All Good Things...
It was just after midday when Brittany sent her message to Seth; moments later in Ohio his phone buzzed, and he was able to check his messages unobserved. Julia was getting ready to leave for her doctor's appointment, and she was in the process of telling Mrs Carmichael all that she needed to know. He smiled as he read her words, a sense of pride filling him; he obviously had good stuff, if it had worked first time. In other circumstances, a father-to-be might have shouted the news from the rooftops, or confided in his best friend at the very least, but he decided that it was inappropriate for him to do so. For a start, it was still quite early days, then there was the fact that he might receive censure for having done it instead of praise, and of course, there was the small fact that Santana did not know yet. There would be plenty of time to share the news he was sure, and until then, it would remain a secret between him and the mother of his child…
He typed a quick response, telling Brittany that he was very pleased, and that his child could not wish for a better mother. Then he put his phone away, and looked unoccupied as Mrs Carmichael approached him. She was followed by Julia, who was looking concerned. "Now I want you both to promise me that you will call me at once if you need me to come back; your health Seth is my only concern…"
"Well it shouldn't be," he replied at once. "How you and my future niece or nephew are doing is the most important thing in the world right now. I am concerned that you taking care of me in such a physical way might actually be putting you under strain and hurting them, so if you start not going in for check-ups, then I will tell Hayden this isn't working and ask him to transfer me into the hospital…"
"Skylar would never stand for that!" exclaimed Julia.
"I know, which is why your check-ups are so important and need to be undisturbed," countered Seth.
"And I agree with Seth, so no hurrying back either," interjected Mrs Carmichael. "I can stay here until Skylar comes home without issue; in fact, I will even prepare an evening meal for you, so that all you will need to do when you get home is relax. It is only a few weeks now until your little one is due to arrive after all, and once they do, relaxing becomes a fond memory for quite some time…"
Julia still tried to protest, but not too hard, particularly after she was promised Chicken Provencal for supper, one of Mrs Carmichael's signature dishes. It would be perfect for her patient too, served with rice and cooked slowly, so that all of the ingredients would be soft and easy to eat. Checking her watch, she bade them both goodbye; to her surprise, Seth held out his arms and asked to hug her.
"I suddenly realised that I have never thanked you properly for all that you do for me, and for taking such good care of Skylar too. He would definitely be at a loss without you around. I am so glad that I pushed the two of you together…"
Julia laughed at his words, then tightened the hug just a little. As she headed out, she suddenly felt a twinge of fear that he had been particularly solicitous and enthusiastic in his goodbye for a reason, but then she dismissed the notion. He was well enough with no aches or pains that he mentioned, or that she could observe. In any case, he had begun to treat each goodbye as the final farewell with everyone…
With Julia gone, Seth was soon to be found in the kitchen alongside Mrs Carmichael, watching her prepare the dinner for that evening; he had been tempted to offer his assistance, but he knew that such a move would be politely but firmly declined by the older woman. It transpired that making the dish had been part of her plan all along, and to complete the meal she had brought with her a loaf of crusty French style bread, which he looked at with longing. He knew though that it was his nemesis, the first cause of the downfall that had brought him to this juncture. Maybe if he asked her nicely she would agree to cut him a small slice, which he could ask her to trim the crusts from. It would not be the same, but it would taste better than the supermarket sliced loaf he was forced to eat normally now…
He decided to wait until she had finished her cooking first before he asked. He watched as she placed the stew in the crock-pot, where it would cook slowly and into perfection, ready at just the right time. She then cleared up, leaving the kitchen spotless. Before Seth could speak, she announced that she felt it was time for a cup of tea and some cake, having brought a piece of Devil's Food cake for him from home. His sweet tooth overruled his urge for bread, at least momentarily, at the prospect of the chocolaty treat…
Mrs Carmichael prepared the tea, then whilst the kettle was boiling, she brought out the two slices of cake that she had brought with her from home. Seth smiled happily as the slice of rich dark chocolate cake was revealed, filled with butter cream and coated in rich frosting; as for Mrs Carmichael, she had brought a slice of her own personal favourite, a coffee and walnut cake. The tea made and poured, they began, with Seth savouring every mouthful of the cake, the two of them chatting about the small things in life, and naturally, about the forthcoming new arrival in the Willetts' household…
Then, it happened; there was an audible cracking noise, and Mrs Carmichael yelped in sudden pain. Seth's face immediately suffused with concern as she clutched her jaw, and then she turned away, to spit the piece of cake she had been chewing out onto the plate. On inspection, the plate now held a hard lump of walnut, not even softened by the baking process, and next to it, a broken off piece of tooth. "A sign of advancing age," began Mrs Carmichael, before she again grimaced in pain.
"You need to get that seen to, and as soon as possible," exclaimed Seth, concerned for the woman that every Dalton boy held in such high esteem.
