Lives Entangled

Lives Entangled

Alex wakes up in a hospital bed, still tired but hurts from his treatments. A nurse walks in named Susan to check on him.

“Hello Alex, how are you today?”

“It feels like I didn’t sleep, but I know I did.” he says.

“That’s to be expected with dialyses. With the infection you have, as strong as it is, it will take a lot out of you.” She tells him.

“Whens my next treatment?” Alex asks.

“In a few hours. But you look too weak for it, I’ll get you on some vitamins and antibiotics.”

“Thank you.” He turns the TV on as Susan leaves to get the IV bags.

Flipping through the channels of the cable, finds cartoon network. The commercials alone are an abomination, but the shows make him cringe. Susan walks in to his very angered expression.

“Wow, why so mad?”

“I found out that cartoon network is garbage.” Alex answers.

“Ah, Yeah…. it’s a tragedy, disney is the same way. Both make my brain dumb.” She shares.

“Well this sucks. There isn’t anything good on…” He complains.

“Hand me your phone.” Alex passes it. “Okay here.” She hands it back after a few minutes.

“The cartoon network app….?”

“It has all of the old shows on it., if you don’t have headphones I can get you a pair.” Susan offers.

“That would be awesome, thank you for this!”

She arrives back into his room after a few minutes, with pink hello kitty ear buds.

“Sorry, its all I could find.”

“Says the blue ear buds sticking out of your pocket.” Alex calls her out.

“Crap! I wanted to see you wear them, it would be hilarious!” She admits.

As they’re talking, other nurses bring in another patient in a wheel chair. Around the same age as Alex, A female young adult named Sara. Shes helped into her bed and sees his strange look at her.

“What? You’ve never seen a bald girl with Cancer before?” Sara snaps.

“Uhhh, sorry Alex, I forgot to tell you, you’re getting a roommate.” Susan motions to her.

“My name is Sara, I guess it’s nice to meet you Alex.”

“Oh by the way Alex, your treatment is in 2 hours, I’ll come get you when they’re ready.” Susan gives him the heads up.

“Ok, thanks again for the headphones.”

Once she hooks him u to the bags Susan leaves, you can hear a pin drop. Alex is watching tv on his phone, while Sara channel surfs and runs into the same problem.

“What the fudge!? Hey you, …….. Alex……” Throws her spoon at him. “Hey!”

“What do you want?” He replies in annoyance.

“These channels suck, what are you watching?”

“I had the same problem, Susan hooked me up with the cartoon network app. Hence the ear buds.” Alex shares.

“Come over here, let me see.” Sara asks

“Just download it on your phone.”

“My phone is at my house, my mom forgot it, shes been preoccupied with my treatments.”

“How old are you that you still live your mom?” He says in a condescending tone.

“I’m 25 you butthole! And I moved Back in when I was diagnosed.”

“Sorry I….. I didn’t mean it that way….. Well….” Alex stumbles over his words.

“No you meant it, you just didn’t realize it was because of my Cancer. What’s wrong with you that requires treatments?” She asks.

“They think it’s Lymes disease, but are unclear, something is attacking my nervous system. Lymes fits my symptoms, so they’re attacking that.” He explains.

“But the wrong treatment could make it worse.” Sara warns.

“They know, but they’re in the dark, this is the best option.”

“I’m sorry. I, I’m sort of in the same spot. My Cancer was caught late, and to make it worse, they don’t know where or how bad it is. It’s as if it’s invisible.” She confides after his story.

Susan walks in the room to get Alex. As they walk away, Sara wishes him good luck and waves bye. He’s taken to a room where his blood is cleaned and returned to him, when it comes back it’s boosted by vitamins and antibiotics. It takes a few hours with scans as well, He’s returned to his room looking like death.

“Whooooa, crap… is he okay??” Sara asks in concern.

“The treatment took a lot out of him.” Susan replies.

“Well from here it looks like you’re killing him.

“What both of you are going through is taxing to the body, sometimes to get better, you need to get worse.” The nurse says.

Susan leaves both of them in the room. As Alex sleeps for a few hours and Sara watches tv and draws him drooling. Once he wakes up, she shoots a paper foot ball at his head. He bats it away but she shoots a few more.

“What the? Why are you—” One flies in his mouth, he gags it out.

“Hahahaha! The look on your face though!” She laughs so hard she starts snorting.

Grinning from ear to ear with his sickly face. “You snort when you laugh?”

“Hey! Don’t make fun of me!” She cutely pouts.

“Nah, I think it’s cute.”

She blushes and asks about the cartoon network again. “Hey can you show me the app now?”

“Yeah.” He gets in her bed and puts a bud in her ear.

They watch a few episodes of their favorite shows, as they’re watching she looks at him a few times, being that close she notices how caring and careful he is. It’s the small silent things that gets her.

Susan walks in to take Sara to her chemo and sees them in the same bed. At 1st she thinks its sexual but then notices its purely innocent, and walks into the room.

“Hey you too, getting along after all huh? Whatcha doing?”

“She wanted to watch the app, I had to sit by her.” Alex explains.

“Well I hate to break you up but Sara, its time for Chemo therapy.” Susan alerts her.

