It’s a cold day out, the clouds seeming to darken more in the sky from what I can see out the window. The clock in the middle of the ER lobby ticks, letting me know another second had passed by. Tick, tick, tick. It had mostly quieted down, people came and went as soon as what they needed was taken care of. Time waits for no one. I gingerly shut my eyes, hoping somehow time would fly by. The doors slam shut, someone came in. This women wasn’t panicked, not even in the slightest bit. A little girl clung to her leg, she couldn’t have been more than 2. I watched as she wandered off from her mother, the little girl stumbling upon the rough carpet, looking as if she could trip any second. I smiled without realizing it. She caught my gaze and smiled back at me, wobbling forward. The mother grabbed her and continued talking.

“Can’t you see me?” The mother protested. I ignored her.

Why was I here? The ER lobby was no place for me to be. My eyes slowly but surely shut again. I started to remember why.

My best friend hadn’t talked to me in a few days, which was quite weird considering we’d run up the cellphone bill every month, causing constant nagging between our families. He hadn’t answered his phone, not even to one of my texts. I knew it was late, but this was a first. I grabbed my things and hopped out my window, sneaking out from the second floor. His house wasn’t that far, and I jogged up to his huge house, aiming for his window. Climbing up the side of his house was a practice we both had ensued in many times before.

I whispered his name, opening his window slowly, trying not to cause any noise to wake his family. He didn’t greet me like I expected, there was no toothy grin in my face, no help through the window. There was no sense in playing these games.

“You hate when I do that, common.” I whispered, laughing quietly. It was then I noticed a shape on his bed; he was laying down, face up to the ceiling, arm behind his head. I sat down next to him, I reached out and pushed his shaggy hair back from his face. He was pale, the lamp light didn’t even give his normally tan skin any glow.

I pushed his shoulder, trying to get him to wake up. He only moved limply under my weak push. I touched his ashen cheek, feeling that it was as cool as the outside air. The wind blew through the open window I came in, knocking something light to the ground. In attempt to see what it was, something caught my attention. It all clicked in on that moment.

I shuddered awake from my memory, a cold sweat had left its mark on my face. The little girl looked at me, pulling away from her mother’s grasp. She whined and pulled as much as a little two year old could do. Everyone else had left the lobby, it was well past 1 am, I had come here in the ambulance at 11. His parents...weren’t even home. They had no clue. My eyes watered at the thoughts that filled my head, I tried to find the answer to my never ending question. Why? He couldn’t be taken away. I put my head in my lap.

A nurse stood quietly over me, handing me a tissue. She stood smiling down at me. I didn’t want to look at her.

“Hey,” She paused. “Look at me.” The chair creaked as she sat down next to me.

I looked up at her, trying to hide the emotion on my face; my eyes red and my nose running. I tried to form a question, she took the time to give me an answer.

“You saved his life.”