CHAPTER 12
Cohen
I don’t like this place. It smells funny, and everyone looks sad. I just want my mommy and daddy. Aunt Izzy told me this morning that it’s okay to be scared and that she was there if I needed a hug. I don’t need a hug. I’m a big boy.
I’ve been sitting here for a really long time, long enough to watch three shows on Uncle Axel’s phone. I hope Daddy comes to get me soon.
The doctors and nurses always run around here like they forgot to turn the oven off. Mommy always does that a lot. Uncle Axel and Aunt Izzy are here watching me, but Nate stayed home with Dilbert and Davey. Aunt Izzy said that Nate is too little to be here. Uncle Beck and Aunt Dee went to go get me some breakfast, but I didn’t want to go with them because I’m waiting on my daddy to come and get me. I’m going to see my mommy soon.
I heard Aunt Izzy on the phone this morning when Daddy called. She didn’t think I could hear her, but she was being loud like Aunt Dee gets when she talks about her silly shoes. She told Daddy that I’m being such a good little boy and that she would take me to him if he really wanted her to. It’s been almost two weeks since my mommy went to sleep and Daddy started sleeping at the hospital with her. I don’t know how long that is, but that’s what Aunt Izzy said. It feels like a really long time.
I miss them, but I don’t tell anyone because I’m being strong like Daddy.
I don’t know why I wouldn’t want to go to my daddy. He makes everything okay. I want to yell at Aunt Izzy when she calls me a little boy. I’m not a little boy. I’m a big boy, and I’m going to use all of my powers to make everything better.
Last night I came to see Daddy and I really didn’t want to leave. My side still hurts, and I’m itchy where they had to tie my skin with little strings after Mommy’s car broke. Mommy would have made it not hurt anymore. Aunt Izzy doesn’t kiss my boo-boos like Mommy does.
Now I’m sitting here in the stinky hospital, waiting on my daddy to come and take me to see my girls. No one will tell me where my sisters are. Aunt Izzy says that they have to sleep in a special clear box like Snow White did so that the germs don’t hurt them while they get healthy. I don’t like my girls sleeping in a box. They need to get better so I can teach them everything I know.
I’m going to teach them how to fight the bad guys, find the best rocks, where Mommy keeps her chocolate, how to paint and color, all the things that make Mommy and Daddy smile, and all the things that make Mommy and Daddy really laugh. Yup, they need to get better so I can teach them everything I know!
I kick my legs some more, letting them swing really fast, and think about how I can make my girls’ box better.
“Hey, C-Man.” I jump when I hear the deep voice, but I smile when I see who it is.
“You scared me, Maddox Locke.” Daddy said that he’s been chasing Aunt Emmy and he’s going to bring her back to us, so I don’t know why he’s here. I don’t like the way he keeps looking at me either. Everyone keeps looking at me like they don’t know what to do with me.
“Brought you something, Cohen.”
I look up and see some red stuff in Maddox Locke’s hand. I can’t wait to get a present. This place doesn’t have anything fun to do. When he unfolds it, I see a cape just like the one the ambulance man cut off of me the other day. I want to smile.
I haven’t smiled since Mommy fell asleep when that truck hit her car. I don’t want to smile. But now I can. I have my power back, and I can help my mommy and my girls.
“Thank you, Maddox Locke.”
“You’re welcome, Cohen Cage.”
He sits down next to me and helps tie my cape around my neck. It feels good to have my magic back. When I didn’t have my cape and my mommy wasn’t there, I got really scared. I didn’t tell Daddy, but I didn’t like being scared.
“You know what’s going on?”
I shake my head at him. “I know Daddy is at the hospital because Mommy is sleeping and my sisters are out of her belly.”
“That’s right, C, and right now your daddy needs to be there for them because they need him real bad. I know you’re really strong so they’re going to need you too, but little dudes can’t sleep at hospitals so I’m going to stay with you for a little while. If that’s okay?”
