Please R&R, you might want to get a tissue I actually cried writing this one.
Amanda gasps waking up out of a rigid sleep Sunday night. She gropes around for the light switch and turns on the light. She jumps out of bed and goes to the bathroom. Her skin is all clammy, she's hot and her eyes are stinging. Amanda leans over and splashes some water onto her face, then goes into the kitchen.
Breathing heavily she picks the phone up off of the receiver and starts to dial. She glances at the clock it reads 2:45 A.M.
"Hello, Glenoak General how may I help you?"
"Can you connect me to room 324 please." Amanda asks nervously
"Hold please."
Amanda stands up and gets a cup out of the cupboard and pours a glass of water.
"Hello?" The receptionist comes back on and Amanda freezes "Are you family?"
"Ye-yes I am, it's my mother. What's wrong?" Amanda asks nervously
"Do you have a ride down here sweetie?" She asks Amanda
"Why?"
"There was some complications you know you're mother is very sick."
"She just had surgery the tests came out ok. They said everything would go all right from here." Amanda says quickly her heart catching in her throat.
"Tonight the doctors found that they haven't beaten the cancer, your mother may not get better this time. You may want to come down here as soon as you can." The receptionist advises
Amanda slowly hangs the phone up and drops the glass in her hand because she is shaking so much.
Robbie wakes with a start at the sound of glass breaking. He goes into Rick's room and wakes him up. "Rick did you hear that?"
"Sounds like someone broke something." Rick mumbles
"At three in the morning?" Robbie asks doubtfully
"All right, I'm up." Rick gets out of bed. "Amanda's in the kitchen, she probably dropped something."
Amanda slides down until she is sitting on the floor, she starts to pick up the broken pieces of glass listlessly and doesn't notice when Robbie and Rick walk in.
"I told you she dropped something." Rick turns to go back to bed.
"Amanda" Robbie kneels down next to her and he notices her pale face. "Amanda what's wrong?"
"We've got to go to the hospital." Amanda whispers and Rick stops. "I got this- this feeling and I called and they said she's sick and we should get there as soon as possible."
"Are you sure?" Rick asks walking back over.
"Of course I'm sure!" Amanda's voice rises
"Calm down, I'll get my keys and we can go." Robbie gets up and gets his keys. "Come on."
Amanda gets up and follows Robbie out Rick not to far behind her.
**************
"Grace Palmer" Robbie says at the desk.
"Go in, the doctor will be there shortly." The receptionist urges them on.
"Mom?" Amanda hurries in
"Amanda?" Grace asks hoarsely. "Why are you here? All of you. It's so late."
"What happened?" Amanda asks tearfully
"Oh honey, I'm still sick, but don't you worry Robbie and Rick are here now."
"What about you?" Amanda asks
"I've been sick for a while now, and I haven't been getting better. I tried prolonging this for so long coming into another hospital, but it was inevitable." Grace smiles "I don't need a doctor to tell me I'm not leaving the hospital this time."
Rick looks shocked. "What? No mom come on. You'll be fine you just need more medication or chemo or something."
Amanda straightens up looking numb. She goes over to the window and looks out. "It's starting to rain." She says softly to herself. She turns and faces her mom "You said out in California, when it rains it pours."
"I did." Grace nods
"Then I guess it's beginning to pour." Amanda looks back out the window. "Funny how it rains tonight right?" She smiles
"Mom you can't die." Rick pleads
"Just try to hold on." Robbie adds
"Robbie, go to the desk over there and sign those papers you too Rick." Grace instructs them
"What are they?" Rick asks
"Guardianship papers for Amanda." Robbie answers "Mom we don't need to sign these you'll be fine. Amanda tell her."
Amanda looks scared. "Sign the papers Robbie."
Robbie looks at Rick. "Don't do it Robbie, we don't need to." Rick says forcefully
Robbie rubs his chin and looks in the doorway as the doctor enters, Robbie glances back down at the papers and signs his name. Rick looks away, then back at Robbie when he hands him a pen. Robbie takes it carefully and signs it slowly.
The doctor walks over to them "That was a wise choice." He says gravely
"Tell me you can do something for her." Rick says through clenched teeth.
Amanda goes to her mother's side and takes her hand. "Does it hurt a lot?"
Grace nods and inhales deeply.
"The cancer is too advanced, your mother can no longer fight it, it's spreading too rapidly." The doctor tells them quietly
"I don't want you to die." Amanda whispers to Grace.
"I know sweetie, I know. But it would hurt too much to stay. I can't bear the pain any longer." Grace whispers
"I'll leave you all alone." The doctor gently places a hand on Rick's shoulder and then leaves.
"Mom." Robbie goes over to her. "I'm sorry about everything about leaving and not calling and trying to get away and-"
"It's all right" Grace hugs him close. "Rick, you too everything will be all right."
