Why is it the people who most adore sleep are the ones who have the fewest dreams?
Caroline awoke out of a daytime nightmare. She relived a time when she thought she lost her son. It was always the same dream that ended in the same place: a small stuffy room with no decorations except for a single coat of paint, a dye of splashed and mottled blood.
'How could that poor child live here?' is what she thought whenever she saw those squalid conditions.
'How could he do this?' is was she felt whenever she saw that wretched scene.
Then, her boy always walked out of that room to face her, with crimson hands--the mark of the painter. That's when the complicated feelings in her chest always jolted her awake.
Throughout the time he was taken, a day didn't pass where she didn't pray to have him back. And return he did. Yet, with less of himself, and more of something else.
*Beep* *Beep*
Caroline awoke into a nighttime daymare. As her eyes fluttered open, she found herself in an unfamiliar place, but it only took her a few seconds to recognize it. 'I'm in a hospital bed.' A warmth attracted her to look left. She turned to find Joey in a chair, leaning into her bed, asleep, his hand holding tight to hers.
Her shifting caused a chain reaction. Joey lifted his head and let out a quiet yawn, but all his tiredness vanished when he noticed his mother's eyes were open. "Mom! Are you ok? How are you feeling?"
Caroline didn't feel well. She hadn't felt well in a while. "I'm fine now, sweety. What happened?"
Joey's expression turned gloomy. "You fainted at work…"
Caroline nodded. "I'm sure I was just a bit tired. Do you know where they put my clothes? We shouldn't stay here, it's much too expensive." She sat up as her eyes searched the room.
It was difficult for Joey to swallow. Her modesty was choking him. 'She's fine?' He took a close look at his mother now. Discomfort. Unease. Pain. '...How long has she been ill? She's only been pretending this whole time…How did I not see it?!?'
Caroline hid it so well. Perhaps she was the original source of Joey's poker talent.
He always assumed any lethargy he perceived in her was fatigue from work, but it wasn't; It was her body's complete exhaustion from life! It was so serious that it became a deadly threat! Joey wanted to scream! 'What poker player?!? I can read people?!? What a joke! I didn't even know my own mother was ill!'
He felt like the biggest fool to ever walk the Earth.
As big of a fool as he was, he understood one thing, they couldn't run from this. "Mom, stop…"
She glanced at him. He was staring at the ground.
"You're sick…very sick. The doctors already diagnosed you."
Caroline stared at him for a few seconds before returning to removing her blanket and attempting to leave the bed. "What do those doctors know? I'll be fine…"
Joey gazed at her back as his chin quivered. "You're dying!"
Caroline froze with her legs off the edge of the bed, her back facing Joey. "Is that so?"
Joey closed his eyes and bit his lips. "Cancer…stage 4…"
"...Did they say how much time I have?"
Joey's stared at her back and his face became firm. "We can fix it."
"How long did they say?"
He struggled to speak. "6 months."
Caroline nodded. "I see…"
"We can treat it. The doctor said people have recovered from this before."
She spread a helpless smile. "Those treatments are very expensive. We don't have that kind of money…and even if we did, there's no point throwing it away on a lost cause." Caroline used her hand to brush her hair out of her face and prepared to stand up.
"Lie down…"
"No point wasting more time here."
"I said LIE DOWN!"
Caroline turned her head and gazed wide-eyed at her son. He'd never raised his voice to her before. Plus that infernal expression…
Joey glared into her eyes. "You've been taking care of me my whole life, but I don't need it anymore. It's time for me to do something for you…That money, I can get it…"
Caroline's face trembled. She had a terrible premonition. "Joey! You can't! Your father…"
Joey snorted. "I won't become like him….I have my own path. I haven't told you this but I've had a job the past couple of months. It's nothing prestigious, but at least the money's good…I've been playing poker." Joey noticed that instead of showing surprise, Caroline's expression relaxed. "And you already knew…"
"Of course I knew…Angelo told me from the beginning…but Joey, this much money..."
"I can earn it. I already have a good amount. I was planning to surprise you, then this happened. I can get everything you need. No...I will get it. I only need to work a little harder. So you only need to rest and let me handle everything else…"
Caroline could see Joey wouldn't budge. She sighed and then her face became solemn. "If you promise me it's only poker…and that you'll finish school…"
Joey nodded right away. "I promise. As long as you promise to rest well during this time…"
Caroline watched her son. She received terrible news today. It should've been one of the worst days of her life, but she didn't think so. This was her proudest day. 'He's grown up.'
…
When Joey walked out of the hospital the next morning, he didn't view the same world anymore. All he saw were streets full of walking mines, but unlike before, he wasn't afraid. Their explosions couldn't hurt him anymore, because his pain was already at the peak. Instead, they looked...tasty. As he observed them, he measured how much each could sell for when he dismantled them for parts.
