His body was full of aches and he couldn’t quite remember how he had come to
lay in that hospital bed. The light above him flickered annoyingly, so he swatted at the
light switch next to the bed. A small, cheap Go-Phone buzzed on his nightstand, but it
was out of reach. He laid there, trying to remember what had exactly happened. He had
been in many hospitals, but this was different. It was solemn and depressing, and a sad
aura floated about the room.

A young nurse walked in, pushing a silver cart with a laptop.

“I need to take your blood pressure, Mr. Michael,” She said. He nodded and held out
his arm. She took his blood pressure and nodded.

“Looking good, Mr. Michael,” She reported, scanning the laptop. A needle suddenly
appeared next to his hand. He sighed, and held up his index finger. The needle pricked
his finger and drew blood, which she quickly wiped away with the little machine in her
hand. She fiddled with a hanging bag next to his bed, replacing it with a full one. His
head begin to rush as soon as she replaced it and all the bones in his body seemed to
become heavy.

“Your sugar is good for now, I’ll come back in a little bit to check up on you,” She smiled and left the room.
It was agonizingly boring in the little room. A tiny TV silently played on the
opposite wall, but he had left his glasses somewhere so he couldn‘t see. Everything around him was a blur, time moved so slowly yet so fast. It was comforting just to think and let his thoughts run in his head.

The door to his little room opened again and in walked a family. His face
brightened and he recognized his wife and children. His face, much to his annoyance,
couldn’t seem to form the expression he wanted it to. He wanted to leap up and hug his
children and wife, but he couldn’t move. His feet twitched and shocks flew through them,
a regular pain for him. He couldn’t understand why they were all dressed up, his son in a
tuxedo and his girls in dresses.

“Hey Dad,” his son greeted. His son towered above him, and he couldn’t quite
focus on his face. It seemed a life time ago when his son was so small, carrying around
one of many cats they owned. His eyes teared up at this, and he struggled to lift a hand
which would not move.

His voice wouldn’t work. He couldn’t say how much he loved his son and how
much he wanted to leave, so he settled for giving him a crooked smile.
“I just graduated high school, Dad,” his son smiled. He was angry that his son had
grown. He also couldn’t understand why he missed the graduation and why he was stuck
there in the bed, with a body full of pain. His son was a mirror image of him when he was
young, reminding him of the strength he had.

He looked away from his son’s smiling face and towards his daughters. He had
three beautiful daughters, all of which has his wife’s face and his smile. His eyes watered
as he took in their faces. His oldest daughter appeared by his side, wearing a white shirt
and a long grey skirt. He vaguely recalled her wearing a long white dress and dancing
with him, somewhere he couldn’t remember. He just knew he wanted to dance with her
“Hi Dad,” She touched his hand solemnly and smiled. She looked so beautiful in
that moment, and he tried to at least give her a smile. He turned his head and was at first
startled to see his second daughter there. He relaxed and tried to move his hand to touch
her face, her hand, and just to hug her. She was so much like him than the rest of his
children, even pursuing a similar career. He loved all his children the same, though. He
knew that much.

“What’s up Dad?” She touched his face. He noticed the silver watch around her
wrist and remembered the similar one that she gave him for Christmas. A little girl
appeared in place of his second daughter, holding a violin. She began to play. He couldn’t
remember why it was specifically a violin, or why a little girl was playing it. It was truly
beautiful music, and he silently encouraged the little girl to continue playing.
He gave her a similar smile, his eyes watering. She was crying as well, but
smiling all the same.

His youngest daughter appeared in place of the little girl. She was tall and skinny,
and he remembered his nicknames for her. She was a peculiar child, yet a brillant one all
the same. She would always bring him a cat to hold, and if there was none she would lay
there with him. She shared his interests: writing, reading, and running. He wanted to
speak to her, to talk to her about anything. He loved when she asked him questions and
he was even happier to be able to answer her.

Her hair was wrapped in a bun and she was wearing a dress that was still too
short, even at her knees. He was happy, for some reason, to see her hair out of her face.
His wife stood there silently at the foot of his bed. She spoke to him through her
eyes, something he loved dearly. He loved her so much still and wanted to touch her face.
“Let’s take a picture,” She suggested, and took out her phone. His children
surrounded the bed and faced the camera.

“Hold on guys, dad forgot how to smile,” his son said. His children laughed, a
sound that he savored.

“One, two, three,” his wife counted. A smile appeared easily on his face and the
picture was taken. His children hugged him and he was very grateful. He laid there and
felt rejuvenated with energy that his children gave him. Their laughter had refreshed him
and their smiles made him happy. His wife even smiled, touching his face softly. She
kissed his forehead and whispered in his ear. He listened and smiled, trying to raise a
hand to touch her hand. His children all stood at the foot of his bed and said goodbye in
unison, then solemnly left the room. His wife followed suit, waving at him. He closed his
eyes and the image of his smiling family drifted around him.