Scriit scrriiiiiiit
A little boy wearing a hospital gown sat on his hospital bed, gazing at the children and scenery beyond the hospital rooms window. Every few seconds, he'd glance up before looking back down, moving his pencil steadily across the paper.
The window to his room was slightly ajar, just enough for the cool autumn breeze to flow in along with the sounds of children's laughter. A soft smile stretched across his face, as he looked at the sight in front of him.
This time, he didn't look back down at his paper, he simply watched, quietly, as life passed in this small children's hospital. He watched as the children outside jumped around as if it were the happiest day of their lives.
His eyes went from looking at the boy playing with chalk on the ground, before drifting to the little girl running around chasing the butterflies, then moving to the children in the back playing tag. They might've seemed like ordinary kids having fun outside — if it weren't for the hospital gowns they wore.
The boy let out a soft sigh, before closing his artbook and setting his pencil down on the desk. Reaching over, his finger gently pressed the call button, seconds later, a kind looking woman with her hair tied in a neat bun walked in.
"Nurse Maria!" The boy beamed as soon as he saw her walk in.
"How are you doing Leo? Still not feeling well enough to go outside?" Nurse Maria asked, her kind smile never leaving her face.
"Of course not, I can barely even walk to the bathroom without feeling out of breath." Leo said jokingly, but Nurse Maria's smile faltered, softening into something more solemn.
Changing the subject, Nurse Maria asked "Are you going to meet Adam again?"
"How'd you know?" Leo exclaimed while looking shocked as to how Nurse Maria knew.
"Haha" Nurse Maria let out a soft chuckle "why else would you call me. You only ever call me when you need help setting up your IV pole."
Nurse Maria quickly clicked a few things in place before fastening the last bit of tubes making sure they're in place.
"Do you need help getting there or will you be fine on your own?" Nurse Maria asked.
After Leo made sure the tubes were in place and secured, he quickly darted out the room. "I'll be fine going alone!" he called over his shoulder, before bolting out the door into the hallway.
"Be careful!" Nurse Maria yelled behind him. A soft sigh left her mouth, as she watched the 8 year old Leo disappear around the corner.
Leo ran as fast as his body would allow him, the moment he spotted the numbers to room 215, he swung the door open and leapt towards the boy inside, grinning.
"Hey be careful, you could've gotten hurt!" the boy exclaimed, startled by the sudden intrusion.
"Adam! I missed youuuuuu!" Leo beamed as he brought Adam into a tight embrace.
Adam gently ruffled Leo's blonde hair, before pinching Leo's plump cheeks.
"Owww, what'd you do that for?" Leo said while rubbing his reddened cheeks from where Adam had pinched.
Although Adam and Leo were the same age, there was an obvious distinction between the two. Adam's frame was a lot smaller than Leo's. His skin was pale and he was incredibly malnourished.
Leo glanced down at wires and tubes connected to Adam's body, his face turning visibly dark.
"Adam, there's now more tubes connected to you since the last time I came to visit." Leo said.
Adam raised his arm, closely examining the tubes connected to his arm. "Nurse Maria said it helps provide the nutrients I'm missing since my body keeps rejecting food." Adam replied, still smiling.
Leo sat down onto the bed beside Adam before earnestly looking into his eyes. "Don't look so sad Adam! We'll both get better and leave this hospital together, I promise! I saw a documentary from the staff lounge room before, apparently elephants are really strong. So we'll be 2 big strong and sturdy elephants in the future!" Leo proclaimed loud and proud puffing out his chest.
Pfft…
Seeing this, Adam couldn't help but let out a soft chuckle. "All right, I believe you. Let's both get better so we can leave this hospital together." Hearing this, Leo's eyes lit up. He quickly pulled out his artbook from behind his back and began flipping though the pages, showing Adam everything he drew.
Adam was more of a serious-case patient, so his room was located further back, away from the noise and people. The quietness provided solitude which allowed him to rest, but it can also be really lonely sometimes.
Leo and Adam flipped through the pages of the artbook, chatting happily until the sun disappeared beneath the ground. When Nurse Maria came to check on them, she found the two boys huddled together, sound asleep. The artbook lay open on the floor, and a flower pressing of a white carnation rested delicately between them.
She bent down and quietly placed the artbook down onto the table. Her hand hovered over the flower for a brief moment, before pausing, and instead draped a blanket gently over the boys. Allowing the flower to rest quietly between them in the dim hospital room.
-----
Autumn passed in the blink of an eye, and winter was coming to an end. Leo still visited Adam regularly, and slowly things seem to be getting better. Leo's illness was gradually getting better, allowing him to go out and play with the others. Adam was also getting stronger and was now able to move around the hospital with more ease.
During the day, the boys would even play hide-and-seek around the hospital. Each time, however, they'd get scolded by the nurses lecturing them about how dangerous it was. The two of them barely paid attention, glancing at each other and giggling during the lectures. This would cause the nurses to sigh in defeat, knowing their words weren't likely to get through to them anytime soon.
This had become their daily routine. The nurses even gave them the nicknames — Elephant A and Elephant L. Leo and Adam loved this, every day was filled with their laughter and the sound of them racing through the halls of the hospital.
And, as always, right on time at the end of the day, they would make their way to Adam's room, flipping through any book they had gotten their hands on during the day. And talk until sleep got the better of them.
The white Carnation flower always placed neatly on the table, quietly marking the end of another day spent together between the two.
Although this peace did not last long.
-----
"Quickly get the doctor, how did he suddenly relapse? Wasn't he doing just fine?!" The huge commotion woke Leo up. He opened the door only to find it crowded with panicked nurses running past him back and forth. He watched the direction of where they were running only to realize they were running towards Adam's room.
