Disclaimer: I am perfectly aware that writing a disclaimer at the beginning of a fanfiction is more like a courtesy than any kind of legal thingy but I'll do it all the same. I own nothing, Transformers aren't mine. This fic was created purely out of the pleasure of writing and I receive nothing more than happiness for doing this. As fun as it would be to get money from writing I don't see that happening any time soon. And I will only be putting this on the first chapter, but it obviously goes for the chapters that hollow.
Author's note: Okay, I'll be the first to say, that I am a bit out of my comfort zone here. And I'll let you know why.
Two reasons. Firstly, I am not completely fond of the idea of a sequel. Never been a fan of sequels in the first place, I always get the feeling they are just stretching the original idea just for the sake of it and they never reach the hype of the first and original story. There are exceptions, naturally, but not many.
Secondly, the main character is going to be way over the average age of a fanfiction oc. I look around the selection of ocs around the site and what do I see? Girls/women from the age group of 15-25. So making a choice and deciding my leading character to be a senior citizen is a bit of a… gamble. But hey, when my muse tells me to write something, I've learned that it is better just to do as he tells me to rather than cry later.
So, as I said, this is kind of a sort of a sequel to my other fic, Peace of Mind. I am not planning on making any great introductions on the characters from that fic, so I guess I should tell any and all new readers to at least check the old one before reading this one. At the moment it looks like the only characters I'll be bringing from that fic are Emma and Deserter, but since this is still a work in process I'm not sure how things will wind up.
I'm excited and terrified at the same time. I have never tried to write anything like this, I'm nervous to find out the results. As before, this is an oc centric fic. It is likely that there will be no canon characters, so if you wish to read about those, I'm afraid you have chosen a wrong story.
English is not my native language. That might cause me to accidentally
overlook some grammar errors, so my apologies in advance. Especially prepositions make me scream internally. They work quite differently in Finnish so I'm getting premature grey hairs just thinking about them!
As a final warning, this fic will circle the around the themes of death and how a family will react to that and that might just be too much to some. I don't want to ruin anyone's day, so if you do not wish to read about a subject that is far from the most cheerful ones, this is your chance to put down this one.
Okay! I think I have said everything that needs to be said and probably scared off some readers already. Great! My work here is done! Time to get to the actual story.
Wish me luck!
Beep. Beep. Beep.
That sound was driving her insane. It never stopped. It was always there, no matter how hard she tried to ignore it. It just wouldn't stop. And it was making her head hurt.
Beep. Beep. Beep.
People were rushing by outside her door. Someone was always rushing in here. She wasn't sure why, it wasn't like the people staying here were in a rush. A person on the bed next to her was mumbling something incoherent. It sounded like he was talking to someone, but there was no-one there.
Beep. Beep.
God, that sound was driving her insane.
Outside of her window the sun was shining. The weather was good, had been for a few days now and it would have been nice to get out of the bed for a while to go and have a walk on the yard. She smiled at the ridiculous idea. No-one had the time or the patience to go on a walk with her these days. But one could always dream.
She heard even steps from outside their room. Someone was getting closer, someone was coming. She tried to move, to sit up, but ended up only crinkling her own bed-sheets.
The door opened and a swish of fresh air flew in. The wrinkled old woman on the bed sighed happily, smelling something else than death for a while, be that as it may that it was the smell of air fresheners of different kinds. It always beat the still air of the room.
Beep. Beep.
The nurse was holding a phone in her hand, giving it to her. The woman on the bed tried to see better, but her eyes were not what they had used to be. The tiny print on the screen was nothing but a blur to her. She looked at the nurse questioningly.
"It's a call for you, Miss Everett," the younger woman said pleasantly.
The woman in the bed made a disgruntled noise and frowned. "How… many… times…" she breathed out the words she had practiced in her head for many times over, "have… I… told you… not… to call… me… that?"
"I am sorry, Mrs. Everett…" the nurse said.
The old woman huffed.
