Page 58 of Right in Front of You

“I’m sure you would have. So, do you think I’ll be able to come visit next week, after the chemo?”

“I’m not a doctor, but I’d really like that.”

“Maybe if we turn off the lights after dinner, we can do some finger puppets.” I wiggled my hand. It still had a compression glove on, but I could move my fingers. Sarah looked to the side table where her cold dinner was waiting. The nurse said her appetite had been getting worse the past few days.

She sighed, and for a moment, Sarah looked like she’d lost hope. Her eyes were shadowed with exhaustion. Even her blinking seemed fatigued. I would pray that she’d have enough strength to get through a treatment that would wipe out her immune system. I covered her small hand with my big one.

“You have to hold on a bit longer, Sarah. I know you can do it.”

She placed her other small hand over my big one, saying, “I know you can do it as well, Carter. You can get over the burns.”

And just like that, she surprised me again. “How about I hold on just as long as you do?” I asked.

“That’s not fair and you know it. Your illness isn’t terminal.”

Why did she have to speak like an adult? Why did the word terminal even need to be in her vocabulary?

“Neither is yours. People fully recover from cancer. They get better and so will you.” I squeezed her hand. “You have to promise me that you’ll get better. And it won’t help if you don’t eat.”

“My tummy doesn’t feel good when I eat.”

“I know, sweetheart. But you need to get strong for the chemo and radiation. I know you know it will be tough.”

She motioned with her hand for me to bring the tray full of food closer. I pushed on the table, rolling it toward her. She lifted the cover off the main dish and dug her fork into the mashed potatoes before sticking it into her mouth.

“I’ll do this, only if you promise me that you will be strong as well.”

She was worth it. This resilient girl was worth any pain I’d faced times a thousand.

“I do. I will be strong and so will you.”

“Okay, enough of the serious talk, Carter. How is Doctor Fowler?” she asked.

“You want an honest answer?”

“I won’t settle for anything else.”

Of course she wouldn’t. Sarah had the soul of an adult and she didn’t even know it.

“She’s beautiful and smart and hot…” Wait, did I just say hot to an eight-year-old?

“Are you going to ask her out on a date?”

“You think I should?”

She shook her head vigorously. “I think she’s been waiting for you to ask her out. She’s special.”

“I know she is; that’s why I can’t do what everyone else would do. I have to make it extra special.”

Sarah moved in closer. Her eyes held the wisdom of a senior. “Don’t you see it, Carter? No matter what you do, it will be special because she cares about you.”

I smiled at her, and for a moment I thought I was looking into Daisy’s eyes. For a moment, I thought it was her, who’d said the wise words to me. “Thanks, kid. I’ll keep you posted.”

“Please do. And Carter?”

“Yeah?”

“Can we save the hand puppets for another day?” She closed her eyes momentarily. It appeared as if her eyelids were falling on their own. Barely having touched her food, she lowered the fork from her hand, mindlessly dropping it on the plate.

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