Chapter 5
Late one night, Abbey was sitting alone by Jed's bed, holding his hand. He had been restless all day. No matter how much pain medication he was given, it didn't stop the twisting and turning.
She decided the time had come.
Tears were cascading down Abbey's face. She gently woke the girls up for them to say goodbye.
As she listened to them, memories flooded her mind. The births. How excited Jed was to hold each one of his daughters in his arms shortly after they were born. How he held their small little hands as they struggled to walk. How he taught each of them how to ride a bicycle. How he held his own hands as he taught them to drive. How he held Liz's and Zoey's arms as he walked them down the aisle. How he held the tiny hands of two of his older grandchildren. How the tiny fingers of his youngest grandson was placed so he could touch them. How they were holding his hands now as he faced his final journey.
Finally, they left to cry alone. Cry for their father. Cry for their Daddy.
Abbey voiced her final goodbye: "My love, you have been that for many, many years. We have faced much together and I am grateful for the time I have had with you. But your time is over. It's time you left the pain. Left the paralysis. Left the frustration. You have suffered enough. I love you so very much. I just hope you know that."
She gave him a gentle kiss.
Abbey opened the drawer next to the bed and took out a long box. Millie had given her a prescription for Morphine, to be used on an intermittent basis. So she filled the syringe with the drug and quietly slipped the needle in the IV port. She slowly infused the Morphine into Jed's body. Pulling the syringe out, she hid it in her pocket.
She placed her hand on his chest in time for his final breath. His final heartbeat.
Soon it was over.
Abbey had disobeyed his final wish. She had made sure that his final hours were the way she needed them to be. She was the one that had to go on living now.
She would have to live with what happened next.
TBC: PART 2 "Consequences"