"I am sure that it can wait another day or so," she replied, taking up her tea cup; however, her whimper as the hot liquid hit her now fractured tooth caused Seth to shake his head at her.
"No, you are obviously in pain; you need to call your dentist now and get an emergency appointment; if you don't, I will be forced to call the one man that would force you to, and by that I mean your husband. If I can't get him, then I call Julia and get her to come back. I will not be happy until I know that you are not suffering and are getting the treatment that you need. You would insist on the same if our positions were reversed…"
With a sigh, Mrs Carmichael replied, "Very well; it is a little more tender than I would like." She pulled out her cellphone and dialled a number…
Seth did not of course listen intently to every word that she said, his manners precluding such things, but he was nonetheless able to get the gist of the conversation from his end. The dentist could see her in the next couple of hours, but after that she would have to wait until Monday, as he had a weekend event that he could not miss. He had cover, but it was for severe emergencies only, and there was no guarantee when or indeed if she would be seen. She rang off, and grimaced again as her tooth throbbed. "Well, it looks as if I will just have to endure it until Monday…"
"Nonsense! I heard enough to know that he can see you if you go now, and I will not sit here and allow you to suffer needlessly. I am an adult, and I can still be left alone without issue for a short while. I am feeling fit and well, and how long will it be until Skylar or Julia get home? Minutes really; he should be back in about half an hour. I promise not to burn the house down in that time…"
Mrs Carmichael shook her head, and replied, "That's all as maybe, but I have been entrusted to take care of you; I cannot just go and leave you alone in those circumstances."
"The fact is that the person still technically in charge of that care is me, so I will make the decision on that if you don't mind. I will be okay, and before you even suggest it, I am not coming to the dentist with you. The dentist's office has never been one of my favourite spots, and even less so now when I cannot easily run away. If you want, I can write you a note saying that I forced you to leave with threats…"
"I am sure that…" Mrs Carmichael began, then was forced to stop as the pain in her jaw increased once more. When all was said and done, she realised, he had a point. He was still an adult, and the choice was his to make in the end. He was also correct that it would only be a short while until either Skylar or Julia arrived back home. "Very well, you win, but I am going to wash up our tea dishes before I go, because I refuse to leave a mess." Seth watched as the redoubtable lady got up and took her plate and cup to the sink, leaving him to finish off the last of his cake…
As Edith Carmichael washed her dishes, carefully picking the piece of tooth out first to take with her, she began to doubt the wisdom of what she had just agreed to. Yes, it was only a short while until someone came home, but a lot could occur in the blink of an eye… She pulled out her phone, and discretely wrote a text message to Julia, telling her what had happened, and that she had to go. The reply came with surprising rapidity, full of concern, telling her that of course she had to go at once; there was no reason to worry, as she would be on her way home in less than ten minutes, and Seth could easily cope for the short time in between…
Having been given de facto permission from Julia, Mrs Carmichael felt less guilty about going. She headed back over to the table, to find Seth looking at her. "Why do I get the feeling that you have just been in contact with a certain nurse?" he asked. Before she could respond, he continued, "Actually, I know you have, because she just sent me a message telling me that she would be home soon, and to behave in the meantime…"
Mrs Carmichael nodded, knowing that she had been caught in the act. "I apologise, but I dread the idea of something happening to you the moment that I step out of that door…"
"If it does, it does; you of all people should know how unpredictable MND can be, and how powerless we all are in the face of it. I mean, I won't get all Doris Day on you, but…"
"Que Sera, Sera, Whatever Will Be, Will Be," she sang at him. "Well, I will take my leave then; take care of yourself, and do not hesitate to call me back if you start to feel bad."
"Whatever happens, you will see me very soon, of that you can be certain," said Seth with a smile. To his surprise, he suddenly found Mrs Carmichael wrapping him up in her arms, hugging him close, and he hugged her back…
Then she stood, and without a word, she headed for the door. As she opened it, she turned back, and said, "I will call later to check up on you, so be on your best behaviour."
