Page 7 of On The Run

“Hi, Mr. Sewell, I hear you’re not feeling too well today?” Dr. Adams said as he entered the room. I snorted at the understatement, but I knew he wasn’t being condescending. He always tried to keep things light. It was probably his way of counteracting all the shitty news he had to deliver day in and day out as an oncologist.

Pops, who now had fluids and antibiotics running through his veins, smiled at the doctor and chuckled weakly.

“I think it’s just a cold, but you know how it goes.” Pops’s voice was gravelly, like maybe his throat was sore, and he sounded exhausted.

“Let’s get you checked out and we’ll see.”

As Dr. Adams examined Pops, he continued chatting to us amicably. At first, his casual, low-key demeaner annoyed the fuck out of me. There was only a limited number of oncologists that took our insurance, but I did a ton of research and Dr. Adams seemed to be the best.

And he was. The guy was a great doctor. And normally, I was all for some chit chat. It could be lonely, just Pops and me, and both of us were naturally extroverts, even if it’d been tamped down over the years. We’d take the chance to have a conversation whenever we could. But today, my nerves were shot, and I was just too stressed to be able to keep up friendly conversation.

Luckily, the doctor seemed to pick up on it and let his attempts go. I’d feel bad, but he didn’t seem offended. He didn’t know our entire situation, obviously, but he knew it’d always been just the two of us, and I thought he understood just how badly Pops’s diagnosis affected me.

“It looks like you got yourself a nasty sinus infection there. And unfortunately, with your weakened immune system, it’s heightened and gotten the best of you. I’d like you to stay overnight so we can monitor the fever and keep you on the good antibiotics. Depending on how you are tomorrow, it might only be a one-night stay.”

I sank back on the hard ass hospital chair in relief. “Thanks, doc,” I told him. Pops’s eyes were already heavy lidded, and I knew all the drugs were about to knock him out.

Dr. Adams smiled kindly at me. “Of course. I’m on-call for the rest of the night and I’ll tell the nurses to notify me immediately if something changes, but I really do think he’ll be fine.”

For now, at least. But I didn’t share that morose thought. “Ok, thanks again.”

“I assume I should tell them you’ll be staying here overnight?”

I nodded. No way in hell I was leaving him right now. I wished I’d thought to bring my schoolbooks or my laptop though. I was falling behind in my abnormal psych class and the professor was the type not to care what extenuating circumstances you may have. There was nothing I could do about it now though.

I bid the doctor goodbye and adjusted myself to get as comfortable as possible in the chair. I’d become a master at maneuvering myself into a somewhat decent position and managing to sleep fitfully in these damn chairs. Whoever invented them deserved a place in hell next to the sperm donor and Pops’s parents, though. Awful.

I thought to bring my phone charger at least. So, I plugged it in and pulled up Netflix. I scrolled through until I found an anime I’d never seen, popped in my headphones, and watched until I managed to doze off.

Chapter4

Aiden

Pops endedup staying at the hospital for three nights. The infection was worse than Dr. Adams initially thought and spread to Pops’s lungs. Pneumonia could be deadly for anyone. For someone in Pops’s condition, it was even worse. Luckily, it never got to that, and after multiple nebulizer treatments, he was released to go home.

I called out of work on Tuesday since there was no way I was leaving Pops all alone on his first day home. On Wednesday, I had the one and only in-person class I’d ever taken. The local college had an amazing online program for social work and psychology, and I didn’t have to brave the large campus often. I knew I was probably safe, but just the idea of having to be on campus every day . . . ugh. I couldn’t even explain it, but I’d just feel too exposed.

Besides, I’d never quite related to most people my age. I could only take them in small doses, and only certain ones. I did much better if someone was a lot older than I was. That was one of the reasons I volunteered at the library. Yes, I was a good twenty-five years younger than most of the patrons, except for the little kids that came for story time, but I didn’t care. They didn’t make me feel like a freak because I didn’t go to parties and drink. I was the most introverted extrovert that’d ever existed.

And since I’d never even been to a traditional school until I started college, sitting in a classroom all day every day just didn’t work for me. I needed to be moving, doing something. Unfortunately, I couldn’t get away with all virtual classes and got stuck with one Wednesday-night lecture.

It was about an hour before class, and I was sitting on the worn but comfortable chair in our living room, working on some school work while Pops watched cooking competitions as he lay on the couch. He had the knit blanket wrapped up to his neck, despite the hoodie he was wearing and the beanie on his head. We’d had the blanket for as long as I could remember. He said his nona knitted it for him as a kid and he’d somehow managed to hold on to it all this time, despite everything. It’d become a comfort item for both of us whenever we needed a little extra.

Pops lowered the TV and flicked his gaze toward me. “Don’t you have to leave for school soon?”

I shrugged without looking up from my laptop. “I think I might skip today.”

“Aiden . . . ,” Pops began. He was still a little weak, but he managed the lecture tone perfectly.

“Pops, I don’t want to leave you yet. I’ll email my professor. He’ll understand.”

He wouldn’t. The guy was an asshole, but I wouldn’t tell Pops that.

“A, go to school. I’m fine.”

I closed my laptop so I could look at Pops. “You’ve only been home from the hospital for a day. It’s not right for me to leave you alone.”

Pops rolled his eyes and propped himself up on his elbow. It was at moments like this I remembered he was only 41, not really that much older than I was. “First off, it’s been nearly two days. Second, I’m fine. I’m a grown man, A. I can take care of myself.”

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