Lost at Home

A Chapter by alymay1120

Prologue: Ellie's flashes back to the time she discovers her sickness.

Every beat was worth a risk. Every day is appreciated that I could live a day longer. The doctors said my heart could fail around three to four years later. That I had up to age twelve to live before my heart would fail. Well, now I’m sixteen, almost seventeen. I remember collapsing on the school ground, clutching my heart. The swarm of heavy footsteps thudded against the floor. I remember the wails of the ambulance as I was lifted of the ground. Murmurs and hushed whispers fell silent as my lifeless body passed by. I remember being pushed on the cart hearing my mother calling my name. I wanted to call back to her, to tell her that I was okay. I remember my mother cries after the moving cart which disappear into a white room. The lights that shone through my eyelids while the monitor was beeping softly. Then, my mind went blank.
I was sure that I was dead. I woke up with a startle. Am I dead? Am in heaven? Hell? I sat up, ignoring the ache near my temples. White room, white chair, white stand with a heart balloon. I looked at myself. Wires were stabbed into my into flesh. I touched my nose, feeling the misty air that the tubing pumped. My hands felt sticky and a sudden wave of pain hit me. I fell back down onto my pillow and closed my eyes. The door knocked.
“Ellie? Can I come in?” a familiar voice whispered. The wooden door open slowly and my mother popped her head in. Her end- of- the -day hair was loosely hold up by hair tie. She had dark shadows under her red, swollen eyes. She smiled when she saw me awake and gently walked over.
“How are you feeling, hon?” she whispered, pushing my bangs out of my face. I moaned softly and nodded at her. My throat felt scratchy and I didn’t feel like talking. She gently rubbed my head making the pain go away.
“Ellie, I have some news.” she muttered. She sucked in a breath. She continued rubbing my head and I nodded slightly to acknowledge her that I was listening.
“The doctors said that you have cardiomyopathy. That means your heart is weak. Your heart could fail and you could- .”
Mom started to cry. She held my hand and put her head down onto the bed. I hated to see her like this. I hated to see my mother cry. I pushed all my energy into my hand and squeezed her hand back. She looked up and kissed the back of it.
“I love you, baby girl. Don’t leave me.” Tears streaked down her face. A lump formed in my throat. I wanted to tell her I was okay. That I was a survivor. But I was scared. My life was at stake. Every beat, every thump, was at risk.

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