All I can do.

Sitting in the hard chairs of the hospital waiting room, waiting to know what would happen to her. Waiting to know if she lives or dies. I might lose her, the only constant in my life.

What will I do if she doesn't? It's been the longest night of my life and I don't know where to go from here. How do I comfort a man that I barely know? How do I help her? how will life go on? A day that was supposed to be perfect has turned into a nightmare.

I look over the man, my father, sitting beside me, his head in his hands whispering under his breath, praying I think. I reach out and place a hand on his back. My action seems to break the damn that he's been holding up and he dissolves into tears. It takes a few minutes for him to calm down, but then he sits up straight, looks over at me with his red rimmed blue eyes and trys to give me a reassuring smile. But it doesn't work and he knows it so he stops trying. He reaches out for my hand and I grab it holding on for dear life. Just then a Doctor walks in to the room and it seems like the whole room straightens up and hopes he is there with news of their loved ones. His eyes swiftly sweep around the room but his eyes pause on me. I see a flash of sadness cross his face before he schools his expression into a calm mask of reassurance. I think he is about to come and talk to us but he calls out another name. Two people stand up, a middle aged man and a young woman who looks to be in her twenties. The man is practically carrying the woman as they go with the Doctor. The whole room slumps back in their chairs under a dark cloud of disappointment and fear. Why was he looking at me? I look around and realize that I am the youngest person in the room. He probably just felt bad for me. my thoughts drift off and it starts to feel like we will be waiting here forever. then a tall Doctor with dark eyes walks in and calls out "Wright?" my father and I stand up and follow him through the light blue door still clinging to eachothers hands. He finally stops and turns to us and my father asks "How is she?" the Doctor sighs "She is stable for now, but we are still trying to bring her fever down although the seizures have stopped, her temperature is still too high. The most important thing right now is getting her fever down."

"Can we see her?" My first words since we got here leap out of my mouth before I can stop them. He looks down at me and gives me a small smile.

"Yes you can, but before you go in though. We have her packed in ice to help bring her fever down. Some nurses will be in periodically to check up on her and change the ice packs. She is down the hall and to your left room 134." He turns and walks away and we head for my Mother's room. When we get there I see her for the first time in hours and I dont know how to react. She is lying there face red and sweaty, her always perfect hair splayed across her pillow in tangled locks. She is hooked up to several machines, she just looks so weak it scares me. The woman who I can always rely on, who I have never seen cry or heard say an unkind thing. She looks so tired and helpless and all I can do is cry.