"Not it wont, if you die." Rick exclaims pained, he takes her hand. "I left, I abandoned my family."
"You're here now." Grace smiles "That's what is important, and I was able to accomplish what was most important to me. Putting you three back together, you need each other. Be strong for each other and help each other. Try not to fight and if you do don't let it last too long." Grace's takes a sharp painful breath, the pain becoming stronger. "And don't ever forget that I love all of you." Grace smiles at them.
"I love you too mom" Amanda whispers giving her a kiss. Robbie and Rick both do the same.
"Then everything was worth it, don't ever forget that love wins out in the end." Grace closes her eyes momentarily "There's an envelope in the desk in my room at home don't forget to find it when you go home." She closes her eyes once more and takes a breath each one getting more and more painful. "Both of you… take care of my baby girl." She looks at them all once more smiles, then closes her eyes and takes her last breath.
Robbie slowly lets go of Grace's hand and places it alongside her. He backs away fighting back the tears. Rick goes over to the window and looks out, sure enough it has begun to pour. Sheets of rain were coming down.
Amanda stands by Grace's side still holding onto her hand. A few minutes later a nurse walks in and shuts off the machines, then draws the curtains so they can have some privacy.
Amanda's knees begin to buckle and she tries to stay standing in vain, she sinks into the chair besides the bed and buries her face in her hands curling up into a ball.
The three of them remain in silence for almost an hour lost in their own thoughts. The nurse comes in around 4:30 and looks at them worriedly "Why don't you kids go home? You'll need your rest the next few days aren't going to be easy on you."
"Yea." Robbie mumbles, and Amanda gets up slowly, Rick walks out followed by the other two.
Amanda opens the door the their house and goes into her mother's room and lays in her bed. Rick turns to Robbie. "I'll go clean up the glass, we uh left it there before."
"All right." Robbie agrees and goes into his mother's room, to her desk and locates the envelope she had mentioned. Inside it contained a copy of her will, and explained that the apartment was paid off for the year. The hospital bills were paid, and to call Reverend Camden for help with the funeral services. Robbie cringes at the thought that his mother had to plan this out ahead of time. Robbie glances at Amanda who is laying there, her hair soaking the pillows from the rain outside. Not knowing what do say to her, he leaves and goes into his own room.
Please R&R, the rest of the characters will be in the next chapter which will be up soon.
Amanda gasps waking up out of a rigid sleep Sunday night. She gropes around for the light switch and turns on the light. She jumps out of bed and goes to the bathroom. Her skin is all clammy, she's hot and her eyes are stinging. Amanda leans over and splashes some water onto her face, then goes into the kitchen.
Breathing heavily she picks the phone up off of the receiver and starts to dial. She glances at the clock it reads 2:45 A.M.
"Hello, Glenoak General how may I help you?"
"Can you connect me to room 324 please." Amanda asks nervously
"Hold please."
Amanda stands up and gets a cup out of the cupboard and pours a glass of water.
"Hello?" The receptionist comes back on and Amanda freezes "Are you family?"
"Ye-yes I am, it's my mother. What's wrong?" Amanda asks nervously
"Do you have a ride down here sweetie?" She asks Amanda
"Why?"
"There was some complications you know you're mother is very sick."
"She just had surgery the tests came out ok. They said everything would go all right from here." Amanda says quickly her heart catching in her throat.
"Tonight the doctors found that they haven't beaten the cancer, your mother may not get better this time. You may want to come down here as soon as you can." The receptionist advises
Amanda slowly hangs the phone up and drops the glass in her hand because she is shaking so much.
Robbie wakes with a start at the sound of glass breaking. He goes into Rick's room and wakes him up. "Rick did you hear that?"
"Sounds like someone broke something." Rick mumbles
"At three in the morning?" Robbie asks doubtfully
"All right, I'm up." Rick gets out of bed. "Amanda's in the kitchen, she probably dropped something."
Amanda slides down until she is sitting on the floor, she starts to pick up the broken pieces of glass listlessly and doesn't notice when Robbie and Rick walk in.
"I told you she dropped something." Rick turns to go back to bed.
"Amanda" Robbie kneels down next to her and he notices her pale face. "Amanda what's wrong?"
"We've got to go to the hospital." Amanda whispers and Rick stops. "I got this- this feeling and I called and they said she's sick and we should get there as soon as possible."
"Are you sure?" Rick asks walking back over.
"Of course I'm sure!" Amanda's voice rises
"Calm down, I'll get my keys and we can go." Robbie gets up and gets his keys. "Come on."
Amanda gets up and follows Robbie out Rick not to far behind her.
**************
"Grace Palmer" Robbie says at the desk.
