A/N 1: I made up Les' middle name. It was mentioned in season 3 episode 6 that his name was Leslie J Campbell so I decided that his middle name was Jonathan (I made Les a Christian because somehow it seemed appropriate. The name Jonathan is a traditional Christian name and so are the names I used for his mother and brother). This chapter is just going to be the funeral. I looked up all the information about Christian funerals since I'm not now, nor have I ever been, religious. If there are any mistakes in what is being said or if you want to correct my English please put it in your review.
A/N 2: The following is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to any persons living or dead is purely coincidental.
Especially you Carmen.
Bitch.
Chapter 6:
There's No Saying Goodbye
This is set on Thursday December 22th 2005.
''The only person who likes change is a wet baby.'' Roy ZM Blitzer
Andy's POV
I swallow hard as I see the 6 ft. hole in the ground with the coffin above it. All this time I've been trying not to look at it but it's becoming difficult. Jesse is standing next to me in her black dress with tears in her eyes. Lizzy is standing in front of me and I have my right arm around her shoulders.
We are in Chicago, Illinois at Les' funeral. In my left hand I have the funeral invitation; Leslie Jonathan Campbell, it says in big bold letters on the front, looks quite inappropriate for a funeral. There are two reasons I'm here, number one is called Lizzy and the second one is called Jesse. Besides, nobody, except from Milo and Lu, knows what happened and I'd like to keep it that way. If I don't show up here for the funeral it's only going to make people wonder if something happened.
It's a Christian funeral since Les was baptized when he was little and he went to church as a kid. I'm trying to ignore the fact that he hasn't prayed, to my knowledge, since he was a teenager and had his back turned to religion until the day he died.
I tear my eyes away from the coffin as the minister begins to speak, ''Our brother Leslie has gone to his rest in the peace of Christ. May the Lord now welcome him to the table of God's children in heaven. With faith and hope in eternal life, let us assist him with our prayers.''
I look around and I see Les' mother, Carmen, standing next to Les' little brother, Aidan. Les' father died a few years ago and was buried next to where we are burying Les right now.
''Lord Jesus Christ, by your own three days in the tomb, you hallowed the graves of all who believe in you and so made the grave a sign of hope that promises resurrection even as it claims our mortal bodies. Grant that our brother may sleep here in peace until you awaken him to glory, for you are the resurrection and the life,'' I hear the minister continue as I look at Carmen. We've never gotten along but I feel bad for her, nobody should have to bury their child.
I look around at all the people that I used to know so well, until we moved to Philadelphia and Les and I divorced. ''Because God has chosen to call our brother Leslie from this life to himself, we commit his body to the earth, for we are dust and unto dust we shall return,'' the minister continues. ''For our brother Leslie, let us pray to our Lord Jesus Christ, who said: 'I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me shall live even in death and whoever lives and believes in me shall never die.'''
I see Carmen break down in Aidans arms and realize I got tears in my eyes as well. I'm not sure if it's because Les is dead or just the whole idea of being around people who are grieving. Even though I'm a doctor and have to deal with people dying on a daily basis I still can't look at crying people without getting tears in my eyes as well. Even though the last time I saw him was one of the worst nights of my life, because of him, I somehow feel sad that he is gone. Last night lying in bed I remembered the good times we had and it makes today more difficult.
''He was nourished with your body and blood; grant him a place at the table in your heavenly kingdom. We pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy,'' the minister ends and the coffin is slowly lowered into the ground. I swallow past a lump that has formed in my throat and forget to blink a few times.
I take a deep breath as I can feel Lizzy sobbing in my arms as she turns around and hugs me.
I sigh as the front door closes behind me. I flip on the light and on my way into the kitchen I throw my keys on the dining room table. It's moments like this when I'm happy you're allowed to drink one glass of wine every day you're pregnant. I pour myself half a glass and sit down at the kitchen table.
Jesse and Lizzy are staying with Les' mother and are supposed to come home at the end of Christmas break which is Sunday January 1st 2006.
On the plane back to Philadelphia I just kept staring at the funeral invitation. I wanted Les out of my life, but not like this. I wanted to never have to talk to him again, but now that I don't have the option to talk to him I just feel sad. Even though he has hurt me, bad, I still miss him. I have known him for what seems like a lifetime, it was tool long but not long enough. I knew everything about him, he knew everything about me. Knowing that I could talk to somebody who knows what I've been through and how I feel about certain things was comforting.
Now that I don't have that comfort anymore I just feel numb, like I'm dead inside. I'm about to take another sip of my wine when I realize my glass is empty, I stand up and walk over to the counter.
After I've rinsed out my glass I walk up the stairs and into my bedroom. Without changing into my pajamas I crawl under the covers and fall asleep.
