Chapter 13
Forrest General Hospital
Hattiesburg, Mississippi
Danny sat in a chair in the corner of his mom’s room. It scared him to look at her. She couldn’t open her eyes and she couldn’t talk to him. The machines around her bed made funny noises.
This whole place smelled funny.
He wanted to go home.
Where was his daddy? Danny was worried about him.
His grandma and grandpa stood by his mom’s bed talking to her. She didn’t answer. Danny didn’t understand why they kept talking. It was kinda dumb. It made his chest hurt when his grandma cried.
It wasn’t supposed to be sad at Christmas.
His mom wouldn’t like everyone being sad.
He wished his mom would wake up so they could go home and find the presents she had hidden.
Every time Danny asked to go home his grandma would cry.
So he didn’t ask anymore. If he asked when his dad was coming to get him, his grandpa told him not to talk about his dad.
This was the worst Christmas ever.
Danny stared at the people passing in the long white corridor outside his mom’s room. Bunches of people. Not many kids, though. Lots of nurses and doctors. And people who looked sad like his grandma.
Nobody paid any attention to Danny. Kids were supposed to be at home getting ready for Christmas tonight.
He wondered if other moms told their kids stories the way his mom did.
He sure wished she could tell him a story now.
He smiled, tried to remember what her voice sounded like.
The way she smiled and tapped him on the nose with her finger when she told him a story.
The policeman who had been sitting in a chair outside his mom’s room when Danny got here had smiled and asked what Santa was bringing him for Christmas.
Danny told him the truth, he didn’t know.
That made Danny start to wonder what would happen after he went to sleep tonight.
Would Santa really know that Danny wasn’t at home?
Would his presents get dropped off at his grandparents’ house?
He didn’t want Santa to forget his presents.
Maybe Santa would take them to Danny’s house whether he was there or not.
Danny wished the policeman would come back from getting coffee.
Maybe he could tell Danny what Santa would do.
He didn’t want to bother his grandma or grandpa right now.
They were real upset over something the doctor said.
Danny didn’t understand what a hematoma was.
The doctor had said his mom might need surgery.
It must be bad ’cause his grandma was crying again. It made Danny’s stomach hurt even more.
A man stopped outside the open door. Danny couldn’t see anything but his back.
His head was shiny. He didn’t have any hair.
Probably a doctor since he wore one of those white coats and had one of those funny little hats in his hand.
Danny wondered if Santa stopped at hospitals.
If he did, he sure wouldn’t be wearing that kind of hat.
Danny wanted to go home. He wished his mom would wake up and tell his grandparents to take him home right now. If she woke up, maybe she could go, too.
The bald man in the white coat outside the door turned around. Danny looked up at him and the man winked.
It took another wink but then a smile stretched across Danny’s face. Daddy! He had known his daddy would come! He started to jump out of his chair, but his daddy shook his head and put a finger to his lips.
Danny didn’t move or say a word. Even tonight Santa would know if he didn’t obey his parents. Especially his daddy. He always did exactly what his dad told him to do.
His daddy pointed to his eyes, then his chest, and then at Danny.
I love you.
Danny nodded. He pointed to his eyes, then his chest, and then his daddy.
I love you, too.
His daddy put his thumb and finger to his mouth and traced them across his lips. He had told Danny over and over that it was very important to remember what that meant so nobody would find out their secrets. Danny hadn’t forgotten.
Don’t tell.