Through Thick And Thin

When they got there, Amanda and Mark were already inside and Amelia knew almost immediately what her sister was doing. The few minutes she spent waiting outside her grandmother’s hospital room were the longest she had ever had to endure. As she sat there, she realized she didn’t have the right words at all. There were no right words in her head but as she came to realize, there would never, ever be the right words. When her sister walked out, Amelia noticed her glossy eyes and she knew that if she didn’t get in at that moment, she would be too late. She walked past Amanda and walked into her grandmother’s room with Chad following close behind. Her heart was pounding as she looked at Grandma Leila.

“She looks so peaceful,” she said under her breath. “It’s like she is just asleep.”

“I know,” Chad said in a soft voice.

Amelia took her grandmother’s hand and smiled.

“When I was eight, Amanda and I used to get into all sorts of trouble stealing cookies and everything,” she started. “My parents, my mom especially was a little strict about having baked good…anything sweet really, before dinner.”

“All parents did…and some still do,” Chad said as he gently rubbed her shoulders.

“Well then I guess in that case Grandma Leila was my mom’s worst enemy because she used to sneak me her cookies in bed. My mother hated it,” Amelia said laughing even though there were tears rolling down her cheeks. “I am going to miss her so much,” she said as she gave her grandmother’s hand a little squeeze. At the back of her mind, she was hoping that Leila would squeeze her hand back but nothing like that ever happened. She was just lying there lifeless.

“Tell her what you would like her to know,” Chad said in a soft voice. Amelia was silent for a long time before she took a long deep breath.

“I hate that you want us to cremate you grandma,” she started. “I am a big believer of dust to dust. The whole ashes to ashes thing never made any sense to me but I guess to each his own, right?” She stroked her grandmother’s gray hair slowly. “I’m going to miss you so much grandma. I love you to the ends of the world and back,” she said. She lowered her head and slowly planted a soft kiss on her grandmother’s warm creased forehead. The monitor suddenly spiked making Amelia panic. “What’s happening?” she asked as she looked at the monitor.

“It’s her heart,” Chad said as he walked round Leila’s bed. He looked at her and felt her neck. “Really low pulse,” he said just as the doctor and two nurses walked in.

“What is happening?” Amelia asked in a panic.

“Her heart is failing,” Chad said in a soft voice. “Come on. We need to get out of here,” he said as he began pulling her out but Amelia didn’t want to move. She shook her head as she watched the doctors get a breathing tube down her throat. All this time she was praying that her grandmother wouldn’t code because if she did, that would be the end of her.

“I need to get an airway in,” Dr. Van der Heusen said as he held a tube in her mouth. “I can’t get in….get me a smaller one!”

Amelia watched as one of the nurses handed him a smaller tube. She was breathing hard as she watched what looked like an episode of a medical drama. She tightened her grip around Chad’s hand.

“I got it,” the doctor announced. “How are we doing?” he asked.

“Pressure’s still dropping” one of the nurses said.

“Let’s do…” the doctor started before the very familiar beep that signaled Leila’s heart rate was stopping. “Damn it!” he cried out as Amelia sunk to the ground. This was it. She was gone. Chad helped her up and walked her out of the room as fast as he could.

“She’s gone, isn’t she?” Amanda asked as she looked at Amelia and Chad. Amelia was too hysterical to answer but Chad nodded. Amanda looked at her sister as she walked to the bench and sat down. “She is going to need you, Chad. Now more than ever.”

“I wouldn’t be anywhere else if not by her side,” Chad said as he looked at Amelia. “I will always take care of Amelia, Mandy. No matter what.”

“I’ll talk to Van der Heusen about the funeral program,” she said in a sad voice.

“You do that. I’ll go check on her,” he said as he walked to where Amelia was. When he got there, she looked up and he sat down next to her. He brushed off the tears from her cheeks and looked into her eyes. “Even when you are sad, you are still the most beautiful woman I have ever seen.” Amelia smiled and another tear rolled down her cheek.

“She is gone,” she said in a soft voice

“I know,” he said nodding. “I know.”

“I got to say goodbye this time,” she said in a soft voice as he pulled her into her arms. She leaned against his shoulder. “I got to tell her that I loved her.”

“I hate that you are hurting baby, but I am glad you got closure,” he said.