The Monitor

The monitor beeped steadily, displaying Mom’s vitals on the screen. I closed my eyes and took slow, shaky breaths as I waited for the nurse to arrive in the room. 

When we had first arrived at the hospital, Mom had been screaming. Her side was torn up, and bits of shrapnel covered her body. As soon as we had entered the emergency room, the medics had dosed Mom with anesthesia- they claimed her screams were scarring the other wards.  

Even though we have been in the emergency room for at least an hour, a doctor still hasn’t come to see Mom- they only have nurses on staff at the moment. I mean, it’s not like we are the only people in need of aid. With all the explosions that have been going off, the doctors are needed around the city as well as the hospital. 

I grimaced as I thought of our now destroyed apartment. We knew it had been risky to rent a space shared with a few hundred other people since that’s where the explosions usually happened, but what other choice did we have? The streets were no safer than the apartments, and a remote house was far from what we are able to afford. Only the important, wealthy people could live away from everyone else. 

With a sigh, I glanced up at Mom, hesitantly reaching out and laying a hand on top of hers. “Don’t worry, Mom. A doctor will be here soon, just as soon as they are done trying to save countless other people. It’ll be fine, you’ll see.”

It hurt to see her hooked up to all those machines. I know they are pumping blood into her and helping her breathe, but it looks so unnatural. I hung my head so I wouldn’t have to look at her like that. 

The door handle twisted and I jerked my head up, staring at the door expectantly. I know I failed to hide my disappointment when it was only a nurse who walked in, but what did they expect? My mom was close to dying and there still wasn’t a doctor to help her. 

“Another explosion went off only a mile from here.” The nurse quietly said. “There aren’t enough doctors to go help out there, so they are sending half of our available medical staff here to go help out as much as we can.”

“What!?” I shouted, jumping up. “But, but my mom needs a doctor right now- not after everyone else has been helped!”

“I know,” The nurse said apologetically. “But so do thousands of other people. Your mother’s vitals are stable, so she should be fine until a doctor can come see her.”

I gaped at the nurse as she adjusted some knobs on the machines before walking out. My legs remained locked and kept me standing, even as I heard the countless sirens of ambulances turn on and drive away from the hospital. I felt something wet roll down my cheek, and I quickly wiped it away. Crying wouldn’t help Mom. 

“It’s fine,” I whispered. “She’ll be fine. We just need to wait a bit.” My legs grew tired, and I had to force myself into a chair. “I’ll just read for a bit I guess,” I muttered to myself as I pulled out my phone and searched for a book.

I found Cinderella, one of Mom’s favorite stories. The cover showed a smiling girl dressed in a beautiful blue dress and holding up a glass shoe. I always found it odd how Cinderella so readily forgave her stepmother and stepsisters for mistreating her, and never being there for her. 

“Kinda like the doctors,” I grumbled as I clicked on the file. The book opened up, revealing the first page. 

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Mom laughed as she wiped the frosting off my nose. “You have to be careful when mixing, darling.”

“I know Mama,” I chirped back, my voice high pitched and young. “When will the cake be ready?”

“When the time goes o-”

Beep beep beep. 

The timer beeped rapidly, and my mom laughed again. “Perfect timing!”

She clicked the button to turn it off, but the timer continued to beep rapidly. 

Beep beep beep.

Mom looked confused and hit the button harder. “Well, that’s odd.” She said. “Something must be wrong.”

Beep beep beep. Something must be wrong.

Beep beep beep.

I jerked awake, looking frantically around the room. My eyes landed on the monitor as the rapid beeping continued. 

“No, no, no, stupid machine!” I shouted, looking at the symbols on the screen. None of it made sense. Nothing except the beeping. Something was wrong. 

I ran out into the hall, looking around for nurses, anyone who could help as the beeping rang in my ears. “Someone! Help! My mom, her machine, it’s beeping quickly! Help!’

My voice echoed along the deathly silent halls, with no reply. “Someone? Anyone! Please!” I heard my voice rise an octave higher as my cheeks became wet. “Please, she needs help.”

No one came.

I ran deeper into the halls, going down the stairs and running outside. “Help! My mom needs a doctor!”

I couldn’t see anyone outside, and my heart began to beat faster. I turned back towards the hospital and spotted a flash of movement. “Hey, you!” I screamed, running after them. 

The person turned around and their face paled. They ran away from me, their lab coat flying behind them. 

“Stop! Please!” I pleaded as I chased after them. 

I chased the person through the hallways of the hospital, all the way back to the electric room. They wove in and out of the power sources, clutching an odd bundle I hadn’t seen before. Finally, they stopped at the main power source and set their bundle down, quickly opening it to reveal wires and a screen. 

“Please.” I panted, out of breath. “I need your help.”

They looked up at me, showing their face. The man smiled menacingly at me. “And what makes you think I’m here to help?” He asked as he plugged in a wire. 

The screen he had picked up from the bundle of wires lit up, showing the number 30. The man clicked a button, and the number changed to 29. Then to 28.

“No,” I whispered, diving for the screen. “No, please. You can’t do this!”

“Except that, I can.” the man shrugged before turning and running away. I watched as he hurried away before pouncing on the screen, trying to deactivate the bomb. My hands fumbled and I dropped the device. I snatched it back up and tried again, but nothing worked.

23.

22.

21.

The screen wouldn’t switch from the numbers. 

20. 

19.

18.

I needed to get to Mom. 

17.

16.

15.

I sprinted for the stairs.

14.

13.

12.

The hallways seemed endless as I ran. 

11.

10.

9.

I screamed in frustration as I couldn’t find her hallway.

8. 

7. 

6.

I turned a corner and saw the hallway, Mom’s room only a few steps away from me.

5. 

4. 

3. 

I threw the door open, running to my mom's side as I closed my eyes. Then I realized the machine had stopped beeping. “Mom?”

2.

1.