Work Text:
As I sat in the hospital room, the beeping of the machines and the murmur of hushed conversations in the background created a surreal atmosphere. The sterile smell of antiseptic filled my nostrils, and the fluorescent lights above seemed to hum with an otherworldly energy.
I stared at the tiny, lifeless body of my brother Joshua, his small face pale and still. My heart felt like it was being squeezed in a vise, making it hard to breathe. The doctors' words echoed in my mind: "I'm so sorry, there was nothing we could do."
My dad's face was etched with grief, his eyes red-rimmed from crying. My mom's body shook with sobs, her mouth open in a silent scream. Eric, my older brother, looked like he'd been punched in the gut, his face pale and stunned. And Morgan, my 11-year-old little sister, suddenly burst into tears.
"But I wanted to be a big sister!" she wailed, her tiny voice trembling with despair.
As we waited for the medical team to confirm that everything was okay,
I couldn't shake off the feeling of unease. But then came the news that shattered our world:
"I'm sorry, he didn't make it."
The room seemed to spin around me,as my family's collective grief washed over me. I felt like I was drowning in a sea of sorrow.
As we walked out of the hospital room
we got into the car,
and turned on the radio.
Music started playing,
its lyrics piercing.
"So pack up your car," it sang,
"put a hand on your heart"
I felt like the universe was playing some cruel joke,
as if it was taunting us with happiness when we were at
our lowest.
We drove away from the hospital,
the city lights twinkling like diamonds in the distance,
the song playing on repeat.
I couldn't help but think about how wrong this was,
how unfair it was that we had to experience this pain.
The song's words seemed hollow and meaningless,
a cruel reminder of what we'd lost.
"The birds'll still sing,"
it sang,
"your folks'll still fight"
"The boards'll still creak,"
"The leaves will still die"
But none of it mattered now,
because Joshua was gone.
it might as well have been silent for all it mattered. My heart was numb,
my soul crushed by loss.
Tears streamed down our faces,
unstoppable and silent as they fell. We didn't bother to
wipe them away,
letting them fall like rain onto the cold linoleum floor.
In this desolate world,
we were alone,
lost,