"Go in, the doctor will be there shortly." The receptionist urges them on.
"Mom?" Amanda hurries in
"Amanda?" Grace asks hoarsely. "Why are you here? All of you. It's so late."
"What happened?" Amanda asks tearfully
"Oh honey, I'm still sick, but don't you worry Robbie and Rick are here now."
"What about you?" Amanda asks
"I've been sick for a while now, and I haven't been getting better. I tried prolonging this for so long coming into another hospital, but it was inevitable." Grace smiles "I don't need a doctor to tell me I'm not leaving the hospital this time."
Rick looks shocked. "What? No mom come on. You'll be fine you just need more medication or chemo or something."
Amanda straightens up looking numb. She goes over to the window and looks out. "It's starting to rain." She says softly to herself. She turns and faces her mom "You said out in California, when it rains it pours."
"I did." Grace nods
"Then I guess it's beginning to pour." Amanda looks back out the window. "Funny how it rains tonight right?" She smiles
"Mom you can't die." Rick pleads
"Just try to hold on." Robbie adds
"Robbie, go to the desk over there and sign those papers you too Rick." Grace instructs them
"What are they?" Rick asks
"Guardianship papers for Amanda." Robbie answers "Mom we don't need to sign these you'll be fine. Amanda tell her."
Amanda looks scared. "Sign the papers Robbie."
Robbie looks at Rick. "Don't do it Robbie, we don't need to." Rick says forcefully
Robbie rubs his chin and looks in the doorway as the doctor enters, Robbie glances back down at the papers and signs his name. Rick looks away, then back at Robbie when he hands him a pen. Robbie takes it carefully and signs it slowly.
The doctor walks over to them "That was a wise choice." He says gravely
"Tell me you can do something for her." Rick says through clenched teeth.
Amanda goes to her mother's side and takes her hand. "Does it hurt a lot?"
Grace nods and inhales deeply.
"The cancer is too advanced, your mother can no longer fight it, it's spreading too rapidly." The doctor tells them quietly
"I don't want you to die." Amanda whispers to Grace.
"I know sweetie, I know. But it would hurt too much to stay. I can't bear the pain any longer." Grace whispers
"I'll leave you all alone." The doctor gently places a hand on Rick's shoulder and then leaves.
"Mom." Robbie goes over to her. "I'm sorry about everything about leaving and not calling and trying to get away and-"
"It's all right" Grace hugs him close. "Rick, you too everything will be all right."
"Not it wont, if you die." Rick exclaims pained, he takes her hand. "I left, I abandoned my family."
"You're here now." Grace smiles "That's what is important, and I was able to accomplish what was most important to me. Putting you three back together, you need each other. Be strong for each other and help each other. Try not to fight and if you do don't let it last too long." Grace's takes a sharp painful breath, the pain becoming stronger. "And don't ever forget that I love all of you." Grace smiles at them.
"I love you too mom" Amanda whispers giving her a kiss. Robbie and Rick both do the same.
"Then everything was worth it, don't ever forget that love wins out in the end." Grace closes her eyes momentarily "There's an envelope in the desk in my room at home don't forget to find it when you go home." She closes her eyes once more and takes a breath each one getting more and more painful. "Both of you… take care of my baby girl." She looks at them all once more smiles, then closes her eyes and takes her last breath.
Robbie slowly lets go of Grace's hand and places it alongside her. He backs away fighting back the tears. Rick goes over to the window and looks out, sure enough it has begun to pour. Sheets of rain were coming down.
Amanda stands by Grace's side still holding onto her hand. A few minutes later a nurse walks in and shuts off the machines, then draws the curtains so they can have some privacy.
Amanda's knees begin to buckle and she tries to stay standing in vain, she sinks into the chair besides the bed and buries her face in her hands curling up into a ball.
The three of them remain in silence for almost an hour lost in their own thoughts. The nurse comes in around 4:30 and looks at them worriedly "Why don't you kids go home? You'll need your rest the next few days aren't going to be easy on you."
"Yea." Robbie mumbles, and Amanda gets up slowly, Rick walks out followed by the other two.
Amanda opens the door the their house and goes into her mother's room and lays in her bed. Rick turns to Robbie. "I'll go clean up the glass, we uh left it there before."
"All right." Robbie agrees and goes into his mother's room, to her desk and locates the envelope she had mentioned. Inside it contained a copy of her will, and explained that the apartment was paid off for the year. The hospital bills were paid, and to call Reverend Camden for help with the funeral services. Robbie cringes at the thought that his mother had to plan this out ahead of time. Robbie glances at Amanda who is laying there, her hair soaking the pillows from the rain outside. Not knowing what do say to her, he leaves and goes into his own room.
Please R&R, the rest of the characters will be in the next chapter which will be up soon.