"Here's the phone," the nurse said unnecessarily. The old woman reached to get the tiny cell from her hand. She damn near dropped the small thing when her hands just wouldn't stay still long enough.
"…Yes?"
"Mother? Is that you?" asked a voice from the other side of the line.
"Yes."
"How are you feeling today? We are doing great here. Grace got a place at the kindergarten we had been talking about, the one with the best reviews! Isn't that wonderful? I just spoke with Mike and he said he was ecstatic as well. We are all so proud! It is a bit of a long drive, though, but I think we'll make it. Mike is so busy during the mornings, we might have to buy another car. You know how the public transportation system is around here. I do not want to get stuck on a subway during the rush hours. What a pain! Oh, and Tommy's class is arranging a play this semester. Their school is really putting their culture money on this year's spring fete. And you know what? Our Tommy got a role! Well, it's not a leading role, you know how nervous he can get in a situation like that, but he was so happy! Absolutely giddy! And his father and I have been thinking about the costumes. The school is looking for parents to help on the designs. Tommy is actually rehearsing as we speak, that sweet boy. Just like his dad. Did you know that Mike – "
The old woman listened to her daughter's seemingly endless stream of blabbering with a slight smile on her lips. As much as her little Lizzie was trying to hide it, she was afraid. She could hear it from her voice, the near panicked stream of words that gave her no chance to say anything for herself. That was why she hardly ever came to visit. It wasn't like the old woman didn't understand this. The thought of mortality made the most reasonable of the people to run and hide in their heads. She might have been old, but she wasn't stupid. She just couldn't help but smile listening to her daughter's speech. It was better than the never ending beeping of the machinery.
And it was nice to hear how the little ones were doing.
" – but I wouldn't be caught dead wearing that! …Mother? Are you still there?"
"Yes."
Beep. Beep.
"We… Um… I just wanted to let you know that we… we are coming to visit you. This weekend. Mike and I. And little Gracey too. Is that okay?"
The old woman felt her lips stretch out to a bigger smile.
"Yes," she said, doing her best to bring some life to her whisper of a voice.
"I don't think Tommy will be able to come, he… well… you know what he's like."
"…Yes."
"I'm sorry, mother."
She breathed out slowly. "It's… okay…" she said carefully. She had to concentrate on every word that came out of her mouth. She didn't want to miss a word. She wanted to say more, but she knew her daughter didn't have time to listen to her draw out every word.
Beep.
"…We'll be there, mother. Is there… Is there something you need? A book? A movie? Something to eat?"
"The… car…" she dragged out, feeling her hurt start stammering faster.
Beep. Beep. Beep.
"Please," she begged almost desperately now. "Please… bring… him… too."
"But mother – "
"Please…" she begged sagging down on her pillows. She felt her hand go limp and the phone nearly fell from her fingers. The nurse caught it masterfully.
"Please, Mrs. Everett is not feeling well right now," the nurse said with a singsong voice to the phone. "Maybe you could call in again later."
The old woman was breathing heavy now, the beeps in her ears growing slower once again. She huddled under the covers, feeling so weak. Feeling so old.
Beep.
The nurse hung up the phone, turning to face the old woman in the bed.
"You're daughter is coming to visit this weekend," she said pleasantly. "Isn't that wonderful news, Mrs. Everett?"
The old woman grumbled feebly from her bed. She looked pleadingly to the nurse above her.
"Alright, alright. I'll stop calling you that," the nurse said smiling.
Nodding with satisfaction the old woman sagged back against her pillow. She was feeling drained. She was feeling so tired.
Beep.
"Can I get you anything, Mrs. Eve- Sorry. I nearly forgot. Can I get you anything, Emma?"
Beep.
"…No... Thank you…" she whispered.
"Alright," the nurse said, moving to check on the other patient on the bed next to the old woman's.
Beep.
God. She hated that voice. She couldn't get it out of her head. And it never stopped. She just wished it would stop.
Beep.
The end of the voice would mean the end of her. And the end of her pain.
Beep.
The end of her heartbeat.
Beep.
She hated that voice.