The year was 2011, And Nicholas,42 was still suffering from insomnia.

The Employee of the year of Comet Flashlights was working his tail feathers day in and day out. Why? Because of his Mother's treatment. His mother is suffering from Alzheimers disease and doesn't even remember the fact that she has a son. But the fact that Nicholas doesn't know is that there is no treatment for his mother, and that the disease leads her straight to death. Each Day, he goes to the hospital to have breakfast with his mother. His Mother, asks him the same old question each day, "Wish I had a Son like you! Some days Nick almost cries, but moved on, bearing the sadness within himself. After that, he has to go to his office, to see a jerk of a boss, giving him more and more work. The reason citing that Nicholas won the Employee of the year this time, breaking his streak of three consecutive years. And the fact that his wife is getting a divorce from him is not helping his psychological stance. To put the icing, the doctor announced that his mother has just 15 days to live. The poor chap got heartbroken. He did not know what to do with his life. The very next day, he was summoned for his divorce hearing, he and his wife got separated from the wedding ring that held them together. He went to his mother, who told him an incident from her life, so far the only incident that she could remember, "Many years ago, I met a young man who was selling the paper near the St.James Cathedral, the poor chap just couldn't hold all the weight in his hands and whoosh, it went in to the drain, soaked in sewage with his damp paper all around him, the boy stood up, cleaned himself, and went on to sell the paper that he had left. After that incident, I thought he would never return, but there he was again and in the same wet dress! A Man has to learn from his mistakes and should not succumb to defeat and embrace fate. Stand up against it, Now get out of my face, it's almost time for Bingo!" The very next day, Nick turned from Mr. Smelling Socks to Mr. Confident. He made his boss happy, he went and apologized to his ex-wife. But the clock didn't hot stop. The 15th day was due in exactly two weeks from now. His Mother raised him singe handedly, she brought a house, gave him everything he wanted in life. His father was not mature enough to raise a child and left from Nick's life early. The only early memories of his childhood like any other child was of his mothers. He wanted to bring his mother to his home for the very last time. The last time she was there, it was not very fruitful, she had to moved out , because he married the girl who she did not accept of. When he asked her to accompany him to his house, she meekly replied, The younger nurses are that side, sonny!". His mother chose to stay put in her place, Another day had passed. Because of his strengthened relationship with his boss, he had applied for a vacation. I would personally choose Hawaii or Venice for a vacation, but Nick here, chose to stay by his mother. As the Sun rose for the 3rd Day, where Nick woke from a bed he had hired inside the hospital to keep an eye on his mother, he got startled as people surrounded him like he was some kind of caged animal. When he looked at a mirror, he was came with shock, as his face was covered with paint. His face was painted like it was the mayan's war face paint! Upon investigation, he found out that it was his mother who painted it on his face! Apparently her illness went skydiving as she forgot who she was and thinks that she was 5 years old. Nick, on the other hand was very happy with tears to see the smile on his mom's face! On the fourth day, it was quite normal. As usual he woke at the wrong side of his bed, Again! As usual, his face was covered with paint. He went to check on his mom, when he remembered 21st July 1999. It was a big day, he won the Big Blue Ribbon on the science fair on that day, he was to receive it in front of the whole school tomorrow and was to give a speech on it! The poor guy couldnt sleep for the night. His mother took him on her lap and made him fall asleep. When he started sleeping like the angel he was, she took a pic and wrote the date on its back and that's the origin of 21st July 1999. That evening, he played poker with the other patients, that's when he learnt about their illnesses. Freida,91 affected with lung cancer was once a chain smoker in her early thirties. It was a miracle, that she lived long to tell her tale of woe nowadays. Jack, 58 is affected with serious brain damage and is highly vulnerable of becoming brain dead! He was so moved that he donated his life savings for treatment for patients like his mother. Well, that pretty

much rounds up day four. Fast forwarding to Day thirteen, his face was become like bugs bunny where a phase of him is happy for his mother's happiness and the other worried about her upcoming demise! :( That day he planned every step of what to do the very next day because it was his borthday tomorrow! Each year, his mother planned his birthday where one of her friends dressed up as Bugs Bunny and usually with Butterscotch cake topped with strawberry icing. That night the guy couldn't sleep. The next day, the doctor announced him Brain Dead! Confused! Ok, i will give the explanation. The Truth is that Nicholas is an orphan. When he was about 6, his parents died in a car crash! And to fend himself, he created an imaginary single mom who took care of him, fed him, and cared for him! And he was never married! He always thought that his imaginary mom was near him and would talk alone ,making him extremely weird! So he had to create an imaginary wife as well! The bed he rented was his own bed as he was suffering from the mental illness caused by Insomnia. He was also never employed! If this shocks you, then the real shocker is that Nicholas was never 42 but just 12 years old! The only real thing about this story is that he was insomniac and always woke with paint on his face drawn by other patients! Thank You for Reading Kudos, Karthik Sreeram K.