Come Away With Me
It had been over a week since Ethan had seen Michael and was beginning to wonder if they would ever talk again. He had thought that Michael would ring to apologize but nothing at all had happened and he himself had felt that as he was not in the wrong he was not going to be the first to phone.
He made his way home from school with Johnny at his side.
“You still seeing Bolton in the evenings Ethan?”
“No haven’t seen him for over a week.”
“Then why haven’t you been over to visit me in the evenings?”
“Didn’t really feel like it Johnny”
“What’s the reason you haven’t been to see him?”
“No reason just giving it a bit of a rest for the moment.”
“What’s he like to talk to?”
“He’s okay actually quite interesting.”
“Do you like him?
“Yeah he’s not bad, better than some of those stupid friends he used to have.”
“How come after he had that truce with you he became a bit of a loner?”
“Don’t know, anyway why are you so interested in him all of a sudden?”
“I’m not interested in him just never had a chance like you to talk to him.”
Well I’ve not spoken to him for over a week and I don’t think I will be speaking to him anytime soon.”
“Have you had an argument with him?
“No, why d’you ask.”
“Because of the way you’re talking and the way you’ve been acting at school for the last ten days.”
“You’re imagining things what’s with you all of a sudden.”
“Okay no need to get your knickers in a twist only asked a simple question.”
“I’m sorry Johnny, see you in school tomorrow.” he turned with Johnny’s goodbyes echoing in his ears into the street that he lived on.
Michael was miserable; he couldn’t understand why he’d driven Ethan away like that and now he had no one that visited him. He’d lost interest in trying to get about on his crutches and constantly made excuses not to. His loss of appetite was soon made apparent in the thinness of his body. His parents noticing his change in character questioned him and were politely told to “Leave me alone.”
In the second week when the situation hadn’t improved they informed the doctor about his condition, the doctor told them he’d be around to see him after his surgery.
Later in the evening after the doctor had examined Michael he sat discussing Michael’s health with his parents.
“There is nothing medically wrong with Michael,” he said, “his fractures are mending well from what we can see from the last x-rays that were taken, so something must have happened at home to cause this downward trend in his physical well being.”
“That’s just it doctor we just don’t know what it can be.”
“Have you questioned him on the matter?”
“Yes and we can’t get a thing out of him.”
“What about his friends can’t they find out what the problem is?”
“Well he hasn’t had any visitors not for quite a time. Even before his accident he didn’t get many friends coming around not like he used to have. Then only Ethan Grant visited him while he was in hospital and only the once on the first day he came home since then no one has been to visit him.”
“That could well be the problem not having any friends visiting him. I’m not sure what we can do about that you can’t very well force children to visit only ask.”
“I’m not too sure that Michael would like us asking boys to visit him doctor he’s told us on a couple of occasions to leave him alone.”
“Well the only other way to get him to eat would be to threaten him with hospitalisation again and that’s what I’d better do right now, will you excuse me a minute while I go and speak to him again.”
The doctor knocked and entered Michael’s room again.
“I’ve been discussing you’re decline in weight with your parents Michael and it seems that you just don’t want to cooperate and eat what’s prepared for you. If you continue to eat such minuscule portions of food then the only solution is to enter you into hospital again and feed you intravenously until we feel that you can be trusted to eat properly again, do you understand?”
“Do what you want doctor I don’t really care what you do.”
The doctor left the room and confronted the parents again.
“That didn’t seem to have much effect on him if his appetite doesn’t improve in the next week then let me know and we’ll enter him into hospital again.”
“Alright doctor and thank you for coming.”
Precisely eight days later Michael was back in hospital and promptly put on an intravenous feed his weight was down to 95lbs. he’d lost nearly 55lbs in weight and the doctors were getting concerned about his condition. His parents and younger brother were absolutely distraught not knowing what could cause Michael’s health to deteriorate in this manner.
For the first two days Mrs Bolton stayed and slept in the hospital with Michael, on the third day she went home and Michael’s father took over. After attending to the younger son she drove down to the local supermarket to stock up the groceries for the next few days. Inside she bumped into Ethan’s mother who at once enquired about Michael and how he was doing.”
“He’s back in hospital again.” she replied.
“Oh my goodness whatever happened.”
“Well we don’t know, he just hasn’t been eating and seems to have lost interest in everything so the doctor re-admitted him to hospital so they could feed him intravenously and keep him under observation.”
“Oh dear I’m so sorry to hear that Mrs Bolton I do hope he recovers soon is there anything that I can do to help.”
“No not really we don’t even know what to do, please excuse me I have to get going and finish my shopping bye for now.”
Ethan’s mother finished her shopping and went home. Later that day when her son returned from school she questioned him.
“You didn’t tell me that Michael was back in Hospital.”
“What,” Ethan shouted absolutely astounded, “Michael in hospital since when?”
“I don’t know I met his mother in the supermarket and she told me. He seems to be quite bad they’ve got him on an intravenous feed at the moment.”
“Oh God, mum you’ve got to take me to the hospital right now.”
“Have your tea first then we can go.”
“No mum right now I just can’t think of eating after hearing about Michael.”
“Alright get whatever you have to and let’s go.”
“I don’t need anything mum the quicker we get there the better.”
They made there way to the car and within ten minutes were at the hospital and making their way to where Michael was hospitalised. At the entrance to the ward Ethan stopped and looked around he saw Mr Bolton seated at the side of Michael’s bed that was blocking his vision of Michael. He quietly walked over to stand behind Mr Bolton and looked over to see Michael sleeping. Sensing someone behind him Mr Bolton turned and smiled as he recognised Ethan.
