Part – 5
Tears From heaven
Authors Note: Thanks guys, you're great! Sorry it's been ages, been really busy. To make up for it, here's part 5 and 6! Part 7 will probably be here in a couple of weeks, got exams coming up. Just watch this space!!
Another ambulance pulls up outside, its siren sounding, warning people of its arrival. Luckily this isn't an emergency, just the transfer of a patient from Mercy. Susan stands close to the entrance, careful to make way for the gurney heading towards her. She folds her arms in an attempt to trap the warmth that is so quickly escaping. She stares at the hands rotating around her watch. The time is just before 3 in the afternoon. To be precise, just 15 minutes before 3.
People start to slowly filter through the entrance, out into the ambulance bay. All braving the freezing temperatures to remember and to pay their respects to the many lives that were lost on that day.
The once empty ambulance bay is now crowded. And although Susan was stood near to the entrance, she is now lost within the gathering.
Carter holds tightly onto Abby's hand, as though she is a child that will also be lost in the mass. But then she holds onto him just as tightly. The feelings mutual, neither of them wants to lose each other. They somehow manage to seek out Susan, and begin to make their way towards her.
Kerry is next, making the short journey out from the ER. She chooses to stand alone, at the back. She doesn't want to let on about her feelings of guilt, about the constant aching of her heart. They believe that she managed to put it all behind her, especially with Abby's survival and with her forgiveness. But what they believe isn't the truth.
Although she admits to herself that she has managed to put some of it behind her, if she hadn't, then she wouldn't be back here. But there's no way that she could block it all out. She just manages to cope, taking each day at a time. She doesn't think of it everyday, but it's always there at the back of her mind.
The gathering is complete, a total of 122 staff from all areas of the hospital. The gathering to remember the souls who are forever lost, but not forgotten.
Silence begins to travel across the crowd, until the only sounds to be heard are those of the busy city, not too far away. And then it begins, the recollection of that day.
"A total of 218 lives were lost. 37 were staff at this hospital. Today is a day that this city, this hospital, will never forget."
There was a short pause, to let statistics sink in, as if they already hadn't.
"One year ago today, this city fell victim to a terrible virus. A nightmare that was, until then, only bound to the realms of fiction. But now we know, at the sacrifice of those lives, just how wrong we were. Those many lives that belonged to our colleagues, our friends, our family."
There was another short pause,
"May we join together, to honour their memory, in a 2 minute silence."
Silence once again fell. This time it was suffocating. They had already had their own 2 minute silence in their own way. They had already thought about those who died, and it wasn't just today that they remembered, it was everyday. In some respects, it was like a prison sentence. There was no way to escape the thoughts. But nevertheless, they still joined in the memorial service, still attended.
The silence was disturbed by the sound of raindrops hitting the tarmac. It felt as though it was cold enough to snow, but instead rain slowly fell to the ground.
As quickly as it had started, it was over. Their respects had been paid, the lost souls remembered. The crowd began to break up. Susan, Carter and Abby made their way back into the ER.
Susan was the first to speak, the first to break the silence that had fallen between friends.
"Well, I'm off in 5. Can't say I envy you two."
"I wouldn't either" Carter replied.
"Do you want to meet at Doc Magoo's later?"
"Yeah, that sounds like a good idea to me. Abby?"
"Yeah, the sooner we're out of this place, the better."
They headed through the entrance, as did the others that had gathered.
Kerry made a quick glance towards the grey clouds rolling overhead. And then she, too, made her way into the ER.
And with that, all that remained in the ambulance bay, were the tears falling from heaven.