Falling for the Dying Girl, chapter 3
"Hey Mike, put the card down, it could have been private" Billie hissed, snatching the card from my trembling hands and placing it back down.
"Yeah, I'm sorry" I mumble. I stare down at Skye with confused thoughts taking over my mind. I touch her hand slightly and give it a soft rub. It feels so cold, so empty. I want to hold her hand tightly and warm it up but I can't.
"Mike, come on!" Tre calls from the other side of the room, causing some irritated patients to tut and moan.
"Yeah, coming, coming" I fluster, scrambling around the bed but bumping into the table on the way. Unfortunately my hand catches on a stray flower and causes the vase to topple over.
"Shit" I grumble.
"I think it would be best if you leave now" A nurse orders, coming over and
picking up the mess.
"Yes, sorry"
"Nice Mike, nice" Billie moans, grabbing my arm and pulling me out of the room.
I take one last glance at Skye and surprisingly she's still sound asleep. I just wish I could help her.
Dead on 7:00pm, me, Billie and Tre were all stood around a door, which had a red ribbon strung across it. Many patients and staff had come down to watch the opening. It was pretty nerve racking really. Anyone would have thought I was used to doing things in front of a lot of people, but I guess this was special. I don't know why but something about it made me feel happy about myself.
"When can we cut the bloody thing?" Tre moaned, shuffling around as he gets annoyed.
"Tre you're such an inconsiderate bastard sometimes, you really are" I hiss at him.
"I care!" He protests.
"Mm looks like it"
"Ok, quiet in the room please!" A man bellows causing the room to fall silent.
"We have some special guests to open this new wing. Mr. Billie Joe, Tre Cool and Mike Dirnt from a band called Green Day have kindly taken the time to open this wing" He continues.
"Over to you Mr. Armstrong" he finishes, handing a pair of scissors to Billie.
"Thanks. I would just like to say how I jumped at the opportunity to be able to help with the hospital for those who are in need" he says. I can't help but stand there, stunned at what he just said. He hardly jumped at the chance. Skipped more like.
"I declare this new wing open!" he says and with one quick snip, the ribbon flutters apart and he pushes the door open. A fresh smell of plastic and disinfectant flows into the air.
I step aside as everyone scurries in the room with excitement, wheel chairs pushing past people. My heart skips a beat as I see Skye being pushed through the doors. She has a deep red gown on, lined in black. Her hair is up in a scruffy bun and luckily her cheeks have a tinge of pink in them.
"Skye!" I suddenly blurt out. She turns her head and looks at me blankly. 'Of course she doesn't recognize you, you idiot' it think to myself. She carries on watching me as she's pushed past me and into the now packed room.
I push past people and try to follow up behind her. "Skye! It's me" I call. Then I remember she doesn't even know my name. She has only met me for about 15 minutes when I had my coffee the other day. From all of the patients she's had, she's hardly going to remember someone like me.
"Do you know him?" The woman pushing her in the wheelchair asks Skye.
She sits there, looking up at me. I'm praying she'll recognize me or something but the chances of that are lower than Tre not having sex in a month.
"I... .I... .no, I don't think I do" She croaks out. I feel my heart sink with disappointment.
"Then please sir, can you step out of the way before any trouble if caused?" The woman asks.
"Yeah, sorry" I mumble, turning round and quickly heading over to Tre who is attempting to stick his head under the punch fountain.
"Tre, stop that you'll get us kicked out" I say, grabbing the back of his shirt and pulling him back.
"Aw gees, ruin my fun Mr. goody goody" he moans.
"Look, I don't want to stay much longer"
"Mike, you were the one who wanted to come early and now you want to leave? Why would you want to leave when there's free food and hot nurses around?" he asks, confused.
"I've just got things on my mind and I'm getting a headache" I lie. I know it's pathetic of me, of course Skye would never remember a customer like me and even if she did why would she talk to me. I know I'm being a coward for running away just because I feel rejected but I really feel a sparkle there for Skye. I just want to help.
