To Save a Life

No. This wasn’t supposed to happen. It wasn’t. It wasn’t happening. It couldn’t. The scans had shown nothing wrong, and the doctors had given them the all-clear. So, why?

The baby had two weeks of gestation left. Everything was normal, and then the scanners had picked up a signal. A mother’s worst nightmare. The child, fully developed in the womb and fully conscious, had a defect running rampant in it’s system- a tissue defect that mean that the tissue was frail and unable to repair itself, causing a gradual decay of the living cells and immense pain. In short, it was biodegrading. Now what the hell were you supposed to do in this situation? Could you kill another human being, or let it live like that? Could you end a life, or allow it to continue, knowing it would be fleeting and damned?

In this instance, the parents could not make the decision to kill their child. Whether the action selfish or otherwise, they were unable to do it.

“How… long?”
“Your child has thirteen years, fifteen at maximum.”

Silence. The time for words was past, and the time for tears was long overdue. Eventually, there came the moment when there were no more tears left to cry.

Two weeks later, the baby was born, but the aura that filled the chamber was that of heartbreak, not of joy. The child gurgled quietly, blissfully unaware of the drama that was to unfold before him.

A year old, and the boy is crawling. The mystery and wonder of the surrounding world is endless and boundless, and so is his curiosity.

Hitting the terrible twos, and he is already taking his first, shaky steps, and he has the beginnings of a strong set of teeth. He loves to be outside, and on the rare occasion that his parents allow him out, his little heart aches with joy, while theirs break with sadness.

Four, and he has started school. The teachers know- of course they know!-, and they keep a wary eye on him at all times. One lunchtime, his elderly female teacher watches him run past her with a huge smile on his face. A shooting star, she thinks, both beautiful and cursed. Meanwhile, he runs on, not a care in his little world.

Eleven, and on his way up in the world. He has been running for years now, leaving the other kids far behind in the dust. No more is he confined to the house, but he is always under supervision. Then, one day, he gets his big ticket- he’s on his way to the nationals.

Twelve, and he’s running internationally. For the second time, he is likened to a shooting star- for he is twelve, and blazing brighter than he’s ever been. He’s started to notice some people, and one person in particular.

Thirteen, and he’s formed a relationship, against the express wishes of his parents. He doesn’t know –of course he doesn’t know- how could he?- that he’s going to break the hearts of all around him. But he is headstrong, and he surges ahead.

Fourteen, and he’s sure. It’s love, and he’s the happiest any boy could be. But he’s started to notice things- he finds himself short of breath and random intervals, pain in his joints, and a dull fire burning in his muscles. But this won’t get him down- he’s in love, and that’s the greatest emotion in the world. His dreams are peaceful and he sleeps easily, knowing someone is thinking of him.

Fifteen, and the truth is out. A classmate overheard a conversation whilst waiting outside the office, and the rest, as they say, is history. Thank God that rumours haven’t gone around, because he doesn’t know what would happen if anyone else found out. He’s stopped running entirely now, the pain in his muscles too much to bear.

Two months pass, and it’s gotten out. His friends, his girlfriend; they all know, and it hurts. Hearts broken left, right and centre, he weakly remarks one day, it’s like a bad soap opera. The laughter is gone, and the time for tears is at hand once again.

Another week’s gone by, and he’s made peace with his parents. He, abnormally mature for his age, realises why they did it, why they hid the truth, and accepts it was the best thing they could do for him. Let him, if only for a while, lead a normal life.

Another day, and things take a turn for the worse. He is moved to the terminal ward in the hospital, tissue so corroded he cannot actually move, there to wait it out for the remainder of his days.

Not much longer now. Everyone’s here. His best friends, his parents, his family, his love. He tells them not to be sad, and not to worry, because he’s not feeling anything anymore. He’s on his way to a better place, he says. He tells them that he loves them, one final time, and then he shrugs off his weary young shell and runs faster than he has ever run before. Up, up, up, he goes, and he can’t stop himself looking down one last time, can’t help the tears from falling from his eyes, but then he grins, sets his face forward, and heads for the light and the heavenly realm within, leaving his frail, mortal body far behind.