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Keith watched in horror as Michael got further and further away, until he was nothing but a pinprick on the horizon.
And then he was gone.
Keith tried to call out, but there was sudden pain and discomfort. He struggled to wake up, to put distance between himself and that unexpected ending.
“Keith?”
He knew that voice.
“That’s it, all over now.” Anna’s hand was on his. “Just a word of warning. When you try to talk, you won’t sound like you. Your voice will be raspy, but you can still speak clearly, okay?”
He raised his fingers to his nose.
“Yes, there’s a feeding tube. It goes into your stomach. That’s the way you’ll get nourishment from now on.” The image of Anna’s face sharpened, and he saw her smile. “Hello there.”
“Hi.” The rasping sound was harsher than he’d anticipated.
Anna adjusted his tubes and raised the head of his bed. “Heidi will be here soon.”
“I’m going to be on this from now on, aren’t I?” he croaked.
She nodded. “Remember what Dr. Perez told you? Guillain-Barre is a progressive illness.”
“That means I don’t get better, only worse.”
It was hard to swallow.
He rolled his eyes. Right then it was impossible to swallow anything.
Keith switched the TV on and tried to focus, but his mind was pulled in two different directions. He didn’t want to think about the porta-vent. Better to accept it. But his dream lingered. Michael had seemed so real...
A new goal formed, one he’d refused to pursue, but time was running out.
When Anna came into his room, he signaled to her.
“Can you find me a notepad and a pen?”
“Sure.” She walked out of the room.
He wanted to be ready for when Heidi arrived.
Anna returned with the items, helped him sit, then pulled the table closer across his lap. “If you need anything else, press the buzzer.” She moved it onto the blanket beside him.
“Thanks.” When she was gone, Keith wrote down what details he could remember, dismayed at how difficult he found it just to move the pen across the paper. He had no idea how long the task he had in mind would take—Heidi’s assumption it could be completed in mere seconds wasn’t realistic—but he hoped there was enough time.
There has to be.
When Heidi arrived, he was ready.
He didn’t miss the momentary spasm that crossed her face, and he knew the porta-vent was the cause. She got over it quickly and leaned over to kiss his cheek.
“That’s new,” she said, her tone light.
“It means I can breathe. Talk, even. We couldn’t have done that this morning.” As soon as she sat in the chair, he launched into the words he’d prepared. “There’s something I’d like you to do for me, and it’s important.”
Heidi blinked. “Of course. What is it?”
He grabbed the notepad and held it out to her. Heidi took it, flipped the cover up and read the top sheet. She jerked her head up, her eyes wide.