“Uhhh…. We’re not a couple…. just watching TV..” Sara defends herself.

“Sara, it’s fine I know, come on, I’ll help you.” She takes her and looks at Alex. “Don’t worry, She’ll be back.” And winks.

While they’re away, Alex goes to get food in the cafeteria, he gets halfway then collapses down the stairs leading to the area. He’s cut and bleeds on the floor, and is taken to get stitches. Once Sara is returned to her room, She’s confused when Alex isn’t seen. Susan inquires about him to other nurses and leaves to bring him back. He’s brought back in a wheel chair, looking like he just fought to the death and nearly lost. His face is cut up and bruised, one of his arms is stitched up from the fall. It takes 2 male nurses to pick him up and lay him in bed.

Sara freaks out when she sees him, but is too weak herself to go over to him.

“What happened to him?”

“I was just told he tried to get food but was too weak and fell down some stairs. He got cut and bled quiet a bit.” Susan explains.

“Don’t worry, it takes more than that to kill me!” He chuckles

“This isn’t funny, you look horrible.”

“Just trying to make light of a sucky situation.” Alex explains.

“You’ve seemed to give a lot of the staff quite the scare.” Susan brings up.

“Not my intention.” He apologizes.

“I’m going to tend to my other patients, I’ll be back before I leave for the night.”

She leaves the room for them to visit more. But for a half hour, no words are exchanged.

“So how are you feeling?” Sara asks.

“Eh, It’s no secret I’m dying but after that I actually feel like it.” Alex mentions.

“Yeah, I know the feeling, my treatments are supposed to kill this but… I’m getting worse each time. I think I’m dying too.” She agrees

“It’s too bad you know, I was starting to really like you.” He takes a chance.

Sara lights up after he admits his sort of feelings. “We’re not dead yet right? We still have a chance.”

They get to know each other better, talking about each others lives. Laughing and giving each other the eyes. Board games were brought in and they play each other, this really beings out their competitiveness.

“HAHA! I sunk you battleship Jackass!!!” Sara says loudly.

“…………Wow ok…”

“..What? I like winning. Nothing wrong with that.” She innocently comments.

“Connect 4?” He suggests.

“I thought you’d never ask!” She flirtatiously responds.

“This really brings me back to high school.” Alex says.

Confused, she responds. “How does playing board games remind you of school?”

“I had a class where once we were done with our lesson, we played games.” He answers.

“I would’ve loved that, I had hard classes. Made me tough though.”

“I had a different kind of tough, I worked since I was a kid. Paper routes then fast food, warehouse work after that.” He mentions.

“Ah! Impressive, hard worker, and attractive.” She flirts.

Susan comes into the room as she promised. And the news doesn’t look good.

“Hey guys.”

“Well that look isn’t good.” Alex sees clearly.

“The results for both of you are in, should we go separately or…?” Obeying hospital rules.

“Go a head.” They both say while holding each others hands.

“Both of you need to have an organ transplant. Alex needs a liver, Sara, you need a kidney. They ran your blood and oddly enough, your both a match for each other.”

“Really?” Both of them say in confusion.

“The problem is, neither of you will be able to continue the treatments.” Susan warns.

“Why not?” Alex asks.

“Because your bodies are too weak. The dead organs are leeching your strength.”

“When do we need to do it?” Sara asks in fear.

“The sooner the better.” Susan mentions.

They look at each other. And Alex agrees. “Tomorrow?”

She sees the passion in his eyes for her, and knows this is a big game move. “Yeah, lets get this over with.”

“I’ll tell the doctor before I leave. Take good care of each other okay?!” Susan finishes.

After her talk they don’t leave each others side, they sleep and chill in the same bed. Talking each others ears off, Laughing and just enjoying each other.

“I’m glad you’re my roommate, I can’t imagine having this much fun with someone else.” Sara sincerely says.

“Likewise, as rough as our meeting was, it turned out for the best. Even though I’ve only know you for a day, it’s as if I’ve known you—” He’s cut off by her finishing his sentence.

“For years.”

“Exactly.” Alex finishes.

The next day comes, and they’re prepped for the transplant and brought to the big surgical floor. Before they’re put under, Sara and Alex grab each others arm for one last feeling of comfort and strength. The nurses separate the beds so they can begin the operation. Alex sees Susan in with them and sighs in relief.

As The proper organs are being cut out of them, They have an out of body experience. Alex stands in the surgeon prep area. Sara appears next to him. Both feeling something’s wrong. Monitors start beeping and the doctors speak with a hint of fear and panic.

“What’s happening?” Sara asks Alex in fear.

“We’re not going to make it. Our bodies are too weak for the transplant.” He states.

“Did they say that?” Thinking he’s jumping to conclusions.

“Read the room, everyone’s freaking out, look at the movements. It’s not happening.”

“But we both fought so hard to live, It’s just not fair.” Sara cries.

He softly touches her shoulders and says. “We met because of this. And I don’t regret it.”

Their foreheads meet as their tempted to kiss each other, Once lips touch, a portal to the afterlife opens. They look at it in awe, and walk slowly into the light holding hands.