Maggie was discharged from the hospital the next night, despite the fact
she was far from better. She had decided that, since it really was her last
few moments, she'd rather spend them in a more homely environment than the
sterile hospital. She was sat comfortably in Eric's bed, weak and tired,
while Eric slept on the sofa.
Abby was glad Nathalie slept peacefully without waking up; she would have felt so guilty if the apartment had been filled with her crying when Maggie finally went. She couldn't sleep anyway. She felt like everything that was happening was at the wrong time and in the wrong place. Why couldn't this be in Chicago with Carter? Or at least why couldn't it have been earlier, or later, when they might've got leave together? She sighed and stared at the white ceiling, trying to force herself to sleep, but instead she got up, crossed the living room quietly (so not to wake Eric) and slipped into Maggie's room instead. She sat beside her bedside, listening to the weary rasping breaths of her aged mother. It saddened her to think that there was now so little time and they had wasted it all with petty arguments.
"Hey, Abby," Maggie turned and smiled at Abby, who was surprised to see her awake. "Can't sleep?"
"I guess not," Abby returned the smile. "How about you? I hope I didn't wake you up."
"No, it's ok." Maggie answered. "I'm glad you're here. I'm also glad we sorted things out today."
"Me too, Mom," Abby took her mother's hand. "Me too." Maggie looked touched.
"I don't think I have ever told you this enough, Abby," She began. "But you deserve to hear it a lot more. I'm very proud of you, Abby, and I owe a lot to you. You were always here for your little brother and now you've grown up, got married and had a beautiful daughter." Abby felt a sudden yearning at the mention of Carter; almost as though her heart was reaching out towards Chicago and leaving her body behind.
"You never cease to amaze me, Abby," Maggie continued. "How you have turned out so beautiful and strong willed and even after all you've been through. I'm so proud of you. Thank you for coming back so we could have the chance to make it all up."
"No problem, Mom," Abby told her, in a choked voice. She thought of all of Eric's efforts that went towards bring Abby here and wondered whether Maggie knew all this.
"Keep looking after Eric after I'm gone, please?" Maggie asked her. "You've done such a good job."
"Thanks. I will. I promise." Abby nodded in the semi-darkness. "I love you, Mom."
"God, I love you so much, too, Abby," Maggie replied. "And I never thought I'd hear you say that to me."
"I love you." Abby repeated. Maggie sighed with a mix of tiredness and happiness. Soon Maggie was asleep again and Abby found herself listening to those weary rasping breaths again. She sat by her for hours on end. When the luminous red numbers of the digital clock showed 14:59, Abby heard the laboured breathing stop. She gripped her mother's hand tightly, and fought with her medical instinct to try to keep her alive and her own heart that knew Maggie wanted to go. In the end she sat back in her chair and looked back at the clock. 15.10 Abby found herself crying tears for the mother she never thought she would cry anything other than anger for. If there had been any point in the past few weeks in which she had felt more alone, then this was it. The apartment was so quiet. So empty and quiet.
* * *
Carter lay on the sofa in his living room. The bed was too big for just him. He couldn't sleep. It hadn't been the first night when he had lain awake all night listening to the suffocating silence. The whole place was just too quiet.
Abby was glad Nathalie slept peacefully without waking up; she would have felt so guilty if the apartment had been filled with her crying when Maggie finally went. She couldn't sleep anyway. She felt like everything that was happening was at the wrong time and in the wrong place. Why couldn't this be in Chicago with Carter? Or at least why couldn't it have been earlier, or later, when they might've got leave together? She sighed and stared at the white ceiling, trying to force herself to sleep, but instead she got up, crossed the living room quietly (so not to wake Eric) and slipped into Maggie's room instead. She sat beside her bedside, listening to the weary rasping breaths of her aged mother. It saddened her to think that there was now so little time and they had wasted it all with petty arguments.
"Hey, Abby," Maggie turned and smiled at Abby, who was surprised to see her awake. "Can't sleep?"
"I guess not," Abby returned the smile. "How about you? I hope I didn't wake you up."
"No, it's ok." Maggie answered. "I'm glad you're here. I'm also glad we sorted things out today."
"Me too, Mom," Abby took her mother's hand. "Me too." Maggie looked touched.
"I don't think I have ever told you this enough, Abby," She began. "But you deserve to hear it a lot more. I'm very proud of you, Abby, and I owe a lot to you. You were always here for your little brother and now you've grown up, got married and had a beautiful daughter." Abby felt a sudden yearning at the mention of Carter; almost as though her heart was reaching out towards Chicago and leaving her body behind.
"You never cease to amaze me, Abby," Maggie continued. "How you have turned out so beautiful and strong willed and even after all you've been through. I'm so proud of you. Thank you for coming back so we could have the chance to make it all up."
"No problem, Mom," Abby told her, in a choked voice. She thought of all of Eric's efforts that went towards bring Abby here and wondered whether Maggie knew all this.
"Keep looking after Eric after I'm gone, please?" Maggie asked her. "You've done such a good job."
"Thanks. I will. I promise." Abby nodded in the semi-darkness. "I love you, Mom."
"God, I love you so much, too, Abby," Maggie replied. "And I never thought I'd hear you say that to me."
"I love you." Abby repeated. Maggie sighed with a mix of tiredness and happiness. Soon Maggie was asleep again and Abby found herself listening to those weary rasping breaths again. She sat by her for hours on end. When the luminous red numbers of the digital clock showed 14:59, Abby heard the laboured breathing stop. She gripped her mother's hand tightly, and fought with her medical instinct to try to keep her alive and her own heart that knew Maggie wanted to go. In the end she sat back in her chair and looked back at the clock. 15.10 Abby found herself crying tears for the mother she never thought she would cry anything other than anger for. If there had been any point in the past few weeks in which she had felt more alone, then this was it. The apartment was so quiet. So empty and quiet.
* * *
Carter lay on the sofa in his living room. The bed was too big for just him. He couldn't sleep. It hadn't been the first night when he had lain awake all night listening to the suffocating silence. The whole place was just too quiet.