Wake Up Dad, Please

"Wake up Dad."

It was all Cathy could say.

She had arrived at the hospital less than a minute ago.

Beep, Beep, Beep

The noise of the life support machine filled her with dread. She glared at the breathing mask over her dad's face.

She could hear him breathing.

Beep, beep, beep

Cathy felt reassured by his breathing. She knew she was only holding on to hope.

She could only stay for a minute because the suffering was unbearable. She knew she could leave any time, but didn't want to risk her dad waking up alone.

Her brother had died a week ago, followed by her sister, her mum, and her Dad in that dreaded bus accident.

It sent shivers down her spine as she remembered the steel shrieking of wheels as the bus fell over the edge of the cliff.

"Wake up, Dad. Please wake up!" she cried, tears streaming down her face.

Beep, beep, beep

She knew her minute was coming to an end as she had got there at 9.30 a.m., and the clock was getting closer to 9:31.

She remembered the screams of children and adults as the bus hung on by a thread on the edge of that cliff. She could hear herself calling

"Mum, Dad, Rosie!" several times as she desperately shook them, trying hard to wake them.

Her Mum and sister Rosie had died in the very hospital where she was stood.

Her Dad was the only family member she had left.

Rosie remembered the little song she and her Dad used to sing together. She decided to sing it,

anything was worth a try.

"As blue birds fly o'er the mountain,

And the water flows from the fountain,

I see my little girl,

Dressed like a princess,"

(Lyrics are Author's own)

Beep, beep, beep

It was no use.

Cathy burst into tears and ran into the hallway. She impulsively grabbed a nurse. Her breathing had quickened in panic,

"Please, wake my dad. Please, please, please. I beg you. I'm only thirteen years old. I need my dad," she pleaded in one go, in between fast breathing.

The nurse had tears in her eyes. She silently put her arm around Cathy, and walked back into her Dad's room. She tried explaining that her Dad was in a deep Coma, but she changed the subject mid-sentence.

She didn't have the heart to tell Cathy that her dad might not wake up.

"Why don't you take a break?" the nurse suggested.

"I've been here less than a minute, and your telling me to take a break? He could wake up without me," Cathy cried, horrified that the nurse had dared to suggest it.

Cathy looked at her dad nervously.

Something was wrong; she couldn't hear him breathing.

"What's going on?" she cried.

"Is my Dad alright? I can't hear him breathing. Is he going to die?"

The nurse wiped tears from her eyes. She couldn't answer these questions.

Cathy was just a teenager. What was she supposed to say?

"I'll find someone who can explain what is happening to you," the nurse said as she left the room.

Cathy was distraught.

She lay her head on her dad and said,

"Dad..., Dad..., Daddy, please WAKE UP,"

She sobbed while lying on him,

"Daddy, don't die. I need you, Daddy. Please wake up."

The tears were beyond controllable now.

Beep, beep, beeeeep,

The machine was beeping uncontrollably, and the lines on the monitor had turned flat.

"Daddy, Daddy, Dad. Don't give up. I need you, Daddy," Cathy cried. She was heartbroken.

She didn't know what a Coma was, but she was sure something wasn't right.

Cathy glanced at the clock. Her minute was now up.

The nurse came back with Consultant Harley.

They didn't say anything; they just switched off the machine.

Consultant Harley shook his head. Without saying anything, he put his hand on Cathy's back and ushered her out of the room.

Cathy didn't need words.

She threw her head on the consultant's chest and cried without stopping.

She realized that a minute ago, she had lost her dad.

She didn't know what to do. She had no family left.

She didn't care.

All she thought about was what might happen next and how she would live without her family.

She had no idea.

All she knew was that she had lost the one parent she had left a minute ago and that her life had been ruined within a space of a minute.