“Do I still get to see Daddy and our girls?”
Maddox Locke smiles and I smile back, but I don’t know why we’re smiling.
“Yeah, buddy. Your daddy will be out here after he finishes talking to the morning doctor and then we can see about seeing your girls.”
“Okay! Thank you, Maddox Locke. I’m happy you’re home.”
I feel better now. I pull the sides of my cape over my shoulders and close my eyes when I feel it tighten across my back. Taking a deep breath, I open my eyes and wait for Daddy so we can take care of our girls.
We don’t get to see my girls right away. Daddy comes out and hugs me for a really long time. I see him every day, and every day he hugs me like this. Sometimes he squeezes me so hard it hurts just a little, but I like it. Daddy’s hugs always make my sad stop.
“Daddy, do I get to see my girls today?”
He smiles big, but he still looks sleepy. If Mommy wasn’t sleeping she would make him take a nap so he didn’t turn into a grump.
“Yeah, C-Man. I bet we can make that happen today. I’m going to go up and see them in a little while, so I’ll ask the doctor if we can work something out. Do you think it would be okay for Maddox to sit with you while you visit with Mommy today? Just while I run up to see your sisters?”
“Okay, Daddy. I’ll take good care of Mommy while you go see Lila and Lyn.” I really want to see my sisters, but I want to spend some time with Mommy.
“Lila and Lyn, huh?” He smiles and for the first time in a lot of days, his smile doesn’t look sad.
“Yup!”
He hugs me again and then picks me up to take me to see my mommy.
Maddox Locke got really bored while I talked to Mommy, so I let him play Flappy Birds on my iPod. I laughed really hard when he got so mad that he threw my iPod. Especially when he called Aunt Dee and asked her to stop at the store to buy me a new one.
“Sorry I broke your toy, Cohen, but Dee’s going to bring you a new one in just a little while . . . Hey, why don’t we keep this between us?”
“Maddox Locke, you’re lucky my mommy didn’t see you throw a fit or you would be in time out for a reallllly long time.” I laugh when his face turns red like Mommy’s does when Daddy says stuff in her ear.
“Right. Wouldn’t want to be in time out, little dude. I’m going to step into the bathroom, remember not to touch any of the cords, okay?”
I wait until he steps into the bathroom before I look back at Mommy. She looks so pretty when she sleeps, even if she still has some bumps and cuts. She’s still the most beautiful mommy in the whole world.
“I love you, Mommy. You’re going to wake up and be so proud of Daddy and me. I’ve been eating all my vegetables and cleaning up my messes. I stay with Aunt Chelcie some. Just when Aunt Izzy has to work and stuff. I don’t know why because Aunt Izzy just plays on her computer. Aunt Chelcie doesn’t really know what to do with me all the time. She cries a lot too, but says it’s horn moans. I haven’t heard of those before, but I hope I never get them. I wish you would wake up, Mommy.”
She doesn’t wake up.
I keep wishing she would though.
“I’m going to see my sisters soon. Daddy said they are really small, but I’m still going to love them.”
I take a deep breath, scoot really close to Mommy without touching her cords, and start whispering the words I know will make her happy.
“What are you singing, Cohen?”
I heard Maddox Locke come back in from the bathroom when I was in the middle of my song, but I couldn’t stop. Mommy needs to hear all the words to get better.
“Singing Daddy’s song. He sings it to her every single day. He told me that Mommy can hear him singing and she will know how much he loves her, so I’m singing Mommy his song so she knows how much I love her. Did you know that our love is going to make her all better?” I smile big at Maddox Locke, because I know I’m right. Soon she’s going to wake up and it’s going to be because of our love.
“You know, I think you’re onto something, little dude. Why don’t you teach me the words so I can help you out?”
I don’t know how long we sit here, but Maddox Locke helps me sing Daddy’s song to Mommy so many times I get so tired I fall asleep.