here's that box of tissues I promised.

pete

hours have passed by and nothing has happened.

except we weren't allowed in patrick's room as the doctor's worked on him.

I sigh and put my head in my hands and I feel his mom place a hand on my back.

"mrs. stump?"

we look up to see the doctor. we rush over, terrified of what news he has for us.

"its just miss stump," patricia mutters quietly.

the doctor nods and corrects himself before going on with his news on patrick.

"your son has been pronounced brain dead at three fifty-seven a.m. I'm so sorry ma'am," he says.

"no! patrick can fight this right?! right?!" she yells.

I wipe my eyes and try figure if the doctor is lying or not. but he isn't. I know he isn't.

"I'm sorry ma'am. he can't feel anything, think anything. he's brain dead."

"fuck you," I spit out. "you said he could fight it! you said he could fight the tumor!"

"its too late. there was another tumor we didn't know about," the doctor says.

"you should've seen it! he's been here so much and didn't see it for six months!" I yell.

"sir please calm down. I will not hesitate to have you removed from this building."

"yeah like you didn't hesitate to let patrick die!"

"pete come on," patrick's mom says.

"no! I want to say good bye!" I yell and yank my arm out of her grip.

"okay. go," she says and follows me to his room.

I take one look at him and let the tears loose.

he's really gone. he's no longer holding that smile that I saw when I held his hand earlier.

the might behind his eyes wasn't there and would never be. his beautiful baby blues would never be seen again.

he's so lifeless and pale now.

he's gone.

he's really gone, isn't he?

I walk over and sit down in the chair his mother was sitting in and take his cold, pale hand in my warm, tanned hand again.

"so long and goodnight, patrick," I whisper and press a kiss to the back of his hand.