Disclaimer: I do not own Pretty Little Liars.
"If ever there is tomorrow when we're not together... there is something you must always remember. You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think. But the most important thing is, even if we're apart... I'll always be with you."
A.A. Milne
"Em the TV won't turn on. You know I have to watch my soaps at eleven." The woman slurred shifting around on the uncomfortable hospital bed.
"Paige that's the remote for the bed. The nurse had to unhook it because you kept accidentally pushing the 'Call' button. Remember?" The woman voiced sitting next to the bed in an upholstered chair. The equally uncomfortable chair is propped next to the bed for visitors so they have something to sit in while they console or support the ill patients. Nothing about the room is comforting. Not the sterile smell. Not the artificial lighting.
"Well they shouldn't make the remotes look so similar. Now where is the TV remote? I have to find out if Vivian chose Devin or his sister Amanda." Paige pouted while searching for the elusive remote patting down the covers.
"Paige it's 2:08 pm; your soaps are long over."
"Oh. Well we'll just have to watch it later at home." Paige tried to sound indifferent but the tanned woman knew better. After years of marriage they can easily read each other. Emily knew that underneath the faux indifference Paige was very sad. It wasn't the show itself, it was the routine that she missed. They would wake up in each other's arms, get ready for the day; watch their soaps, and make dinner together, and every night they would fall asleep in each other's arms. In between they would either spend time with friends or family, or just spend time talking and enjoying each other's company. It may sound boring to some but to Emily and Paige McCullers it was perfect.
"Sweetie, I'm going to go talk to the doctor. Are you ok? Do you need anything?"
"I'm ok. They gave me the good stuff I feel fine. In fact I'm ready to go home."
"Paige you broke your arm when you-"
"Ok, ok. Fine. A couple more days then we're busting the fuck outta here. I don't care if I trample little kids. No one will stop me from cuddling with my wife. I can't cuddle you in this stupid bed." Paige pouted.
"Wow Paige what a romantic. No one has ever trampled little kids just to cuddle with me. You sure know how to make a girl feel special." Emily lightly smacked Paige on her uninjured arm. "I promise as soon as we get out of I'll make it up to you." Emily winked and went to go find the doctor.
It's been eight minutes since Emily went to talk to the doctor. Paige finally found the remote buried underneath the stiff pillows that she had been laying on. Paige flicked through the channels, seeing nothing interesting on. She pressed the big red on/off button, turning the TV off. So she settled for people watching. There was a window in the room it took up the upper half of the wall to her left; but unfortunately her room is on the seventh floor of the building, she could barely make out the few people who were outside.
Thankfully Emily had left the door cracked enough to see nurses, doctors, and patients rushing about all focused on one goal, getting the fuck out of here and back in the comfort of their own homes.
The first person seemed to have been a young nurse in purple scrubs carrying a large stack of binders. So large in fact that she could barely see over them, missing the wheel on the medicine cart the binders toppled out of her arms. She landed on her hands and knees, immediately someone in blue scrubs ran over to help. Obviously by the way she smiles at him anybody could tell that she likes him, and by the way he looks at her with a soft smile it would seem like the feelings mutual.
Paige was absolutely shocked at what she saw next, a clone of Emily walking past her room. Not the Emily here and now but the Emily back in high school. The young girl had long hair like em, the same toned swimmers body, though her skin tone was lighter than em's the girl was a split image of em. They are both beautiful, but you could obviously tell something was bothering the girl. Her eyes were blood shot, her hair was messy as though worried hands combed through it several times. Paige felt a strange connection to the girl; Paige desperately wanted to make her feel better, just like she does whenever her Emily is unhappy.
"Excuse me!" She tried to get the girls attention before she walked out of view but the girl didn't notice. Paige didn't want to scream at the top of her lungs and risk getting told off by cranky nurses.
Damn.
About 15 seconds later the distraught girl passed the door again pacing seemingly back and forth; another similarity shared. Emily could never sit still when she was anxious or as a little kid. Emily's parents, Pam and Wayne fields, shared stories of their hyperactive little girl; like how she would try to help her mom in the kitchen, which resulted in a mess every time. They enrolled her in swimming classes to ebb her high level of energy; which I am forever grateful for otherwise we never would have met. Little Emily would run around the neighborhood meeting new friends that she would take back home and play in the backyard until nightfall. When Emily made friends she made them for life.
Maybe this girl could use a friend or just someone to talk to. Paige thought about getting up and asking the girl if she wanted to talk, Em would have my ass if I left this bed. Her wife could always sense when she did something she wasn't supposed to. So Paige decided to do the next logical thing and throw something at the girl gaining her attention. Paige felt around for something to throw at the girl, the remote, no too hard; wouldn't want to knock the poor girl out.
