"Hurry, hurry! He's in a terrible state." Jack groaned in pain, wondering if he would see his mother after the ER doors shut before him. The stretcher was pushed along the hallway. The doctors rushed, panicking as the teen started to yell in pain. "Stay with us, Jack! Just hold on a little while longer!" They grabbed an oxygen mask and placed it over his face. He started to take deep breaths, seemingly relaxing the rest of his body. One by one, the different parts of Jack's body fell numb. 

The doctor walked out, "Ma'am, I am here to inform you that the surgery was a success. Your son will be moved to a room down the hall. Would you like someone to come notify you when he's there?" Jack's mother, Regina stood up from her seat. Her eyes were red and swollen from all the crying the night before, "Y-yes, of course. Please do." The doctor gave her a light bow and walked back to his station. She sat back down and sniffed. Mayan, Jack's sister, walked into the lobby, approaching her mother as soon as she saw her.

"Mom! How's he?" Regina stood up from the chair once again. Mayan embraced her mother, knowing that Jack was probably still under surgery. "He's fine now," mother began to explain, "I'm just waiting for him to be taken into a room. I was told that they would let me know when I was able to go in and see him." Mayan peeked behind her mother's shoulder, where she noticed a nurse calling them over with their hand. "Mom, over there! Maybe we can go in and see him."

The nurse smiled at Regina to comfort her, "Hi. Jack has been taken to the third floor. Jack is in room C349. You can go in and see him by going inside one of the elevators over on that hallway, here are your passes." Regina and Mayan grabbed their passes and obliged. Mother wiped a few tears away from her face with a napkin she had in hand. The cold elevator came to a halt. Mayan rushed out with her mother following behind.

The maze-like hallways eventually led them to the 3rd floor's lobby. Mayan came close to the front desk, "Hi. I was told that my brother was brought on to this floor. My mother and I would like to see him." The woman at the front desk looked up at her, "Can I have his name?" Regina stepped forward, "Jack Garcia. He was born on July 8, 2000. He's barely a fourteen-year-old." Mayan held her, knowing that when it came to her children, her mother was most vulnerable.

"Take a seat and the doctor will come out to take you," the woman explained. As they were about to do so, nurses rushed out, "He was supposed to wake up already. The anesthetic was supposed to wear off by now!" Everyone in the waiting area including Mayan and her mother turned to them. "Quiet down, Richie. Hurry up and call the doctor to room, C349." Regina dropped her belongings on the ground, "My son! That's my son's room!"

She bolted behind the nurse, "I need to see my son!" Mayan followed behind only to be stopped by the doctor who was caring for her brother. "I need you to stay behind!" Mayan watched as the doors closed behind him, with her mother disappearing behind the doors as well. A gut-wrenching feeling came about, not knowing if she would be able to see her brother, Jack, after that moment on.

"Ma'am, we need you to stay back. He's going to be okay!" Regina was held back as she witnessed one doctor perform CPR on her son. "Take her away! She mustn't be here!" Regina pulled herself away from the nurse, "I am not going anywhere! Not until I see that my son is alright!" Unfortunately, everyone in the room started to panic as the electrocardiogram marked a flatline. 

"No!" Regina was about to throw herself onto Jack's body when the nurse held her back once again. "Ma'am they will do whatever they can." Suddenly, Regina's body collapsed to the floor. "Take her to the hallway and try to keep her calm!" Doctor Rao continued performing CPR before turning to another nurse in the room. "We need more!"

'Darkness. That's all I can remember. My senses are numb. Taste, feeling, smell, hearing, and especially, sight. There's nothing here where I am now. It gives me a mixed feeling of enthusiasm and fear that has formed within my chest. I cannot explain the why, but I feel like stepping forward to explore what's in front of me. Suddenly, a light shines through, and I start to hear voices. Three senses to go, but then again what is there to smell or taste around here. The light comes from a window, a window that serves as a terrible peephole for a door. I reach for the cold doorknob only for the voices to tell me to stop. To stay with them. To fight for my life?'

Jack gasped for air. The electrocardiogram started to mark his pulse. "Ey! Welcome back, buddy!" The room was filled with cheers, realizing that Jack had come back. Jack opened his eyes to see himself surrounded by the medics who had just saved his life. He squinted, "Where's my mom?" The doctor ordered his medical co-workers to leave the room, "Jack, welcome back. I will let your mother know that she is able to come on inside."

He walked out of the room, leaving Jack to rest alone, with his thoughts. “Was that death’s door? What would have happened if I had opened it and stepped through?” Regina walked inside the room, along with Jack’s sister, Mayan. Immediately, she demonstrated her motherly love by hugging him and bawling her eyes out yet again. “My son, my poor child! How are you feeling?”

Jack groaned, “Mom, you’re hurting me.” She stood up and stepped away from him, “I’m sorry, Jack. I just- it’s just…” Mayan peeked over, teary-eyed as well, “We thought we were going to lose you, Jack. Fortunately, that wasn’t the case.” Jack tried to sit up, only to realize that he had a nasogastric tube installed up his nose, “What is this?” His mother took a seat next to his legs, “Jack, honey, your appendix had already burst when we brought you in. The doctor said that we won’t be able to take you home until you get all cleaned up, to prevent any sort of infection. What matters now is that you’re okay.”