With that, she was gone. As he heard her car start up, Seth suddenly realised that for the first time since he had moved back to Ohio, he was alone in the house. He did not know if that pleased him, or worried him. Nevertheless, he knew just what he was going to do whilst he was home alone…
Across town at that moment, Skylar was getting impatient for the meeting that he was sitting in to come to an end. His day had already been a long one, and the fact that this final part of the day was now overrunning was annoying, particularly as it was all down to one colleague, who was asking the same question, phrased in a different way, over and over again. After the fourth time, as Skylar's blood was starting to boil, the chair announced that they were ending the meeting, and that if anyone was still unclear on anything and had further questions to pose, they would need to do so individually afterwards. Skylar gathered up his papers, and was the second person out of the door. He was nearly 20 minutes later in leaving than he should have been, and if the traffic was bad on his way home, that would turn into a full half hour…
He hastened therefore to the parking lot, and jumped behind the wheel, placing his cellphone in the holder and switching on his hands free function, before pulling out of his designated space and heading for home. With the car now moving, he prompted the phone to relay his new messages to him, and after two short work related ones, he heard one from his wife. "Skylar, Mrs Carmichael has had a slight emergency and has had to go to the dentist at once; I think she broke a tooth. I will be home soon anyway, so Seth will be alone for no time at all. Love you…" The moment that he heard the word alone, Skylar felt the colour draining from his face, but he quickly returned to normal. His best friend was well at the moment, and had passed his latest check-up with Hayden just a few days ago. Seth would be fine…
And yet the little voice in the back of his head that sometimes erupted when he was doubtful began to chuckle mockingly as he told himself all of that. For that reason, as soon as he was able to, Skylar increased his speed just a little above his usual, but still well within the limits. He might also have driven a little more assertively, changing lanes if he saw an opportunity to get ahead. After all, it would not hurt anyone if he arrived home just a few minutes earlier than he might otherwise have done, and it would also prove that little laughing voice wrong…
Julia meanwhile was also doing her best to get back as quickly as possible, although she had been held up by a colleague as she tried to leave the hospital; she did not seem to understand that Julia was keen to get home, and that honestly, she did not care to hear about the lady in questions experiences of child birth….
Meanwhile, totally unaware of the haste with which his two friends were making in their journey home, Seth had rolled himself through the kitchen and washed up his own cup and plate, drying them before putting them away in the conveniently low height cupboard. That done, he headed over to the table, where the loaf of crusty bread was calling to him. It was still swathed in tissue paper from the bakery, and smelt amazing, the smell telling him that it was a sourdough loaf. He was willing to bet that it would taste just as good, smothered in butter, or with a nice piece of sharp cheese… That had always been one of his favourite things; a slice of new bread with a generous helping of good cheese - so simple, and yet so wonderful…
He knew where the bread knife was, and his hands felt reasonably strong for a change, so he could quite easily cut himself a slice; maybe not the neatest one in the world, but not a roughly hacked one either. He was certain that Mrs Carmichael would have allowed him to have a slice if he had been able to ask before she left, now that his dry mouth issue was all but cured… Yes, he had suffered an attack before and that was thanks to a similar loaf of bread, but that was before he had started to drink the tea that had eased his throat. It should be no problem now, particularly if he avoided the crusts, rendering it more or less harmless in his view…
He made up his mind, and with purpose, pulled the bread board on which the loaf sat towards the edge of the table. Then he fetched the knife; cutting the slice took him longer than it might once have done, and of course, he could not have the outside slice, backed as it was by crust. A further trip to the refrigerator got him the spread that he now had to use; he had momentarily considered taking out the butter, but there was no point in taking too many risks. He spread his slice, then washed the knives, before putting them and the tub of spread away. He headed back, and that was when he realised he had not trimmed off the crust. He was about to go to fetch the knife again when he noticed that there was a very thin crust on one edge; if he began there, he could then eat around the rest. It would save time, and what harm could it do? He lifted the slice up, and took a bite…
In life, so many things rest on the decisions that we make in a split second. True, the great earth-shattering events came about only after long periods of contemplation in the main, or from a series of grievances that built up one upon another until the camel's back was broken with the final straw. For an individual though, it was those small and apparently trivial decisions that often destroyed it all. The same of course was true for death. A left or right turn at a juncture could save us or hand us into the hands of fate…
So it was that day with bread crusts…
In practice, it only brought forward something that had already been ordained by those angels in power high above Wes. He had of course been on alert all day, having known the date for some time, and dreading the moment that it dawned. He had not been told the exact time to expect the event to occur though, just as Elizabeth had not been privy to the exact moment he would pass when his own name had appeared in her ledgers…
When it came there was no bell, no sound of alert or warning; the collecting angel just knew when the time had come, and they had to drop everything and go. Wes had been sat at his desk, going through his paperwork when he felt the feeling arrive; he had gasped, then making excuses to Emily, had headed straight to the house in Ohio…
As for Seth, he had been savouring the flavour of real bread, his eyes closed, when suddenly an all too familiar sensation hit him. He could feel his saliva starting to thicken, and it was horrible. He had to try and swallow the piece of bread in his mouth before it got too bad…then he realised that he couldn't, as his throat was constricting now too. He tried not to panic though, as he would just need to spit it out instead; if that plan failed, then he would just have to pull it out with his fingers…
That was the moment that he felt his hands start to tremble as an attack approached… Still he did not panic; instead he concentrated all of his efforts in getting the piece of bread moving, either downward into his stomach, or up and hence out. He opened his mouth wide, and then tried to cough, to clear his throat, but nothing happened. He tried again to swallow, but all that seemed to do was increase the sensation that his mouth was full of a glue like paste that would not shift. Then the lump of bread did move, and he suddenly found himself gasping for breath as it blocked his airway. It moved again in a heartbeat, but that one second was all it took for Seth to begin worrying…
He realised that he had been a fool, kidding himself that he could eat whatever he wanted again because he had been able to do so for a short while, thanks to the tea. He was now right back at square one, in the same position he had been in at the end of February. This time however there was no immediate sign of Finn to come and perform the Heimlich Manoeuvre, so he would have to try and sort himself out. He had no other choice than to try and pull the bread back out of his mouth with his fingers….
