Breathe

She sat quietly beside him, her sun tanned hand grasping his tightly. Her pink painted nails had a gold sparkle to them, and they dug lightly into his weak hand as she silently prayed in the quiet room.

Her brother placed his strong hand on her boxy shoulder, squeezing it tightly. She just closed her blue eyes tighter, determined to keep praying. The bags under her eyes were as dark as her brothers; they hadn't slept for five days. All they had been doing was waiting. Neither knew exactly what for- or didn't want to admit it.

Clear salty tears in the shape of small crystals slipped down her cheeks, landing on her brothers dark hand. Her brother lifted a brown finger to wipe a tear of his own from his face. He lowered his hand from her shoulder, lips in a thin line, and put his head in his hands. "Alondra," he spoke softly.

She refused to listen. She knelt down onto the cold tile floor putting her head on his hand, the one already grasped by hers, whispering.

"Alondra." Her brother spoke firm. Alondra inhaled deeply and slowly opened her eyes. Her mascara has run down her face, to her lightly glossed lips.

"Karren, there must be-"

"Alondra."

She continued to breathe heavily, sniffing, fighting back tears. She moved from the man in the bed to her brother, the sound of her sobs muffled by the dark green shirt her face was burrowed in. Her brother closed his arms around her, staring at the man on the bed, sleeping motionless.

Alondra began hiccuping into her brother, his wet shirt now no good to her. She pulled her body away from her brother, wiping her face with the rocks of her palms. Karren let out a breath, and went outside the room, needing to get out.

She swallowed her hiccups and looked to the man in the bed. "Daddy," she mumbled, her voice shaky. She bit her lip, her emotions swelling up in her body the way a fire kept rising. But this time, Alondra looked away from the man, and turned her attention to outside the window.

The sun had barely risen, but it's strong rays of light flooded the small room with feeling and color. The two plants in the corner shook in the slight breeze of the radiator that sat on the base of the other window, overlooking the parking lot. The lights in the room were dim, and the small television held a blank screen. On the table underneath, two blueberry muffins and two glasses of orange juice were untouched on a shady green tray. The magazines in the small woven basket underneath only contain news on celebrities that were big in the 1950's. Only one is out on the table: it reads Where to sell your old Furniture.

Alondra stared at the magazine, perplexed. Her sister had gone through their father's stuff and decided which items were going to be sold. The old couch in the living room had been their since the 90's. She would have to be crazy to part with it. But waiting would just make it harder to say goodbye, especially if-

Alondra couldn't finish the thought. She closed her eyes and breathed. That's all she needed to do -breathe. But breathing didn't change the feeling she had, the dread, and it didn't change the wait.

Her brother walked back in. She stood and swiped a muffin from the table, sinking her teeth into the beautiful blueberry mixture. Several yellow crumbs fell to the floor, where a few wires snaked their way to the plug on the other side of the room. Alondra hadn't even realized how hungry she was. Either that or she hadn't cared.

Karren took a seat, rubbing his temples as a nurse walked in. A different one than yesterday, with cropped, curly red hair and dark eyes. Her dark red lips stood out compared to the smooth white dress she was wearing. Her name tag read Samantha.

The nurse set down a small tray with some medical tools arranged neatly across it. Karren couldn't help but watch as Samantha took a needle from the tray and press it to his father's skin, inserting a serum into his flesh. Alondra looked away.

Samantha corrected a few dials on his medical equipment, and took his temperature. His heartbeat was steady, and Karren let out a sigh as Samantha looked toward the monitor and let out a small nod.

Samantha worked silently and left the room after a few minutes. Then it was back to waiting.

Alondra breathed, in and out, in and out, and walked back over to her chair. She took a seat next to her father once more, her eyes drawn to all the needles in his body, the three wristbands on his arm, and the oxygen tubes drawing into his nostrils. Tubes of medication lined the small table connected to his bed. Alondra looked at her fathers' blue hospital nightgown, and tears escaped her eyes. She breathed again, and couldn't help but turn to her brother and say, "I wish we didn't have to wait anymore."

Then she burst into tears.

Karren moved toward her and hugged her, muttering comforting words. Then he said, "I'm sorry." He looked toward the sky. "I'm sick of waiting, I just-"

Karren cut himself off and hugged his sister tighter. The two stayed like that for a while, the hum of their fathers' heartbeat on the monitor fading into the shadows compared the Alondra's continuous sobs. "Breathe," her brother said, taking a few deep breaths, as tears escaped his eyes too and fell into her brown hair. "We'll just have to wait a little longer."

"Can't he just...go?" Alondra finally said, and waterfalls began pouring from her eyes, as the sun rose and signaled the dawning of a new day. But to brother and sister, the waiting was inevitable.

After all, waiting for someone to die isn't what anybody wants to be waiting for.