? I don't even know why I even think of him so much, but I do, and it hurts.?
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A boy by the name of Lucas Middleton dies of a terminal illness, and with an assembly in school, his death changes the lives of a peculiar group of people.
A story that...
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LUCAS
CHAPTER TWENTY ONE - "RED ROSES"
SEPTEMBER 14TH, FRIDAY
"SIXTEEN DAYS."
"Mom, I'm alright, I promise," I affirmed, examining the tired frame in front of me. Her dirty blonde hair clung onto different parts of her head, the bags under her eyes were dull, and her usually lively and vibrant, cerulean blue eyes were lifeless and exhausted.
She yawned, stretching her arms up as she readjusted her posture on the armchair next to the bed. On the table beside the bed, there sat a steel vacuum flask, filled with what I assumed was rice porridge that I had eaten a million times in the past month.
"Didn't you take the night shift yesterday? Plus, you've been here all day, aren't you tired?" I questioned, answered by another yawn from her. She shook her head, but was betrayed by the faint swaying of her figure as she struggled to keep her head up.
I acknowledged that dad had longer shifts, with little to no intervals in-between his work, and was thankful for mom's mere presence.
"No, Lucas, I'm fine, just a little bit out of it, that's all," Mom pinched her nose bridge with her index finger and thumb, shutting her eyes momentarily before opening them again.
I sighed, shaking my head as I tried to muster a smile at the tired woman beside me, knowing that I was the cause for the state that she was in. "Mom, just go get some rest, I'm going anywhere."
She shook her head vigorously, reaching for the cup of coffee next to her, but was obstructed by my hand before she could reach the cup. As she looked at me, I shook my head, knowing that this was her fifth cup in one day.
"Then who's gonna look after you? I can't just leave you alone!" She exclaimed, gesturing with her hands as she crossed her arms and sunk back into the armchair. I chuckled lightly under my breath before grasping her hand in mine, smiling gently.
"Mom, this is a hospital, there is a team of people trained to look after people like me." I looked down at the clock on the nightside beside me, the corners of my lips raising automatically at the time displayed on the digital screen.
She yawned once more, and squeezed my hand firmly before finally accepting my advice, after an entire day of asking her to get some rest. Mom nodded, planted a hasty kiss on my cheek and enveloped me in a hug, burying her head into the crook of my neck.
"I love you," She murmured sleepily before raising her head and walking towards the door. I watched as her figure walked down the narrow corridor, her back getting smaller and smaller as she walked further away.
I did want her to stay, but it wasn't my turn to be selfish.
I leaned back onto the pillow behind me, letting my eyes shut and relishing in the moment of peace and silence. Elevating my hand over my eyes to block the bright light from the ceiling, I followed as the sleeve sagged down from my forearm, and I wondered when I had been nothing but skin and bones.