"Fine, I'll go and tell Billie" He trails off, wondering around to find him.
I grab a glass and pour myself some punch. I swig it back but realize its non alcoholic. I swig it back anyway though.
"Excuse me?" I hear someone say. I finish off the dregs in the glass and turn around to see who's called me. I look down to see Skye looking back up at me. She's alone this time.
"Oh hi"
"I'm sorry about earlier, Alice would have been all clingy if I said I remembered you" She said, motioning to where the woman who had pushed her chair was standing.
"Oh right, wait, you remember me?" I ask.
"Of course I remember you. You're that plumber right?" My face drops. "Kidding!" She says, laughing.
"Oh, yeah"
"No, you're the guy from the café a couple of days ago, the guy who worships my coffee maker" she states. I suddenly feel relieved she remembered me.
"Yeah, that's me" I conclude. "This may sound rude and you don't have to answer or anything, but why are you here?" I ask awkwardly. She smiles.
"It's a reasonable question. About a year ago I was diagnosed with cancer, so I had an operation to help. It did, at first but then a couple of weeks ago I started getting the symptoms again, and well I ended up here didn't I? Said there's nothing they can do. Stupid sods" she says. I stand there, shocked.
"But, you were fine in the coffee shop" I blurt out.
"Yes, I was. It had calmed down that day but then I blacked out, not long after you left and got rushed into this dump"
"I'm so sorry. I wish there was something I could do" I say sympathetically.
"It's ok, no need to feel sympathetic for me. It's just my time to go that's all.
We'll all go someday" she says the last bit quietly.
"I guess"
"Oi, Mike, I found Billie and he says he wants to go as the smell of this place is making him feel ill" Tre says with Billie tagging behind him.
"Ok, give me a minute" I call.
"Skye, I'm sorry I have to leave"
"It's ok; it's been nice seeing you again. Mike." She says, grabbing my hand and squeezing it. I give her a smile and walk over to Tre and Billie.
"Who were you talking to?" Billie asks as soon as I join them.
"No one. Just no one"
"Yeah, I'm sorry" I mumble. I stare down at Skye with confused thoughts taking over my mind. I touch her hand slightly and give it a soft rub. It feels so cold, so empty. I want to hold her hand tightly and warm it up but I can't.
"Mike, come on!" Tre calls from the other side of the room, causing some irritated patients to tut and moan.
"Yeah, coming, coming" I fluster, scrambling around the bed but bumping into the table on the way. Unfortunately my hand catches on a stray flower and causes the vase to topple over.
"Shit" I grumble.
"I think it would be best if you leave now" A nurse orders, coming over and
picking up the mess.
"Yes, sorry"
"Nice Mike, nice" Billie moans, grabbing my arm and pulling me out of the room.
I take one last glance at Skye and surprisingly she's still sound asleep. I just wish I could help her.
Dead on 7:00pm, me, Billie and Tre were all stood around a door, which had a red ribbon strung across it. Many patients and staff had come down to watch the opening. It was pretty nerve racking really. Anyone would have thought I was used to doing things in front of a lot of people, but I guess this was special. I don't know why but something about it made me feel happy about myself.
"When can we cut the bloody thing?" Tre moaned, shuffling around as he gets annoyed.
"Tre you're such an inconsiderate bastard sometimes, you really are" I hiss at him.
"I care!" He protests.
"Mm looks like it"
"Ok, quiet in the room please!" A man bellows causing the room to fall silent.
"We have some special guests to open this new wing. Mr. Billie Joe, Tre Cool and Mike Dirnt from a band called Green Day have kindly taken the time to open this wing" He continues.
"Over to you Mr. Armstrong" he finishes, handing a pair of scissors to Billie.
"Thanks. I would just like to say how I jumped at the opportunity to be able to help with the hospital for those who are in need" he says. I can't help but stand there, stunned at what he just said. He hardly jumped at the chance. Skipped more like.
