Chapter 9 - But you're never gonna see me cry the last goodbye

Keely walked out of the hospital room, and just burst into tears. "Mom, will dad die?"

Mandy and Phil looked at each other. They knew the chances, but they weren't sure if Keely could take the truth right now.

"Well, I'm sure the hospital staff are trying their best. I mean, they probably hate it when one of their patients dies, so they'll be trying to save him," Phil reassured her.

Mandy looked at him, and mouthed 'thank you.' She couldn't stand telling her daughter the truth. She almost resented the truth now.

"Keely, why don't you go home with your mom. I'll walk back myself," Phil said.

Mandy shook her head. "Phil Diffy, you are not walking home in the pitch black. I'll give you a lift."

"I don't want to intrude…" Phil began, but looked over at Keely's pleading face and relented. "Okay. Thanks Mrs. Teslow."

Mandy looked at her daughter, who had wrapped her arms around Phil, and smiled. It wasn't the time for smiling, she knew that, but her daughter had such good friends. And she was glad of that. Keely had friends that were there for her, no matter what. "You guys go ahead. I have a few things to say to your father before we go."

"Okay," Keely whispered, and her and Phil began to walk up the hallway which was bustling with nurses and doctors, all ready to swap shifts.

Mandy waited until they were round the corner, and then she pushed open the door. "David?"

"Mandy," David whispered, hoarsely. "I'm sorry."

Mandy nodded. "I know you are. I'm sorry too. Sorry that we split. Sorry for everything. But that's not why I'm here."

"Keely…" David began, knowing that his daughter was the purpose of Mandy's visit.

"Yes. And her friend," Mandy said.

David smiled, remembering the way his daughter and her 'best friend' had reacted around each other. "Is that really all they are?"

Mandy nodded. "For now, anyway."

"We used to be like that," David murmured.

Mandy's eyes glazed over as she remembered the way her and David when they were young. "Yes. We were. So, I guess that means that you approve of Phil and Keely."

"Well, from what I can see, there's no reason for them not to be together. There were no visible tattoos, no piercing, and she seems to be smitten," David forced a weak smile. "She'll need him. When I'm…"

Mandy bit her lip. "Yes. She will. I'm going to bring her here everyday. You're going to see your daughter everyday, until…"

"I die," David said bluntly, and then smiled at the look on his ex-wife's face. "Mandy, we can't be afraid of saying it. I'm not afraid of dying. I'm afraid of leaving Keely here with nobody to look after her. But she'll have you. And Phil. And if she can move on, then so can I. Peacefully."

"David…" Mandy whispered, her eyes brimming with tears.

"Mandy, you have to be strong. For Keely. I am. And I'm the one dying of cancer. You underestimate our daughter. She's strong, and independent, and she'll get through this. Probably better than you will," David said, taking his ex-wife's hand.

Mandy nodded. "She will. Get through it better than I will."

A nurse came over, and explained that it was time for Mandy to leave.

"David, I'm so sorry," Mandy said.

David shrugged. "For what? You didn't cause me to get cancer. You did what was probably right at the time. Took my daughter away for her own safety. You haven't told her what happened?"

"No. I want her to love you. Like I do," Mandy whispered.

David smiled. "Thank you."

"I owe you," Mandy said, softly. Then she kissed him, briefly on the cheek. "I have to go. Keely and Phil are waiting in the car."

David smiled. "Yes, then you'd better go."

"Goodbye David," Mandy whispered, and then, she was gone.

The drive home was a sombre one. Phil didn't know what to say. Keely didn't want to say any of the things that were buzzing around in her head. Only Mandy spoke.

"Apparently, if they catch treatment early enough, they could have a chance of saving him," Mandy tried to be cheerful, knowing that the chances were very slim.

Keely raised her head. "They don't have a chance."

"Keely…" Mandy said, surprised at her loss of faith.

Keely wrinkled her nose. "No, mom. They don't have a chance. He left it too long, just hoping that it'd go away. But it didn't. They can't save him now. Can they Phil?"

Phil didn't know what to say. Should he side with Keely? Or lead her on? "Um…"

"Plus, he told me himself. He doesn't want to fight. He doesn't love me enough," Keely said, and a tear fell down her cheek.

Mandy slammed on the brake. "Keely Ann Teslow, don't you dare say that again. Your father loves you very much. And you know it."

The sound of car horns from behind her, made Mandy begin to drive again.

"Mom, I haven't seen my dad for five years. He doesn't know anything about me," Keely snapped.

Mandy turned a corner. "Keely, he talks to you on the phone every week. He knows you. And he loves you."

"Whatever," Keely muttered.

Phil looked out of the window, recognising his street, relieved that he didn't have to put up with the tension much longer. "Mrs Teslow, I'll just get out here. If that's okay."

"Sure Phil. I'll make sure you get into your house," Mrs Teslow said, and parked on the sidewalk.

Phil said goodbye to Keely, but it wasn't even registered. Deciding she just needed time to think it all through, he got out of the car, and began to walk up the street to his house. Maybe things would be better in the morning.


Something woke Keely up at one o'clock in the morning. She looked around her room. There was nothing, or nobody strange in there. Nothing outside the window. She hadn't remembered something that she had to do. It was all very strange.

The phone began to ring, sounding eerie in the silence of the house. She heard her mother get up, and answer it. She heard the 'hello.' Then she heard the sobs.

And then she knew why she had woken up at one o'clock in the morning. One of those freaky bonds that people had. She had woken up, at the exact moment that her dad had died.

A tear fell down her face, and she knew that there were much more to come.

Another update. You might get say, two more by the time I have to go away, which is on Wednesday. And I'll be away, until Tuesday, so you'll get two more, at least, before then. Hopefully anyway.