|
Continued....
************
Ryan's blood pressure continues to drop through the night. By the soft light of a Palm Sunday dawn, his gentle flame flickers for the last time. He will die surrounded by close friends and family and the bittersweet songs of his favorite singer, whose music comes now from a bedside tape player.
"Just let go, Ryan," Jeanne White says quietly. "It's time, sweetheart. It's time to go."
His blood pressure drops further.
"Goodbye, buddy, goodbye, my pumpkin," says Jeanne as she strokes her son's hand. Her tears are gone for now. Only a calm soothing voice. "I want to kiss you goodbye one more time," she murmurs, leaning across the bed, stroking his forehead and gently kissing his cheek.
The green dial on the heart monitor clicks off. Ryan's chest is still. A nurse attempts to restart the monitor. It flashes bright red. No heartbeat. No blood pressure. A doctor leans over with a stethoscope and nods. Ryan White is dead at 7:11 A.M. on Palm Sunday.
The light in the guardian-angel figurine is turned off.
Crying, the nurses remove their masks, goggles and rubber gloves. Jeanne clutches her son's small hand. Grandpa Tom Hale leans over and kisses his grandson. He is followed by Ryan's sister, Andrea. Then Grandma, then Uncle Tom. Finally, Elton John kisses him one last time.
"Goodbye, old friend," says Elton, his eyes rimmed red. "I love you."
Rev. Bud Probasco leads them into the hall. They all enter a small room, joined by Jeanne's friends—Betsy Stewart, her daughter, Jill, and Mary Baker.
"Join hands in a circle," says the minister, and "we'll say goodbye to Ryan."
A circle forms in the little room as the Sunday sunshine streams through the windows. Hands are clasped. Grandma, Grandpa, Elton, Jeanne, Andrea, Heather and the rest.
"Thank you, Jesus, for giving us Ryan," says Bud. "For giving us the privilege of knowing Ryan and learning so much from him. For having him as long as we did. He gave us understanding and compassion, and he brought us all together in this room one last time. He was a little boy, but he taught us all about big hearts."
__________________
~
Doer of Things at
MetArtMoney
Where Flawless Beauty Meets Art
~ The MetArt Network ~
selena.delgado9
|