Chapter 7
When we arrived at the hospital, my Dad was already there and met us in the ICU waiting room.
"Hey baby," he said as he pulled me into his arms and hugged me tight.
"Have you been back yet?" I asked returning his embrace.
"Yeah, prepare yourself baby girl, its bad," he answered.
"What did the nurses tell you?" I asked.
"The doctor was actually here when I got here. He said the heart attack cased a lot of damage and she was already so weak. He doesn't expect her to make it through the night," Daddy answered and hugged me close once again.
"I need to see her," I said pulling out of his arms and turning to Horatio. "Will you go back with me?" I asked holding my hand out to him.
"Of course I will sweetheart," he answered and pulled me against his side, wrapping his arm around my waist as we headed back to Grandma's room.
When we got to the door of her room, I stopped in my tracks and a sob escaped from my lips. She was hooked up to even more machinery and the swelling had gotten so much worse even though I had seen her only the night before. Her color had a gray tint to it and I knew in that instant that it was only a matter of hours before she was gone forever.
Forcing my tears away, I pulled myself together and walked to her side. Horatio followed me in and stood behind me with his arms around me as I said what I needed to say to the woman who had been mother and grandmother to me for thirty-eight years.
"Grandma, I'm here, Daddy's here and everyone else is on their way. I love you Grandma. You have made me the woman I am today. You taught me how to be strong and take care of myself. You taught me to be kind, considerate, and compassionate. You will always be in my heart and I will always remember you. I love you so much but I know you are tired and need to rest. We'll be together again someday God willing and until then just remember how much you mean to me and always will."
When I had said what I felt I needed to say, I lowered my head to rest against her shoulder where she had cuddled her children and grandchildren so many times and let myself feel like that little girl she had rocked so many times on that shoulder.
After several minutes, I stood back up and kissed her cheek and then turned into Horatio's arms as he led me from the room and back to the waiting room. Once in the waiting room, Horatio led me to sit down and I buried myself in his arms as the sobs I had managed to hold back while with Grandma broke through and I once again soaked his shirt with my tears
As the night wore on, family members and friends came and went. Even the rest of our team came to show their support. Through it all, Horatio stayed beside me. At about three in the morning, we were all dozing when a nurse came in and asked if we were the Graycen family and we all got to our feet.
"I'm sorry, but Mrs. Graycen went into cardiac arrest and we were not able to bring her back," the nurse told us. We had been expecting it all night, but it still did not make it any easier.
I went to my Dad and Uncle and we all stood in a huddle letting our grief flow together. I don't know exactly how long we stood there, but when I turned back to where the nurse had been, Horatio was talking to her and I walked over to them, my Dad and Uncle following behind me.
"Thank you Lieutenant Caine. We'll contact the funeral home immediately," the nurse said and I realized that Horatio had given her the information she would need on that count. I had told him that Grandma's arrangements had already been made and paid for at the same funeral home that had handled my Grandfather's arrangements.
"Would you like to see her before you go?" the nurse asked and we all followed her back to Grandma's room one final time.
