CHRISTMAS VIGIL

by

CQB

CHAPTER 6

THE CHAPTERS

INTRO

PREFACE

CHAPTER 1

CHAPTER 2

CHAPTER 3

CHAPTER 4

CHAPTER 5

CHAPTER 6

“… It’s me, Frank…hurt by the bad man… hurting…I’m too little…its worser ‘cause it’s Christmas Eve…Santa Claus won’t…find you at that hospital…he’s like a kid…”  

In the deepest recesses of his young mind, Joe Hardy recognized the voice coming into his ear.  He wanted to call out, to tell Frank that he was alright, but he felt as if he were wrapped in a thick, black blanket.  

It was a scary place and Joe wanted Frankie and Mommy and Daddy very much.  He fought through the frightening darkness as hard as his small seven-year-old body could.  

He could hear crying now.  He could feel a bad ouch in his chest, head and throat.  He fought harder, trying to call out for help.  

“Oh God,” Joe heard his Daddy’s voice.   

“Joey, baby?” Mommy!  His mommy was close by!  

“Sweetie, Joey,” Mommy was saying, “You’re okay, baby.  You’re safe.  Mommy and Daddy are here.”  

Joe couldn’t understand why his voice wasn’t working, but he finally forced his eyes open.  At first, everything was a little blurry and it made Joe feel scared again.  

“Baby,” His mommy said softly, “I’m here.”  Joe turned slightly and saw his mother’s pretty, petite face.  She smiled at him and stroked her hand across his forehead.  He looked past his mom and saw his Daddy smiling down at him.  

“Hey my buddy,” Fenton touched his son’s cheek.  He gently explained to the child where he was and why he was there.  

Soon, another woman, all dressed in white, was checking Joe all over.  She kept smiling at him.  

“You have a special tube in your throat to help you breathe,” the lady told Joe.  “When your lung is all better, we’ll take the tube out.  Your throat will hurt a while and your voice might be a little scratchy, but you’ll be fine in no time at all.”  

Knowing his parents were close and watching over him, Joe drifted into a normal, little boy sleep.  

The nurse looked at Joe’s parents and smiled again, “Merry Christmas, folks.”  

* * *

By the first week of January, Joe Hardy was moved to a regular pediatric room.  While he was still sore and his throat hurt from the ventilator tube, he was able to eat some of the mashed potatoes and pumpkin pie his mommy brought from home.  

“Honey,” Laura Hardy smiled at her young son, “do you remember me telling you that Santa brought all your gifts to the house for you and that you can open them when you get home?”  

Joe nodded his head since talking still hurt too much.  

“Well, Daddy has a little surprise for you,” the young mother continued.  “But first, you need to put on your robe and slippers.”  

Joe grinned and donned the bathrobe and slippers his mother had brought from home.  He’d wondered why his mommy had come alone to the hospital to see him. Now he knew it was because his daddy was somewhere with a surprise for him.  

A nurse appeared a few minutes later with a wheelchair.  At first, Joe wrinkled his nose.  He didn’t want to ride in the strange chair, but his mom explained that he couldn’t go if he didn’t ride in the wheelchair.  

With a resigned sigh, he climbed into the seat and let his mommy tuck a blanket around his legs. Laura thanked the nurse and started pushing Joe down the hallway.   

“Where are we going?” Joe whispered, looking into Laura’s face.  

“We’re going to the playroom at the end of the hallway.”  

“There’s a playroom here?”  

“Yes Joe,” Laura explained.  “When boys and girls start feeling better, but can’t go home yet, they have a place where they can come and play for a while.”  

“Neat!” Joe exclaimed.  “Can I play today?”  

“Let’s wait and see what’s up when we get there, okay?”  

Soon they arrived at a bay of windows that looked into a colorfully decorated room, full of games, toys, books and puzzles.  There was a small sliding board, a little playhouse and a table and chairs.  

Laura guided the wheelchair into the room.  “Wait right here,” she instructed Joe.  Joe bit his lip apprehensively, but nodded.  

He watched his mother move outside the window and wave to someone down the hall.  Joe grinned when he saw his daddy through the glass waving at him.  

“Daddy!” Joe hoarsely cried.  His eyes grew wide as he saw movement behind his father.  

Joe’s mouth dropped open and he felt tears burning in his eyes.  

“Hi Joey,” Frank said, almost shyly.  “I’ve really missed you!”  

Joey didn’t care if he was breaking the rules or not.  He jumped down from the wheelchair and grabbed his brother in a hug.  Frankie was here!  

Frank hugged his brother and just held him.  He could tell that Joey was crying, so he just rubbed the younger boy’s back.  “Its okay little brother.”  

When Joe finally let go, he was greeted with the rest of his surprise.  His daddy, Frank and his grandparents had brought his Christmas gifts for Joe to open.   

The family gathered near the wheelchair and watched Joe open his gifts.  

By the time he was done, Joe was feeling tired, but he remembered to say ‘Thank you’, before he started dozing in his chair.  

Laura decided it was time to put Joe back to bed and started pushing the wheelchair when Joe sat right up.  “Wait!” Joe cried as loud as he could, looking around frantically for his brother.  

Frank ran to Joe’s side and the two boys hugged again.  

“This was a great surprise,” Joe said quietly.  “I like everything I got for Christmas.”  

He looked at his parents, his grandparents and then to his brother.  “Know what present I liked the bestest?”  

“The G. I. Joe, or maybe the Batman watch?” Frank guessed.  

“Nope,” Joe grinned.  “The bestest present I got was getting to see you, big brother!”   

The End  

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