"I declare this new wing open!" he says and with one quick snip, the ribbon flutters apart and he pushes the door open. A fresh smell of plastic and disinfectant flows into the air.
I step aside as everyone scurries in the room with excitement, wheel chairs pushing past people. My heart skips a beat as I see Skye being pushed through the doors. She has a deep red gown on, lined in black. Her hair is up in a scruffy bun and luckily her cheeks have a tinge of pink in them.
"Skye!" I suddenly blurt out. She turns her head and looks at me blankly. 'Of course she doesn't recognize you, you idiot' it think to myself. She carries on watching me as she's pushed past me and into the now packed room.
I push past people and try to follow up behind her. "Skye! It's me" I call. Then I remember she doesn't even know my name. She has only met me for about 15 minutes when I had my coffee the other day. From all of the patients she's had, she's hardly going to remember someone like me.
"Do you know him?" The woman pushing her in the wheelchair asks Skye.
She sits there, looking up at me. I'm praying she'll recognize me or something but the chances of that are lower than Tre not having sex in a month.
"I... .I... .no, I don't think I do" She croaks out. I feel my heart sink with disappointment.
"Then please sir, can you step out of the way before any trouble if caused?" The woman asks.
"Yeah, sorry" I mumble, turning round and quickly heading over to Tre who is attempting to stick his head under the punch fountain.
"Tre, stop that you'll get us kicked out" I say, grabbing the back of his shirt and pulling him back.
"Aw gees, ruin my fun Mr. goody goody" he moans.
"Look, I don't want to stay much longer"
"Mike, you were the one who wanted to come early and now you want to leave? Why would you want to leave when there's free food and hot nurses around?" he asks, confused.
"I've just got things on my mind and I'm getting a headache" I lie. I know it's pathetic of me, of course Skye would never remember a customer like me and even if she did why would she talk to me. I know I'm being a coward for running away just because I feel rejected but I really feel a sparkle there for Skye. I just want to help.
"Fine, I'll go and tell Billie" He trails off, wondering around to find him.
I grab a glass and pour myself some punch. I swig it back but realize its non alcoholic. I swig it back anyway though.
"Excuse me?" I hear someone say. I finish off the dregs in the glass and turn around to see who's called me. I look down to see Skye looking back up at me. She's alone this time.
"Oh hi"
"I'm sorry about earlier, Alice would have been all clingy if I said I remembered you" She said, motioning to where the woman who had pushed her chair was standing.
"Oh right, wait, you remember me?" I ask.
"Of course I remember you. You're that plumber right?" My face drops. "Kidding!" She says, laughing.
"Oh, yeah"
"No, you're the guy from the café a couple of days ago, the guy who worships my coffee maker" she states. I suddenly feel relieved she remembered me.
"Yeah, that's me" I conclude. "This may sound rude and you don't have to answer or anything, but why are you here?" I ask awkwardly. She smiles.
"It's a reasonable question. About a year ago I was diagnosed with cancer, so I had an operation to help. It did, at first but then a couple of weeks ago I started getting the symptoms again, and well I ended up here didn't I? Said there's nothing they can do. Stupid sods" she says. I stand there, shocked.
"But, you were fine in the coffee shop" I blurt out.
"Yes, I was. It had calmed down that day but then I blacked out, not long after you left and got rushed into this dump"
"I'm so sorry. I wish there was something I could do" I say sympathetically.
"It's ok, no need to feel sympathetic for me. It's just my time to go that's all.
We'll all go someday" she says the last bit quietly.
"I guess"
"Oi, Mike, I found Billie and he says he wants to go as the smell of this place is making him feel ill" Tre says with Billie tagging behind him.
"Ok, give me a minute" I call.
"Skye, I'm sorry I have to leave"
"It's ok; it's been nice seeing you again. Mike." She says, grabbing my hand and squeezing it. I give her a smile and walk over to Tre and Billie.
"Who were you talking to?" Billie asks as soon as I join them.
"No one. Just no one"
