Chapter 1
'Three am. Will he ever stop and get some rest?'
Abbey lay still, listening to Jed's sobs. She knew that his grief was overpowering. Up to now he could believe that this was not real. That Leo was just on a trip somewhere. But today was the funeral and the burial.
She had watched him stoically get through the past three days. 'Had to be strong for others' was his excuse.
Well, it had finally caught up with him and he had slept only intermittently since the gathering last night. Sleep broken by crying jags.
She didn't move. Any movement on her part and he would be alerted that she was not asleep either. But eventually it had to stop. It just had to. Leo wouldn't want any of his friends to grieve. He would say "Get on with it kid. Move on."
'Well, Leo, this time it ain't so easy.'
She felt the bed move as Jed got out of bed. This had been the pattern all night. A short rest, then sobs, then he would get up and wander for a few minutes before attempting to go back to sleep.
But this time she didn't hear the switch in the bathroom. This time she heard a quiet thud.
With her heart in her throat, Abbey opened her eyes and saw the scene she had been dreading ever since Jed had been told of Leo's sudden death.
"Jed!" were the first words escaping from her lips when she saw him in a pile of limbs on the floor. "Are you okay?"
Jed looked up at her with red rimmed eyes. "No. I can't feel my legs."
Throwing off the covers, Abbey bent down by her husband. "What other symptoms do you have?"
The worst possible nightmare had come true.
The stress of losing Leo had brought on a relapse.