Sun-Speckled Lake

by Wurd

Fading Stars

Turns out the sounds went deeper than heard. Wow, that sounds wrong.

My dad's tuberculosis was worsening. That's why the medicine wasn't working last night, and why my dad shriveled up on the ground from chest pain. That's why he was in a hospital room with Aunt Cloudyblossom and I'm waiting in a waiting room with my little brother, First Base.

I can tell you now, it's not fun. The gloomy, gray atmosphere is everywhere. So thick I think the windows might burst open, and I have to gasp for air once in a while.

I can hear First Base yawn beside me, stretch, then felt a muzzle on my back. I turned around with a dead pan look. “What?”

“Ash!”

“What do you want, Base?” I replied irritatingly.

“Daddy?”

“In there.” I pointed a hoof down a hall way.

As if on cue, Aunt Cloudyblossom came walking to us. “Your turn, Flash.” She said with a small smile.

Base jumped into the arms of Aunt Cloudyblossom, giggling. Auntie hugged him, chuckling. I caught how her eyes where red, and how she had very light but still noticeable trails running down her matted fur.

Great. Auntie Cloudy was crying. She, like her little brother, was very perky and optimistic. Her crying was like seeing Princess Celestia eat like a slob and dressing as a chicken squawking throughout the streets yelling “Change My Diaper! Change My Diaper!”

That's right, one out of one hundred.

I chuckle at the image in my brain, and begin to walk down the hallway, my short moment of happy chuckling over. I was worried at what I would find.

-------

I knock on the door, room eleven. “Dad?”

I voice I do not recognize says, “Come in, Flash.”

I open the door and find only my dad. I was expecting a bored doctor with a monotone voice. My dad has never talked like that. And he has never called me “Flash”. He called me names like “Wing Bone” (Which he would laugh at. I still don't get it...) or “Sport”.

Something was clearly wrong. “Well, no dur somethings wrong.” My genius brain told me.

I shuffled in, sitting next to his bed. “Hi.”

He smiled a small smile. The only thing showing was his head, and he was on his side, slightly sleepy.

“Hi,” he sat up with a small wince, and his blanket draped of him. The sight almost brought tears to my eyes. Man tears.

My dad was always a pudgy stallion, but here, here he was almost as skinny as me. You could see the faint outline of his bones on his skin. I tried really hard to not cry. I had to be strong for my family.

“So uuuuh... how...how are you doing?”

“I'm doing fine. I feel much better, now. The nurses really take care of me,” He smiled. “How are you and ’Ase doing?”
’Ase is what eh calles First Base.

“Ase is fine. He is doing good. Im fine also.” I said, choking back tears. Luckily, Dad didn't notice.

“That's great. Have you visited Brisey this weekend?”

Brisey was my moms name. Brisey Sky. “No, we where planning to visit her tomorrow.” I said, a little more tears coming.

“How's school?”

I had entered school, starting the seventh grade a week ago. “It's good. I met a filly and a colt named Daisy Bloom and Grenade.”

“They good friends? Wink Wink Daisy?”

I gave a small laugh, my tears almost falling. “Yeah, there good friends.”

We sat there in silence for a minute, when I finally couldn't be strong any longer. I felt a stream of tears fall from my eyes, and the pain in my throat slowly fading away. I ran to my dad, embracing him in a hug. “Please don't go! I don't wanna lose another parent!” I cried into his shoulder. “Please don't leave me!”

He hugged me back. “I won't leave you. I won't let myself leave. I promise.”

I looked up into his eyes, and he told me, “Have I ever broken a promise?”

Dad would never break a promise.“No.” I sniffed.

“Then don't worry about me. I'll be fine. Just a little watching over.” He said. He wasn't the least bit showing any expression regarding my outbreak. He wrapped a wing around me.

“Okay.” I said sadly.

“Stay strong, okay?”

“I'll try.”

We heard a knock at the door, then a doctor walk in. “I'm sorry to interrupt, but your father needs some rest.”

“Go tell Cloudy I'm fine. And to make sure First Base is sleeping early.”

“But-”

“Everything's okay, buddy,” he hugged me tighter, then loosened the hug. “You are a good colt, Flash. Don't change. And stay strong for Cloudy and Ase. I believe you can do that. Take care, buddy.”

The doctor shuffled me out the door. “Bye, Dad,” I dried up some tears. “Take care too.”

Then the door closed. I made sure my tears weren't noticeable, and went over everything my dad had told me. I took it to heart.

When I got back to the waiting room, Auntie is reading a magazine on losing weight. Base is “playing” with a yellow earth foal. By playing, I mean tugging on her giant pink bow and pulling her vibrant red hair.

“How was it?” Auntie asked. She seemed to have cleaned her face with a wipey and her eyes where back to normal.

“Um...uh... It was... Er... Good.”

“Alright,” she seemed to notice my evidence of crying, because she hugged me and said, “Would you like to go get some ice cream at Olaf’s Cream?”

“Okay,” I said.

Ice Cream was always good in any state of depression.

Comments

[Silvia_Stargazer]

what eh calles

Not eh, it's actually he.