“Come and sit down Ethan there’s a chair there,” he said indicating, “that you can use, draw it up beside me.”
Ethan did as was requested and sat down, “How is he Mr Bolton?”
“No different than when he entered hospital Ethan, we thought that he might decide to start eating properly when he was brought in but it doesn’t seem to have made any difference to him.”
Has he been sleeping long?”
“About a couple of hours or so. I’m just going to go and have something to drink do you want anything Ethan?”
“No thanks Mr Bolton.”
“Okay see you shortly.”
As soon as Mr Bolton left Ethan stretched his hand out and clasped Michael’s and started gently squeezing it. He felt like he wanted to burst into tears to see his friend looking so sick and weak he couldn’t believe this was the same Michael that terrorised him now just a shell of his former self. The hand that had hit him a couple of times was now as slim as his own, the thoughts brought the tears that he had managed to hold back earlier flow down his cheeks unchecked. He was so full of his sorrow that he didn’t hear Mr Bolton return till he heard him sit down next to him. Quickly he removed his hand from Michael’s but not before Mr Bolton had seen him clasping his son’s hand.
“Ethan you don’t have to take your hand away, if you feel comfortable holding Michael’s hand then do so. Here you’d better wipe your face,” he said handing him a tissue.
“Thanks Mr Bolton,” Ethan said through his sniffling, “I couldn’t help it when I saw how thin Michael is do you think he’s going to be alright?”
“Yes I think so the doctors here are very good so I think they’ll get him back on his feet and looking normal again. I saw your mother in the restaurant I asked her to come up as there was only the two of us here so she should soon join us.”
He had hardly finished speaking when Mrs Grant walked into the ward and sucked in her breath on seeing the condition of Michael.
“Whatever caused Michael to relapse to this condition? She enquired of Mr Bolton; “he was getting along fine the last time I saw him.”
“We just don’t know from the first day he got home he seemed to just go downhill.”
Hearing Mr Blake mention when Michael’s health started to deteriorate Ethan realised that it was the day of their argument, “But he couldn’t have taken it so bad his leaving that day,” he thought. “He couldn’t, Oh God, was he to blame for Michael getting so ill he hadn’t meant their argument to last as long as it did he’d felt miserable not being able to talk to him. Please God let him get better,” his mind raced and thoughts flew through mind, “I promise God I’ll do my best to behave and I won’t argue with him again just don’t let him die please God, please.”
His thoughts were interrupted as Michael’s eyes opened and focused on his face. Slowly a smile spread across his face, “Ethan,” he whispered.
“Michael, did you have a good sleep.”
“Yeah but if I’d known you were coming I’d have stayed awake.”
“Michael, I’m sorry for walking out on you the day you came home from hospital.”
“Bullshit it was my fault I made you leave, the only thing was I didn’t know how badly it would effect me.”
Turning to Mr Bolton and his mother Ethan asked if he could talk to Michael in private if they didn’t mind as they had to settle a misunderstanding that they’d had some time ago.”
Sure Ethan.” Mr Bolton said and escorted Mrs Grant out of the ward.
Ethan returned to holding Michaels’s hand then gently squeezing it he smiled and said, “Michael they’re my friends but your not, you’re different your more than a friend. I just don’t have words to explain how I feel when I stand beside you like now holding your hand. At this moment my chest is aching and I want to wrap my arms around you and just squeeze you, I don’t feel like this with my other friends just you Michael you’re something special.”
“I’m sorry for acting like a fool Ethan, and causing everyone so much worry, I really was jealous of Johnny and thought that he would make you forget me but now you’ve made me feel like I want to jump out of this bed. Can you come closer and put your arms around me like you said, I need you to hold me for a while.”
The small boy stood up and wrapped his arms around the patient he managed to get his small arms around Michael only because of his loss of weight.
As Ethan held him, on the spur of the moment Michael turned his head and placed a kiss on his cheek.
“Michael will you give over the other kids in the ward can see what you’re doing.”
“Not in the least bit worried about what they think anyway that was another way of saying thank you.”
“For what?”
“For everything, for telling me how you felt about me for making me feel hungry again and most of all for just being here with your arms around me.”
Ethan could no longer hold back his feelings after hearing what Michael said, he lowered his lips to Michael’s and pecked him on the lips.
“You boy’s seem to have finished talking I see.”
“Ethan let go of Michael and spun around to see Mr Bolton and his mother standing at the foot of the bed.
“Umm, yes Mr Bolton and Michael is feeling a lot better.”
“Is that’ because you were giving him mouth-to-mouth resuscitation,” he said smiling.
“Umm no I was just I was umm I.”
“Alright Ethan,” Mr Bolton interrupted his spluttering, “I was just joking I’m sure that Michael was enjoying your administrations to him as I don’t see any signs of disapproval on his face.”
Ethan hung his head and started to leave when Mr Bolton stopped him.
“Don’t leave Ethan, I’m sorry I shouldn’t have made fun of you, and Michael needs you so much, just the look in his eyes tells me he’s feeling better because of your presence here.”
“Your not mad at what you just saw Mr. Bolton.”
“No Ethan I’m not mad I’m happy to see my son with a sparkle in his eye again maybe your presence has done him more good than all the medicines.”
“I dunno about that Mr Bolton but he did say he was starving not long ago so he must be feeling better, don’t you think?”
Mr Bolton looked at the boy’s upturned enquiring face, “I reckon that’s the best news we’ve heard in quite a few days Ethan,” he said ruffling the boy’s hair, “Now all we have to do is find him some food instead of pumping all that grunge through his veins.”