Paige balled up some Kleenex that was in a box on the stand next to her bed. She cocked her hand back ready to hurl the paper ball the next time the girl paced into view. The moment finally came and Paige threw the ball with all her strength; the ball soared threw the air hitting the girl on her shoulder. The ball startled the girl out of her thoughts, she looked to her left and get right trying to figure out where'd the ball came from until she seen a woman clad in a hospital gown trying to get her attention.
"Um...Hello?" The girl squeaked from the doorway.
"I'm really sorry I threw a tissue ball at you; I may have just realized that it was very rude. But if I got up my wife would probably have the doctors strap me down." Paige chuckled.
"It's okay." She furiously wiped at her eyes. "Are you ok? Do you need some help? Do you want me to get the doctor?" She suddenly had a worried look in her face.
"No no, I'm fine. But I saw you crying. Do you want to talk about it?"
"Um...my-my" The girl sighed drawing in on yourself. "No I don't. Not really."
"Well you don't have to if you don't want to. I'm Paige." The pale woman offered her hand to the dark skinned teenager.
"I'm Kai." Kai shook Paige's hand and brushed away a few run away tears.
"Have a seat." Paige gestured to the chair next to her bed.
Kai sat down in the plastic covered chair and rested her hands between her thighs. She started down at her lap not making eye contact with Paige. "We can just sit here and watch the TV if you want. Listen I know you might not want to talk about it but I want to share with you something my mother used to tell me. She would say: There is something you must always remember. You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think. She would tell me that every time I was struggling with something. I'm sure she stole that from someone but-"
"W-Winnie t-the Pooh." Kai was now crying harder than ever.
Paige had no idea what to do, or what she said. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to-"
"It's okay. My grandma used to tell me the same thing when I was a kid; I would say the beginning and she would say the end every time we parted. She hasn't been around in a while. She- she's... been sick."
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to-"
"Honestly it's okay. In good days I get glimpses of the woman who would spend hours chasing after me in the backyard every summer. Sometimes she's the same woman who taught me how to swim, but other times she doesn't even recognize who I am."
The door to my room swung open, Emily. "Hey em this is Kai. She looks an awful lot like you, well back in high school." Emily looked over towards the girl, a smile lightening up her face.
"Hi Kai."
"Wait you two know each other?" Paige looked between them as confused as ever.
"Yes we've met. Honey your parents are waiting for you down stairs."
"But-"
"I know you want to stay but they have to put Matthew down for his nap. Come on I'll walk you out." Emily stood by the door.
Kai reluctantly stood up placed her hand over Paige's, 'If ever there is tomorrow when we're not together-' she gave Paige a watery smile.
Emily and Kai are now standing in the hallway just outside of Paige's room talking in hushed tones. "I don't want-I can't leave."
"Baby girl it's going to be ok." Emily hugged her granddaughter. "We're going to be ok. You're going to be ok."
"No I am not! She had a heart attack! She hasn't been able to remember who I am for the last five years! She slipped and broke her arm getting out of the shower! You can't take care of her on your own anymore! I don't want to lose either of you!" The girl broke down in tears for the umpteenth time in two days. Emily hasn't seen the girl so small or broken since Paige was first diagnosed with Alzheimer's; since the first time Paige forgot who she was. The only thing Emily could do was hold her sobbing granddaughter ignoring the looks of sympathy from passersby. Emily couldn't reassure her anymore, Emily knows that Paige's health has been getting progressively worse; she knows that one of these days she's going to lose the love of her life.
'There is something you must always remember. You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.'
A grey haired Paige shuffled out of the room slowly lowering herself to join her wife and granddaughter on the white hospital floor. Paige put a bony finger under Kai's chin lifting hazel eyes to meet dull green ones. "The most important thing is, even if we're apart... I'll always be with you." Paige hugged her granddaughter, then her wife.
"Ok let's get off the floor now because I can feel a draft." Paige gripped at her gown which exposed a wrinkled tulip on her butt.
If you don't get it Paige has Alzheimer's, Emily has been trying to take care of her since the diagnoses. Paige falls out of the shower and breaks her arm; while at the hospital she has a visitor, Kai, her granddaughter who she doesn't remember due to her Alzheimer's.
I'm sorry if this sucked or if it seemed rushed. Sorry about the ending; I loved that story about Grandpa Alan (3x09).
For more info on my other stories visit my bio.