We had just arrived at the hospital and I had an eerie feeling before anyone could say a thing I took off running through the halls to the elevators. All I was thinking was "I have to get to him; I have to!". When I got to the waiting room and realized I was too late.

I remember that day like it was yesterday, it was my first day back to school in almost two weeks. I woke up groggy not knowing if I should go in fear that something might happen, but my mom urged me to go saying " It will help ease your mind baby girl". So reluctantly I got on the bus and went to school. It was a really good day, but I could almost sense something wasn't right.The day seemed to drag on, I pushed it away telling myself it's just because it's my first day back. Finally it was time to go home: the bus ride home seemed faster than before as we pulled up to my house that's when it hit me something was definitely wrong because for the first time in my life I had to use that little metal key that jingled around in my backpack. I opened the door and as soon as I did my phone started to ring almost as if my mom could sense I had just got home. I couldn't really tell what she was saying, but I knew it wasn't right, I could hear beeping in the background and she said, rushing "Pa-paw will be there to get you in 5 minutes be ready!" and hung up.

The car ride over to the hospital was silent as we each was reminiscing in every good memory we ever had with my uncle and tears started to swell eyes in my eyes begging to come out, to roll down my cheeks, to show that I was hurting just as much as everyone else, but I knew that if I started crying now I wouldn't be able to stop. I couldn't do that, not yet my mom needed me to be strong.

As we pulled up to the hospital my heart dropped, I could feel that he was already gone. I took off running, hoping and praying that my instinct was wrong, just let me be wrong this one time let me be wrong. I got to the elevators and stood there so impatient " Come on you stupid thing I could have already ran up nine floors COME ON!!". Finally the doors opened and I stepped into the elevator and push the button several times not caring who was behind me because all I could think was I have to get to floor nine that's where he was that's where I needed to be. The elevator dinged and I was there, the doors started to open and the smell hit me, the smell of get well flowers, questionable foods and cheap air fresheners cover up the smell of sickness, you would think after there so many times I would be used to but not this time I had to hold back my gag. As I turned the corner there stood all my family crying their tears fell like rain. Little drops of sorrow, whisper of the pain. But I didn't have time to stop and comfort them I kept walking straight to the back. I approached the buzzer and pushed the button, you wanna know why ICU is so hated, besides that's where all the extremely sick is, its because the nurses are never there. I stood there and it felt like I had been standing there forever and the nurse came on in a squeaky voice she said " Who you here for honey?"  I replied " Michael Wilson". She said " Oh come on back honey". As the doors opened that eerie feeling increased. I continued to walk to his room, passing the reception desk and the nurse greeted me " Hey, Maria you look very nice today. How was school?" ( You know how many times it takes you being there for all the nurses to know your name and know you personally) I replied " Thank you, Good and how about you?" This was an everyday conversation between me and, the bright eyed tattooed women, who looked after my uncle. I kept walking into his room and at that point time wasn't frozen anymore, it seemed to have sped up. What seemed like minutes turned into hours, tick- tock.

As I walked back out to my family, my eyes were red from crying, the nurse followed me into the conference room. I walked up to my mom and turned around as the nurse began to talk. " The time has come there is nothing else we can do. What do wish we do?" We all sat there in a room that the hospital tried to make look joyful, it was so bright and colorful I almost puked. Everyone was trying to think of something that the hospital didn't try, but none of us could think of anything. My pa-paw stood up and looked around and said "It's time."

 
We all went into my uncle's room and stood there tears streaming down everyone's faces. They began to unplug him a cord by cord. It seemed like it took forever to get him back to normal, back to what he looked like before all the IVs and breathing tubes, back to happy. After the nurses were done taking the tubes out they said " It will only be minutes and he will pass in his sleep."

He passed at 12:53 A.M August 23, 2016. There was always hope that his body would prove to be a miracle, that it would hold its own after the machines stopped. He didn't, he fought a hard battle. As I sit here thinking back on that day and think about who was all there I know that I will forever remember that day. It was the day I lost my uncle and my best friend, the day when a broken family somehow came together to say bye to a piece that was going away. I've grown from that day, I don't really know what clicked in my head but something did. I now am back at school living my life to the fullest because you never know when your line will go straight.