Tucked In

2:00am
John criticized himself for not being strong enough. Most days, he held his head high and smiles radiated from him but today he found himself looking at his shoes. 

The whole day was against him. Long lines stood wherever he went and every traffic light flipped red to mock him. He was good with turning negatives into positives, but today negative won. 

     Knock, Knock. 

     "Sorry Mr. Kim but I have to check your vitals." 

The night nurse rolled the blood pressure machine into the room and quietly checked John's Dad's blood pressure and temperature. 

     "Everything good. Goodnight Mr. Kim"

John, sitting at the other end of the room, kept watch the whole time. He saw the door close and laid back down on the couch.  

Out in the darkness he heard  

     "Water"  
          "Water", his Dad rasped. 

He helped his father sit up and held out a cup for him to drink. 

His Dad, once strong and full of life, now struggled to sit up. It broke his heart to see his father wither and become frail in three years. Chemo and radiation ate away at his body and left taking payment. He tucked his father into bed; an act of love that he thought was years away. He felt his eyes water, and quickly turned his face to blink it away. 

He had to stay strong; he had to be positive; lives depended on it. 

Then he said to himself, 
     "tomorrow is a new day." and went to bed. 

SS