Joshua watched through the large glass windows as the woman began to talk to the doorman and then gave him a large hug.

“Do you remember the massive roller coaster over at Pacific Ocean Park? What was that called? Big Boy? Sea Serpent... anyway all ways wanted to ride that thing never got a chance. Mom was too scared, and I was too short. Go figure when I have a growth spurt that is when they closed it down. You, you were already gone by then.” Joshua said as Isaiah began to push him down the sidewalk under the shade of the old thick bur oak tree.

“Do you remember if they had funnel cake?” Joshua continued while Isaiah sat down on the concrete bench beside his wheelchair, one of six that circled the tree. He listened to Joshua as he went on about his childhood. He watched him intently, reliving all his memories with him.

After a couple of hours, Joshua became quiet. “I am ready to go.” Joshua finally said. Isaiah stood up looking deeply into Joshua’s eyes. He placed his hand on Joshua's cheek. “Isaiah, I'm ready to go, please! Isaiah took in a deep breath his smile faded just a bit.

“Don’t do that! Don’t you dare pity me! I understand. I get it! It’s time when it’s time. This old bird is not quite done yet. Fine. You just, you don’t leave me again, okay? ” Isaiah smirked as he softly punch at Joshua. He put up his fist returning the small soft punches in the air. Isaiah let out another sign with a wide smile then walked behind the wheelchair tussling Joshuas hair again. “Cut it out you jerk!” Joshua said laughing before the two headed back into the building to his room.

Jennifer was already in the room when the two returned. “Are you ready for some Wheel of Fortune?” She said turning to greet the two.

She had been setting up Joshua's medication treatment, hanging the large clear plastic bag with a yellow sticker on it that read, “chemotherapy” on the IV stand that was connected to his bed.

“You know me so well,” Joshua said as she helped him from his chair back into his bed. Jennifer rubbed the bottom of Joshua's port that was connected to his right arm just in the crease with alcohol administering a shot of morphine before pulling the plastic off the needle that the bag was connected to. When he was connected to his IV, she fluffed the pillow around his head. Isaiah had already pushed the button on the gray box putting the medium-sized television on the right channel, then laid the box at Joshua's side. He would doze off before the first puzzle would be solved. It was a routine they two had fallen into for the past twelve months.

“How do you feel about Calla Lilies?” Joshua said to Jennifer, his eyes were heavy, and his words were beginning to slur. She could tell he was fighting sleep. “I love them,” She said back, looking down at him, “Royal blue is my favorite.” Joshua smiled before slipping off to sleep.

“He is something, isn’t he? Jennifer looked up for Isaiah, but the boy was gone. He never stuck around long after this point in the day. Jennifer smiled before picking up her notes and sat in the chair beside Joshua's bed. Being Joshua's hospice nurse meant she would spend the next couple of hours in the room watching for any signs of trouble.

Joshua opened his eyes; the room was dark, and he was alone. He assumed Jennifer had left after the treatment was completed.

“God, please help me,” Joshua whispered. Choking on the taste of vomit, he was fighting to hold back what was left in his stomach. His body ached, and his head throbbed. “This had been a bad one,” he thought to himself. He felt as if he had been run over by a big truck.

Joshua fumbled for the gray box pressing the gray button that lifted the upper half of his body in the upright position. A warm feeling suddenly washed over Joshua, that feeling of a loving embrace. His body's aches seemed to begin to fade, as did the foul taste in his mouth. The vomit flavor had turned into the taste of a fresh warm powdered sugar funnel cake. Joshua put down the small gray box and found he had the strength to set it up on his own. He threw his legs over the side of the bed. They were strong, and they were not the small thin twigs that could not hold his weight. He stood up from the bed in amazement. Joshua had not felt this good since before he had become sick with the brain tumor that was sucking the life out of him.

There came a soft knock at the door. It opened, showing the silhouette of a child. The hallway light seemed blindingly brighter behind him. “Hey Bubba, are you ready? Everyone is waiting.” Isaiah's voice chimed like beautiful music to Joshua's ears as he stepped into the room.

“You’re talking to me! I can hear your voice! Yes,” Joshua began to sob with happiness. He crumpled to the ground to his knees, holding his face in his hands. “I’ve been waiting to be with you. I have missed you so much.”

“Not as much as I’ve missed you. “Isaiah rushed over to Joshua, holding a bouquet of Royal blue Calla lilies. Here these are from mom for your friend.” Joshua took the bouquet and set them in the middle of his bed before turning and grabbing up his little brother into his arms. Joshua squeezed him back. The two released each other's grip on one another. Isaiah helped Joshua to his feet before taking his hand and leading him out of the room to the hallway.

Jennifer had not left for home after Joshua's treatment like she normally did after her shift. Something told her to stay for just a little bit longer. She had decided to take a quick bathroom break, getting sidetracked in conversation at the nurses' station. It was the warm feeling that flushed over her, and the sense of calm mixed with euphoria that made her look up. She looked down the hallway to see Joshua being led by his small friend to the elevator.

“It can’t be,” escape her lips. It was the fact that Joshua who had been wheelchair-ridden for the last two months and was now standing strong and tall, let alone walking across the hallway, seemed to throw her mind out of whack. The gray hews of his sickly skin had vanished; his skin was a wash of a warm color that now seemed to almost glow. The male nurse she had been talking to stood up, looking over the counter to see what Jennifer was looking at. Joshua paused as he looked over at her and gave a huge smile along with a small wave goodbye before stepping into the elevator.

Jennifer snapped out of her spell and began running down the hallway, the nurse she had been talking to behind her. She was able to make it to the elevator before the doors were completely closed. Without thinking she shot her hand inside, forcing the door to open once again. She stared with bewilderment as the over headlights flashed and then illuminated an empty silver box. Jennifer stepped inside, looking all around, even up to make sure the safety hatch was still secure. The male nurse held the door open, “What is it?” He asked. She did not say a word either from feeling crazy or just because she did not have the words to explain what she had just witnessed. She quickly walked past the nurse hurrying to Joshua's room. Two steps in, she again began to question her sanity. There, lying in bed was Joshua. His skin was cold and gray, his lungs did not rattle like a rock in a soda can anymore, his chest did not rise at all. The room was strangely still and calm. Jennifer walked over to his bedside, intending to check his pulse but instead was greeted with a bouquet of Royal Blue Calla lilies clutched in his hands.