Chapter Twenty-One

Sam reached for the ringing phone and held it to her ear as she filled out some paperwork. "Marquez."

"Samantha Jane."

She dropped her pen and looked straight ahead, "Ed?"

Ed sighed softly, his voice was gravelly than normal, "Yeah. Listen, I need you to meet me at Cleo's house."

Samantha blinked, "Cleo's house?"

Sighing again, the man clarified, "The Luxor."

The woman nodded as she stood up, "Whereabouts? That's a big place."

"You just go and stand somewhere and I'll find you."

Samantha started to grab her keys and purse, she had no doubt that Ed could find her. "Okay, I'm leaving now."

Without saying goodbye, Ed disconnected the phone and the loud click on the other end caused Sam to look at the receiver and mutter, "Goodbye to you as well." Hanging up the phone, she grabbed her cell phone and headed out.

Ed hung the phone up and looked about the waiting room of the hospital. Running a hand through his hair, he walked back into his wife's room and walked over to her bed. Leaning down, he brushed his lips over her closed eye lids.

The physical contact woke Jillian up and she gave her husband a soft smile, "Hey..."

Smiling down at her, Ed sat down in a chair by the bed, "Hey yourself. I'm gonna meet with Sam, fill her in on what's going on."

Jillian's smile faded, "Why Sam?"

Sighing quietly, her husband shrugged, "Because Danny, Mike and Nessa are too close in this. Besides, I can trust Sam not to say anything."

His wife nodded quietly as she stood up and hugged him, "Eddie... I'm ready."

Blinking, Ed pulled back and looked at her, his voice was a shallow whisper, "Now?"

Jillian nodded as she took a deep breath, "Yeah... now." Pausing, she took another ragged breath and continued, "Ed, this afternoon's blood transfusions were hell. I threw up, I had a massive headache, I still have it... my body aches and I can feel it deteriorating.

Ed's mind raced. No, she couldn't be ready, he told himself. Not now... In desperation, he began to reach for straws, "What about Hawaii?"

His wife's lips curled into a small smile, "I want you to have me cremated, Ed. I want my ashes scattered in Maui. When your time comes, we will meet on that beautiful pristine white beach, and we will be in our prime. Our bodies will be young and full of life and energy, and we will be able to recreate our life." She paused and for a moment Ed knew that she was already half way there, "Besides," she continued, "I don't want you to have to take care of me until I lose this battle."

"I don't mind taking care of you."

Smiling softly, she reached up and caressed his jaw, "I know... but I do. Ed, I want you to live your life. I want you to meet another woman and fall in love with her. You deserve it."

Ed stood up and paced, "There will never be another woman, Jill... Not ever." Turning he looked at her, "How in the hell can I replace the past thirty years with somebody else?"

"You don't have to replace the past thirty years, Ed," his wife started, "I don't want to be replaced. But I want you to get on with your life... I want you to create new memories. You are my best friend, Ed. A woman doesn't have it any better than you. I am making the cognitive decision here. I want this. I'm ready."

Staring off into space, he whispered, "But I'm not."

Nodding, Jillian said, "I know. But you don't have this war being fought in your body, Ed."

Sighing, Ed knew she was right. Walking over to the door, he closed it and walked back towards her, reaching into his inner coat pocket and slipping an empty syringe out. Sitting down, he leaned in and stroked her face, softly, "This isn't going to hurt, and it won't be traced back to me. But it will kick in fast..."

Jillian nodded as she prepared herself to say her goodbyes. With a tear falling down her cheek, she whispered softly, "Give our baby a kiss... Tell her I love her... Make sure she always knows that, just as you will always know how much I love you."

Her husband nodded as he felt his own tears welling up. Leaning in, he kissed her with as much passion as he could muster at the moment. Holding her close, Ed knew this was the last time that this woman would be in his arms. Tightening his arms around her, the couple quietly cried for a few moments and then reluctantly he pulled back from her. "I love you."

It was only three simple words, but they were all that was needed to be said.

Gently, he laid his wife back upon her pillow and took a deep breath as he carefully disconnected her IV and took the empty syringe and pushed a small bubble of air into her blood stream. Quickly reattaching the medicine, he waited for the air to affect her.

Jillian's eyes turned a startling shade of vivid blue. Never in his life had Ed seen her eyes so illuminated. He turned his head quickly so he wouldn't watch her fists gripping the sheets in a silent struggle and then he heard it...

The repetitive beeping that signaled his wife was dead.