Leo's heart dropped, he tugged on a nurse's blouse nearby and asked urgently, "Excuse me… did something happen to my friend Adam?" Leo asked nervously.
Realizing who asked, the nurse lowered her face, avoiding his eyes. "I-I'm not sure yet." she stammered out, before running back towards the direction of Adam's room. "Just stay in your room alright?" She called over her shoulder.
Leo, of course didn't listen, he raced towards Adam's room, only to run face first into the sight of Adam being wheeled out on a stretcher, surrounded by doctors and nurses.
"Adam!" Leo yelled out, panic etched in his voice "Are you okay?!" he asked with a look of worry plastered across his face. Adam's forehead was beaded with sweat, his brown hair sticking to his face as he breathed heavily, each exhale ragged and laboured.
Hearing this, Adam slowly turned his head facing the direction where Leo called out. "I'm fine." he whispered, his voice barely above audible, mustering the last of his strength.
Tears welled in Leo's eyes as he ran alongside the stretcher. "Leo! There you are! Adam's going to surgery, so wait in your room!" Nurse Maria called, running after him.
Leo held tightly onto Adam's hand, refusing to let go, "Adam promise me you'll be okay!" Leo said between sobs.
Adam nodded before leaning close enough just for Leo to hear, "Remember the question I asked you before?"
Leo nodded as he wiped his tear-streaked face. Adam gave a small smile, "Once I come out of surgery, let's find out the answer to that question together, okay?"
"Mhm… waaaahhhh!" Leo agreed through his messy sobs, their pinkies hooking one last time showing the depths of the promise two 8 year olds made. Slowly, he let go, watching as the operation room sign lit up with: Surgery under construction.
The promise the two had made was never fulfilled, Adam never made it out of surgery. He had died on the operation table, within his final moments, all he could think about was how worried Leo must be waiting for him.
Leo holed himself in Adam's room ever since, refusing to eat or drink anything, which caused his health to deteriorate once again. He no longer drew, since the reason he drew for no longer existed. The White carnation flower sat on the table, a thin layer of dust could be seen building up on it.
-----
February came to an end, the snow slowly started melting away from the ground.
"Leo" Nurse Maria called gently one day, crouching beside Leo who was curled up on Adam's empty bed. Leo was noticeably thinner, his complexion pale and tired.
"Leo" she tried again. "Do you want to go outside for a walk? The snow is just starting to melt… there's also some flowers blooming now.
Leo's ears perked up hearing the last sentence, flowers?
"Alright… let's go," he whispered. Nurse Maria's face lit up at the response, she quickly got him dressed in warm clothes before the two made their way outside. It was lunch so the back garden was empty besides the two of them.
Once outside, Leo gaze fell onto the flowers blooming in the distance. He tugged on Nurse Maria's blouse. "Nurse Maria" He called out, "can you get me some hot chocolate."
Hearing this, Nurse Maria was overjoyed. It was the first time since Adam's death that Leo asked for anything. "Of course, I'll be right back, don't wander too far and wait for me, okay?" she said, hurrying inside.
When Leo was sure she disappeared, he dragged his tired body through the squishy, thawing mud. He stopped in front of the newly bloomed flowers and crouched down, carefully picking it up. It was a beautiful vibrant pink flower, shaped like a heart, multiple clusters of tiny bloomed flowers on a single stem. He walked a few steps and picked up another one beside it. This one was pinkish-purple, shaped like an orchid with two small petals in the middle shaped like little beans.
Holding both flowers close to his chest, gripping it tightly as tears streamed down his face. "Adam" he called out staring into the sky "Flowers do bloom after winter." With that, he collapsed onto the ground, hand still clutching the two flowers close to his chest.
Right before everything went black, he caught a glimpse of faint shadows running towards him. His vision was unclear, but he could make out the voice of nurse Maria calling his name in the distance. His body was too exhausted to move, too tired to open his eyes, and his heart was too tired from hurting, waiting for someone who'll never come back. He exhaled softly, before everything went black.
-----
Leo slowly opened his eyes after a long time, everything around him was bright. As his vision focused, he saw a familiar hospital gown in front of him. He looked up to see Adam staring at him. "You joined me earlier than I expected-" Leo leapt towards him without letting him finish. Breaking down into sobs once again. "You liar, you promised me!" Leo cried, the rims of Adam's eyes reddened before he also broke down into a crying mess. They held each other for what felt like eternity, fearing that once they let go, they'd be separated once again, just like before.
"I'm sorry Leo, I will never break a promise ever again, I give you my word." Adam said after they calmed down a bit.
Leo stared suspiciously at him "You promise?" He asked.
Adam smiled, "I promise."
Hand in hand, they ran far into the distance. On the ground rested a bleeding heart and a sweet pea flower, the ones Leo had held so tightly, leaving it behind, just like leaving behind the place they once knew.
Afterword:
This story shows that not all soulmates have to be lovers, and can be platonic. In the story, I added the flower white carnations, which symbolizes the friendship between Leo and Adam. It symbolizes pure love and affection without romantic connotations. There are many other hidden details in this story, such as how elephants are strong and healthy animals, that Leo and Adam wished to be as strong as one and have a healthy body, and how elephants form lifelong friendships, where when a bonded elephant dies, the remaining one may show mourning behaviors such as refusing food, and becoming withdrawn. The two flowers at the end of the story also plays a big part in the symbolism, the bleeding heart represents deep love and sorrow, where if one heart is "lost" the other grieves. And lastly, the sweet pea flower symbolizes thanks or goodbye.
Clam in the Sky