Elios Silive

Gray, ash grey, thunderstorm grey, moon grey. All I could see were greys. I don't know what time of day it is, what time of year, in all honesty I don't even remember how long I have seen only grey. It feels like i'm in a box, but I can not see the corners. That might actually make it a sphere. Nothing is in the box with me just myself and the grey. My skin used to be sun kissed, I think, now it's a pasty white at least in the sphere it is. Color I used to be able to think of a color and see splashes in my mind now I see nothing… but grey. Voices sometimes I hear a murmur of sound and voices. Sometimes I can even make out sentences, but most the time I hear nothing not even my own voice only the voice in my head and sometimes I wonder, is that voice really mine?

Violet Maudie: Ms. Maudie

“How is he,” I ask the doctor checks Elios’s heart. He pulls back, puts his stethoscope around his neck and steps back from Elios and looks at me. Maudie… “he looks exactly the same as before. His heart rate is normal, he has no temperature, his eyes have healed although he is most likely blind, and he sometimes responds to what I ask.” The doctor looks me in the eyes and takes a deep breath. He’s tired of this too, I can tell by the the sadness in his eyes. “He's completely normal except for he’s in a persistent vegetative state. He’s getting thinner no matter what you do because he's not using his muscles. How long are you going to keep waiting for him to wake up? I think you should let him go….” “No”! A voice says harshly back at the doctor. The doctor, caught off guard jumps a bit, he must have been as shocked as I was at the voice from the door. I turn and see Ansel in the doorway. His strawberry blond hair damp and his ice blue eyes shone. He must have just came home from school. “He is still here I know it, you can't take him way yet. Plus it would kill Ms. Maudie.” Ansel shot at the doctor. “Yes, but he's been like that for almost two years now, if he's going to come out of it he would have done so half a year ago at least.” The doctor claims. “But…” “Enough”. I say calmly. I turn my back to Ansel and face the doctor. “Ansel is right, it is not a choice about when to let him go, it is his and so far he is still alive and kicking. I will not allow him to be tampered with by doctors, nor will I force him to take his life with a drug. That is my final answer.” The doctor lets out another sigh, “That's what I expected you to say. Very well it is your decision, but if he is still like this in a year from now I think you should start preparing for the worst.” he glances at Ansel, “you all should.” With that he picks us his briefcase and jacket and walks towards the door. Ansel moves out of the way as he walks past. I follow him out into the kitchen, to the back door, where the doctor slips on his dress shoes. “Do you really think he won't make it?” I murmur to him.” He looks at me, “ I don't know Maudie, all I know is you are getting to the age where you need to start worrying about your own health too. Your not going to live forever and if you keep up with all this stress and work, you’re bound to wear yourself thin. I want what's best for Elios I really do, but right now you’re the one who’s alive not him, he's in his own world right now where no one can reach him. Maybe if he lets someone in, maybe then he will be ok but it's still too soon to tell” with that the doctor opened the door and walked out into the spring evening. I shut the door and huff, I’m not that old I think to myself. No sixty-seven is not that old. With that I go to the fridge to start dinner.