It's short. But this is only the beginning! I'll reveal the "woman"s name in the next chapter, but until then... guess! :)
Disclaimer: I unfortunately don't own anything, except for the dead character - whose name will also be revealed in the next chapter or so!
Enjoy!
In the darkness, you can barely make out the two outlines of people, and you can hardly hear the constant beeping, but it's there. You can however, see that a tragedy is unfolding in front of you. If you get closer, you can hear the ragged breaths of someone who was crying, her nose whistling it her sleep. Her hand is holding on to the person in the bed as if, if she gripped tightly enough no one could take that person away. You know she's been here for a couple days, her clothes are creased and somewhat stained, and her hair is going in every direction. You can faintly see an overnight bag in the corner and what looks like piles of books on the counter. But you know very well that none of it has been touched.
Throughout the last couple of weeks, you haven't seen anyone else walk through those doors. The woman always came with a huge smile, and left with a somber look. You didn't know whether anyone was helping her out, or if she had anyone to lean on, and that was tragic in itself.
You know the case very well. They've been in and out of the hospital for years, and everyone knew this day was going to come, yet no one was prepared for it. They had been given a week, almost a week and a half ago, and four days ago the woman came and hasn't left the persons side since. She sits there day and night with her hand linked to theirs. Sometimes they're quiet, and sometimes you walk by and they're laughing. Today it hadn't been one of those days. The room had been scarily quiet all day. The woman sat on the persons bed, instead of in the chair she was used to, and she closed her eyes. Not to sleep, you knew that, but to beg for another chance, for this not to be happening. But as the day droned on, you could see the lost hope in the woman's eyes and she started to sob.
Later that morning, while it was still dark outside, you're rushed into the room for a code. The woman is no longer crying but now standing in the corner, her eyes wide and her hands covering her mouth. You call time of death at 3.45 am and then leave the room after giving the woman your apologies. You watch as she crawls back onto their bed and holds their hand. You give them a couple hours before going back into the room and painfully telling her she has to say goodbye. The woman watches as the bed is moved out of the room, and as you enter the hallway to the elevator you see her collapse on the floor. After weeks, you can't just let her be alone right now so you walk back into the room and offer your apologies again. She grabs you into a hug and sob into your shoulder.
The woman is still there when you go on your lunch break. No one has had the heart to tell her to get out, so she's been sitting in the empty room, her eyes trained at the wall where the person was. She hadn't moved since you left her there this morning, her face is still stained with tears and her eyes are red but she's stopped crying now. Then, unexpectedly she gets up and walks towards the nurses station and says she can't stay here longer. You help her fill out the paperwork, which brings a few more tears, and walk her to the cab the head nurse had called. You wave goodbye as the cab pulls out of the parking lot, and hope that she's going to be okay.
Over the next few days your mind has wondered over to that woman. The person is still in the hospitals morgue, due to be picked up this afternoon. The funeral is to be held two days from now, and you know that all the nurses and doctors on the case are going. You plan on bringing macaroni and cheese to the woman afterwards, because you know it is her favorite.
It didn't rain the day of the funeral, in fact it was one of the most beautiful days of the year. It was the first hint of spring that New Jersey had gotten since the winter had ended, and so most people thought it was the perfect day for this particular funeral. The body was buried next to a patch of little blue flowers that had just grown out of the cold ground. There were birds chirping happily while the prayer was said, and the song was sung. And then it was over. A pile of flowers were placed on the newly dug ground, and hugs were given out to the distraught woman. You walked up to her last and didn't have to say anything before she pulled you into a hug. The two of you sat there quietly for almost an hour just staring at the patch of ground in front of you. You broke the silence by asking if she wanted you to walk you home, and she just nodded. When you arrived, you led her to the couch and placed the macaroni and cheese on the kitchen counter. You begged her to eat, and take care of herself, and told her to call you if she needed anything.