***
When Tierra stepped off the elevator, her mother and Shireece were standing in a room at the end of the hall reserved for visitors. Her Abuela was sitting in one of the cheaply padded chairs inside the room. Shireece turned towards her and stared blankly at her. When she approached Qu’s room she paused, and took a deep breath, before she turned the corner and walked in. Dr. Medcafe was standing at the bedside, and a few nurses were tending to Qu. Tubes, I.V.’s and cords that were once distant memories were reattached to him, emitting slow and unsteady beeps that made Tierra’s heart sink with every dull tone. His parents were standing by the window. Mr. Skeene wrapped his toned arms around his wife’s cushiony waist, as she laid her head against his toned chest. Together they gazed gravely out the tinted window at the highway below, seemingly detached from the uncertainty around them.
“I’m sorry. I should have never left,” she began, quietly. “I went to prayer. I thought…”
“It’s ok, Tierra. It’s out of our hands. It seems God has another plan for our baby. He’s not going to make it through the night they said,” Mrs. Skeene recited never turning to look at Tierra while she spoke. She rubbed her hand across her husband’s fingers and inhaled deeply.
“No, God wouldn’t take him from you. He can’t! We all prayed, we sang, we shouted, and we… Pastor asked God to show them that he is mightier than their medicine. He’ll come through. Don’t give up, Mrs. Skeene,” Tierra pleaded, walking over to her.
“Tierra!” Mr. Skeene scorned. “Don’t get her all riled up again, please. The doctors say he’ll be gone by morning. Give her some peace. She needs to face reality. You need to face it too,” Mr. Skeene looked tenderly towards Tierra and reached out his hand to her as he spoke.
“NO, I believe my God will take care of him,” she insisted turning away from him. She walked over to the foot of Qu’s bed and looked lovingly at him. “My God can move mountains. It just takes faith. I won’t stop praying till Qu stops breathing. As long as he breathes God can still hear him, he can heal him. I won’t allow the devil to shake my faith!” she yelled as tears built up in her eyes.
“What are you all gawking at? Is he your latest science project, or what?” Chamani, Qu’s little sister, screamed, walking in the room holding a can of ginger ale in her hand. She forced her way through three medical students that were standing a few feet from Qu’s bed.
“Chamani? Hi. When did you get here?” Tierra asked, surprised to see her.
“I guess when you were at church,” she replied, cutting her eyes coldly at the staff.
“I’m so sorry.”
“He can’t leave us Ti,” she mumbled, embracing Tierra.
“Don’t worry he isn’t going anywhere.”
“How do you know?”
“He’s never broken a promise to me. He promised me years ago, he’d never scare me. Though this is more than a scare, I just have to believe he’s holding on for a reason.”
“What if it’s like when Beautiful passed?” she began, paused, then pulled herself out of Tierra’s embrace. “I’m sorry mom, I can’t do this…” she pushed her way through the group of students she passed on her way in, down the hall and into the visitor’s room.
Mrs. Skeene turned and wrapped her arms around her husband and broke down.
At the sound of the woman she considered her second mother’s hysterical wail, Tierra lost it, “If you’ve all given up on Qu recovering, then come back when he’s gone. Leave us alone,” she forced herself between the same medical students Chamani had only a few moments earlier, and grilled Dr. Medcafe. By now the medical students were beyond nervous and turned to make their escape. But the seasoned Dr. Medcafe understood. He’d seen, and experienced, his share of upset and sometimes even violent family members. He smiled at Tierra and excused himself from the room and went to tend to the green students.
Tierra sat in the lime green, badly padded chair between Qu’s bed and the blinding white walls. Mrs. Skeene, wiped her eyes and sat in a chair on the other side of Qu’s bed, both taking one of Qu’s hands into theirs.
“Don’t give up please! Come on, Butter Ball,” she coached him, squeezing his hand, lifting it to her lips, kissing gently. “Don’t you leave me, I need you,” she whispered.
About thirty minutes later, Shireece, Chamani, Mrs. Rodriquez and Tierra’s Abuela slid open the glass door and walked in the room. They observed Tierra and Mrs. Skeene holding Qu’s hand, with their heads bowed. They rallied around him and joined in with silent prayers of their own. After a while Mr. Skeene conceded, and proceeded to pray for a miracle, resulting in his son’s recovery.
“Please don’t give up on him,” Tierra pleaded. “He’s been fighting all this time, how can we give up on him?”
Mrs. Rodriquez asked for strength. She knew in the event that Aquarian did indeed pass in the night, not only would she have to be there for her best friends the Skeene’s, but her daughter would surely never recover. She was just beginning to heal from her past. Nicole was terrified that a loss like this might push her daughter over the edge.
Mrs. Skeene smiled as she looked up at her friends and her son’s friends. She was never so glad to be surrounded by people she knew loved her family. She took her daughters’ hand in her free one and pulled her close, smiling at her with her eyes. She tried to figure out how her family would deal with this loss.
She was overjoyed though that no matter what, Qu was able to re-connect with Tierra as he wanted to. Tierra indeed proved to be the strength she needed during this time. If it wasn’t for Tierra, she knew she would have lost hope and given up on her son ever making it through a long time ago. She thanked God for Tierra’s strength and prayed for a miracle, for everyone’s sake.
Ask and it Shall Be Given