He lifted his right arm, and to his horror it immediately began to vibrate in the most alarming fashion, filled with spasms that made the whole limb ache. It was obvious that he could not use it, so he raised his left, and it was immediately affected in the same way. Worse, his right ceased to be until he tried to raise it again. The moment that he moved either of his arms in the direction of his mouth, he was beset by spasms. He tried to lower his head down towards his hands, but all that did was make his breathing more laboured, and worse, his jaw began to spasm and shudder instead. With a final Herculean effort he forced his right hand up, supporting it on his left, and managed to get his fingers on his lips before it all became too painful and he had to give up. He needed help, and he needed it yesterday. Looking around, he saw his phone just across the room, but with the pain in his arms now searing, getting to it might be hard. Then it struck him - Alexa. He could ask her to call someone for him…except when he tried to speak, his voice faded, his words slurring…
He was now beginning to panic, just a little, but he could do this, he could sort the problem. He grasped the handrims, and began to turn them, no choice but to ignore the agonising pain and move across the room. Just getting moving caused the spasms in his arms to return with a vengeance, but he persevered, inching slowly towards his phone and salvation. Even if he could not speak, the fact that he had called and had not been able to do so would indicate that he needed assistance urgently…
There was a turn to make, and there the worst thing possible occurred. He tried to move through the turn just a little more quickly, and to do so, he leant his weight to one side. He succeeded in doing only one thing; lifting one side of the chair off the floor, losing his balance, and toppling helplessly to the floor. He did not bang his head as he hit the ground heavily, but the side that he landed on began to spasm at once, and this time it showed no signs of stopping or easing up…
That was when Seth realised that he was in big trouble. He realised that there was no way that he could right himself in his present condition, and even if he could manage to somehow contrive to drag his body along the floor to the cabinet on which his phone sat, there was no way that he would be able to lift himself up and retrieve it. His blood ran cold in his veins as the truth hit home. He was stuck on the floor; the fall had caused the lump of bread to move, but it was now lodged further down, and his breathing was now much more laboured. He was slowly choking, and the spasms were getting worse by the minute. If someone did not return home soon…
That was when he felt the draught, the by now familiar sign that the wings of an angel were being used. He looked up, and saw those special wings, the ones of pure white with the red and blue stripes around the edge; he saw the whole of those wings, as Wes was facing away from him, his head bowed. He was about to try and attract his attention to his plight when it dawned on him, and the pieces of the puzzle fell neatly into place. Wes was not there to help him as Finn had been…
This was the moment, the time, the place…
He suddenly heard the faint echoes of a song in his head…
And now, the end is near, and so I face the final curtain…
He was about to die, lying on the floor of Skylar's kitchen, killed by a piece of bread.
He heard a strange noise then, a strangled sob, and his first thought was that it had come from Wes, but then he realised that the noise was coming from him. For all he had said, he was not ready to die. It could not be his time, not before he had seen the birth of his best friend's first child; not before he had witnessed Mason playing Bert; not when Mrs Carmichael would blame herself for leaving him alone…
He heard the noise again, and this time Wes turned round to look at him. The face of his friend, the one known to so many in the world as that of The Judging Angel was tear-stained; every bit of the heartbreak he felt at being there was obvious in his expression. That was when Seth also knew that all of his inner protests were futile. He was in the book, it was ordained by those above, and there was no-one that could prevent what was happening moving to the ultimate conclusion. He had no choice other than to let death take him…
Then he heard another sound that filled him with horror. It was the sound of a car pulling up to the house on the gravel driveway. Someone was arriving home, or paying a visit.
His immediate thought was that it not be Skylar, that it be anyone other than his best friend.
Let it be Julia, who had seen situations like this before in her nursing career, of that much he was certain.
Let it be Mrs Carmichael, who had turned back en route to the dentist, and who had witnessed the death of someone that she loved twice before.
Let it be Thad, summoned by Mrs Carmichael as a proxy for her, a man that could probably handle this much better than the alternative…
Seth dreaded it being Skylar, as his grief would be so overwhelming; his death would be rendered all the more painful by having to see it at close quarters…
He heard the closing of a car door, the crunch of footfalls on the gravel, and someone whistling a happy tune…
To be continued on Wednesday...