Finding Hope: Chapter 2

   Saturday came and my mom drove me to the hospital to see Connor. I didn't feel like dressing up like I usually do. I usually wear dressy pants, a pretty ruffled pink or brown top, earrings, wedged shoes, and put a ribbon in my hair and braid it. But today I have on Capri's (even though it is Fall), a Yankee sweatshirt, tennishoes, and my hair is in a ponytail.
   Before we left, my twelve year old sister, Jane wanted to tag along, but my mom told her it was a special trip just for me. I was only going to see Connor. I was the only one in the long line of people who really cared for Connor. At least in the long line of all of his friends.
   Once my mom pulled up at the hospital door, I got out and she parked in the parking lot and was going to wait in the lobby until I was done visiting Connor.
   I walked to one of the nurses and asked, "Do you know where Connor Hudson's room is?" She nodded and said, "Second floor, down the hall to the left."
   I said thank you in reply and took the elevator to the second floor.
   When I was up at the second floor I walked down the hall and when I came to Connor's hospital room, I peeked in the window first and saw Connor reading a book. I squinted to get a better look at what he was reading; he was reading Shakespeare's 'A Midnight Summer's Dream.'
   I stood back, took a deep breath, and knocked on the door. He must have put the book away because it took a while before he said, "Come in."
   When he said it, I opened the door and he said, "Oh, hey, Madison," I closed the door, walked to the side of his bed, and said, "Hey, Connor. How are you?"
   I studied his face. He didn't look too good. He looked like he hadn't slept in a few days and he looked skinnier.
   "Been better. I guess you know, huh?" He said lifting his eyebrows.
   I nodded not smiling. I couldn't stand to see him like this. He was only fourteen. His life was just starting. He had a whole future ahead of him. He wanted to be an engineer when he grew up, or a writer. And God was going to take all that away from him?
   While all of these thoughts and emotions were running through my mind, Connor stood up without me even noticing he stood up. It caught me by full surprise.
   "You can stand up?" I asked staring at him. "Yeah, of course. I get up to walk around the hospital sometimes, I even met an old lady down the hall the other day. Her name is Cordelia. She's really sick, she said she might die soon, so I want to be there when she does." Connor's happy face turned upside down.
   "Oh, I'd like to meet her too, if that's okay?" I suggested. He smiled again which almost brought tears to my eyes, I loved when I saw him smile. It was a cute, lame, happy smile. Which only Connor could make.
   "I'm sure she'd love to meet you too!" he exclaimed. What a joy he was even when he knew he was sick.
   Just then, Connor noticed I wasn't dressed up like I normally was.
   "Oh, today was just a random day I didn't feel like dressing up," I said not daring to look Connor in the face.
   "Oh, it's just, that you never looked like this before when I was around you, is something troubling you, Madison?" he said.
   Oh Connor! I want to tell you everything! I want to tell you how sad I am about your cancer, I want to tell you how much you mean to me, I want you to be alive for many many years to come!
   But instead of saying what I was thinking, I just said, "Nothing, I'm fine,"
   He knew something was wrong because he knew how I acted whenever I had something on my mind, but instead of insisting anymore, he said, "Want to go meet Cordelia?"
   I liked that idea, "Of course!" He smiled.
   We left the room to go see Cordelia. All I could think of was Connor meeting old ladies, now that's a first!