Disclaimer: If I owned the sons of Ipswich, I wouldn't be writing. J
R&R my story. Flames Welcome. Tell me what I do wrong and/or what you want to see in the story and I will try to incorporate your thoughts into the text.
Thanks to MagykGurl for the reviews.
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That evening…
The hospital was winding down. Visiting hours were coming to a close. If she was going to do this, she was going to have to do it right then. She picked herself up off the wall carefully and brushed herself off.
She knew I would find the note soon, so she had to hurry. Staff walked past her unknowingly. She hesitated momentarily at the door, before pushing it open and slipping into the room.
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I didn't notice my missing car when Alona dropped me off at the house. I hesitated going in. "Do you think you'll be able to handle it?"
"A Tempest can do anything or anyone better." I commented, reciting a crude one-liner our dad had told us one time. I paused. "Beth needs me to handle it, so yes. I can."
Alona accepted that answer with silence as I got out of the car and opened the back door, grabbing my bed. Alona waved as I backed up towards the house. "Bye."
"Bye babe." I watched her leave a shrugged the tension out of my shoulders before turning to the house. It was really pretty in the foggy moonlight. Whenever it got like that, I just froze. It reminded me of a haunted castle, but instead of being scared, I was always strangely comforted.
Slowly, I began to move up the walk. I was dead tired. "Bedtime." I muttered tiredly, with a smile.
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Sarah and Caleb seemed content to spend the early afternoon trying to work the bang bang without falling out of the abnormally small bed. Thankfully, they kept their activities to Sarah's side of the room.
Once they were done, well after the forth time, the pair wore boxers and tees and chilled on the couch, (they really should have taken a shower first or something) Sarah was lying with her back to Caleb and her head on his chest. "What are we going to do?" she asked. Personally, it was about time she brought it up.
"Bout what?"
Sarah sighed. "Are we getting married?" the question hung in the air and Sarah concentrated on her breathing as Caleb sat in silence.
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Pogue stood just outside the doors of the hospital and sucked in quiet breaths Kate watched him with a sad smile in the rearview mirror. He watched that night in slow motion as the door opened and a couple exited smiling.
Finally, he took one deep breath and walked in.
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Tyler sat at the table while Alona stood at the bar chatting up the manager. Doyle's was closing down and I was upset, so Alona was fixing it. The way she saw it, I was forcing myself into a workplace that annoyed me, a lifestyle that I hated, my boyfriend was incapacitated… She wanted me to still have a goddamn bar. To be fair, I had practically grown up with Harley, Greg, and friends at Doyle's. It really did mean a lot, later I thanked her for going down there.
Tyler watched as his girlfriend drew up a 'legal document' on a napkin, wrote out a check, took the deed for the manager, and thanked him. He wasn't the only one amazed with the Tempest skills. Harley looked on from behind the bar as Alona took the deed. He laughed as she blew him a kiss and turned to rejoin her man. I was rubbing off on her. Good to know.
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I opened the front door with ease and saw the maid shuffling around in the living room. Too tired for conversation, I climbed up the steps of the stairs slowly and went directly to my room. Down the hall, my mother's bedroom door was closed so I wished her a silent goodnight as I went into my dark room.
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Sarah continued breathing softly as Caleb stirred beneath her. "Yes." he decided. "We'll get married." A small smile found Sarah's face. She melted into his chest again. She felt good. As far as she was concerned, she was getting married to the love of her life, her child was safe, her roommate was happy with her. Life was good.
Caleb's thoughts went from marriage, to kids, to Reid. He hoped and prayed that his friend would be okay.
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He stopped off at the bathroom on his way to the elevator. Remembering that night, found Pogue leaning over the toilet puking his insides out. God." he whispered. "I'm so sorry."
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Reid looked so sad, hooked up to all those machines. It made my mother stop in her tracks and watch as his breathing regulator popped up and down with his chest. She stepped towards him, pulling off her sunglasses. She sat down next to the bed and muttered a prayer under her breath.
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Flicking on the light, I dropped my bag by the bed. I didn't notice the envelope laying on my pillow as I made my way to the bathroom.
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A couple tears escaped her eyes and she immediately wiped them away. The hospital brought back many memories. The most recent of which, seeing me sleeping in much the same way as Reid was now. Unbeknownst to me, she had showed, but only once. Shaking her head of the memory, she stood out of the chair.
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I was oblivious as I took a nice cleansing shower. The day's stresses falling away from me. I tried desperately to clear my mind of everything. It worked too. I don't recollect how long a stood with my eyes closed under the steady stream of warm water rinsing over me.
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My mother flicked some stray hairs out of his face before taking one of his hands into hers. "I want you to know, that this is the only way. I love my baby girl and I know she loves you. Still… This is the only way." She hesitated. "I'm sorry." she whispered to no one in particular.
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I wrapped the white terry cloth robe around myself and fell into it. My wet hair dripped as I clipped it up dried off. My white boy shorts and older than Jesus Aerosmith tee-shirt acted as my bed clothes. I came out of the bathroom smiling and happy. The steam sort of following me.
I shot a smile at the family picture standing on my nightstand. It was taken when we were fourteen. My mother and Alona both matched, wearing sunflower dresses. My dad was wearing his favorite suit. I, however, was clad in a yellow 70s big belted dress. My dad stood behind me laughing at a crude joke I cracked about the photographer. My mother had a tight smile on her face and Alona blocked it all out holding her graceful pose. I was sticking out my tongue. I paid the photographer an entire month's allowance, not to tell my mother.
I moved to get into bed, when I spotted the envelope. Taking out the letter, I read it frowning. "Oh God…" I whispered in shock.
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Closing her eyes, she pulled together the courage. Opening them, she hesitated at seeing his pale face. After a minute, she sighed and began to speak.
"I…" Dear Isabella, It's my job as your mother to protect you. I realize now, that my time..., this job is over.
"will…" You need to know that I will always love you. I will always believe in you, even though I don't always like what you do.
"you…" Don't let anyone tell you that you don't belong. Even me… I love baby. And that's why I'm doing this.
"my…" I want you to have that chance to live. I want you to be able to protect yourself. I want you to love that boy as much as I loved your daddy, and I did.
"power." Be good to him. He loves you too. Love Mom.
She spoke carefully. She felt a pain in her arm and her shoulder's sagged. "Take care of her." she whispered as she moved to the door. She heard him gag to life behind her as she left.
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Pogue came in seconds later. He hurried to Reid's side as he watched his friend wake up in front of his eyes. Nurses rushed in to take out the regulator so that he could breathe on his own. "Hey man, welcome back." Pogue joked absently as he watched the commotion around them.
"Thank you." he whispered as Pogue grabbed his brother's hand. "Thank you."
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My mother was tougher than the prim proper exterior she let the world see. She made it all the way into the driver's seat of my car before leaning back, with a smile and closed eyes, and took her last breath.
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