Memories of a Life Shared

Chapter 2 Tazer

Noana had been gone for awhile, he had figured she would have only been gone an hour tops but she had been gone almost three. It gave him time to talk to Tanner and let his feelings out without Noana there. Yeah, he was hurting but she was hurting worse. He wanted to look and pretend to be strong for his baby sister, she needed him to be nothing but strong.

“How about them Sox? They aint doin so hot this spring. Must have realized their biggest fan isnt watching. As soon as you get better we will go see them in person. Ive been saving up the money for you and I to go. Gotta find me a girl here soon too so I got someone to double date with you and Noana. She misses you, bub. We all miss you. Please, Tan, you gotta wake up man. I can’t be strong forever. All I want to do is cry and dang Tan, that’s not me. Noan looks terrible, she needs sleep but can’t because she is afraid she will miss something. Please wake up.” He held Tanner’s hand, laid his head on the bed and cried. No one was around so he figured he could let himself go. A few minutes went by and he heard the door open and shut, figuring it was his sister coming back. When he didn’t recognize the perfume he lifted his head and looked at the person standing beside of him. It was Tanner’s mom, even after the accident a couple weeks ago she had moved to New York with her husband and his three kids. She had said she would be back in a couple days but ended up being at least a week and a half.

“Taylor, how are you?” she asked. He cringed at being called his real name, he had been Tazer ever since he was three and Noana couldn’t say his name correctly.

“Mrs. Smith, I’m am holding on. How are you?” he asked politely, he had never really been a big fan of Tanner’s mom, she always made him uncomfortable.

“Now, Taylor, you know it’s Teresa. I am well, the move was exhausting but I’m well. I flew out to see how Tanner was and to FedEx a few more things from the house.”

He was glad Noana wasn’t here at that point. She seemed like she had not a care in the world that her son was fighting for his life. Noana couldn’t handle listening to her adjusting well when her son had almost died a couples weeks before.

“I’ve asked for a chat with his doctors, they should be coming in a few minutes. I’ll just ask for a little privacy.”

He faked a smile, “Yeah, no problem. I can wait out in the hallway. No big deal.” He stood up and grabbed his hoodie off the back of the chair as the team of doctors he was used to seeing came in one by one. He greeted them by name and a couple shook his hand and asked how Noana was. The pleasantries were done and he walked out into the hallway and sunk to the floor. He could hear pretty well since he hadn’t shut the door all the way.

“Is there any hope that he will wake up any time soon?” he heard tanners mom ask. A few doctors chimed in with their opinions but neither of them agreed, the one doctor that holds out hope is the main attending that was here the day of the accident.

“What kind of life will he have if he does come out of this?” he heard her ask next, the room fell silent. After a few minutes one doctor, a female doctor who had just started in the ICU spoke up.

“It can go a few ways, he could come out of it just fine or he could be paralyzed from the neck down. We just don’t known he still has some significant swelling in his brain and near his spinal cord. He might have to be taught everything all over again like a baby. We just don’t know.”

“These machines. Are they keeping him alive or could he hold out on his own?”

Tazer’s heart dropped, he wanted to run into that room and shake her but he wasn’t suppose to be listening. A few doctors spoke but only one stood out.

“At this point in time these machines are doing everything for Tanner so he can heal. We are hoping that once some more swelling goes down he will start to come around. I am holding out hope that he comes too and gets to graduate next spring.”

“Mrs. Smith, with all due respect I feel you are just putting off the inevitable by keeping him on these machines. He is brain dead. Have you thought about organ donation?”

There was silence for what seemed like forever, then she spoke. “If by the end of the week he does not show any signs of improvement we will start weaning him off everything. You can have whatever organs you want. I’ll sign the papers.”

Tazer hid his face in his arms, resting on his knees pretending like he didn’t listen to the whole thing as Tanner’s mom walked out of the room and down the hallway. He wasn’t ready for this, he did not want to be the one to tell his sister that her boyfriend is going to die. His best friend was going to die.

Tazer walked back into the room when the last doctor made his way out; he grabbed Tanner’s hand and got down on his knees, “God, please. Please don’t take my best friend. Tanner, you have to wake up. You have to wake up now. I’m begging you. Please!” Tazer cried into the side of the bed. He was spent, all the emotions came to a head and he broke down and broke down hard. What he had to do next was going to be the hardest thing he will ever have to do, tell his sister.