Home for the Holidays
Chapter 4-Christmas Future
"Where are we?"
"City Morgue. A year in the future if you don't go back to that hospital room."
Hannah was standing next to a stretcher that had a sheet over a body. There was a guy in scrubs, apparently the medical examiner, standing and waiting. He looked bored stiff. She watched as her dad and Mallory walked in. He looked ten years older and she looked exhausted. Mallory tried to get her dad to stand back but he refused.
"I think you know the process, so let's get this over with." The medical examiner pulled the sheet away and folded it over the chest of the body. Hannah got closer and realized that it was her. She hadn't been cleaned up at all, and there was white foam coming out of her mouth and blood on her forehead. She looked over at her dad and he had tears rolling down his cheeks and his knees were giving out. Mallory had a hand on his arm and it looked like she was literally holding him up.
"So, is this your daughter, Hannah Rebecca Slattery?"
"Yes. It's her."
"Alright, her boyfriend gave her a hotshot of meth and heroine. She has also been beaten. Old and new bruises, left wrist is broken. She was also pregnant, twelve weeks. Fetus was a boy."
"Oh, my baby girl." Mike was closer to the stretcher and was wiping the foam off her face with his hand. The tears were rolling down his cheeks rapidly and Mallory had ahold of his arm.
"We usually send these cases to the Potter's Field. Most don't have families. Or at least families that claim them. Are you claiming this body?"
"Of course, she's my baby."
"Doctor, I will call the funeral home and have her picked up." Mallory had stayed quiet the entire time. She was rubbing Mike's back and more or less holding him up. He was in a trance, wiping the foam and blood off Hannah's face. He finally leaned over and kissed her forehead and then stood back up and nodded towards Mallory.
"That's horrible, Mom! I have to go back to the hospital."
"No. You still have another future Christmas to visit."
"It can't be worse than this, can it?"
"Losing a second child will prove too much for your dad. He will feel extreme guilt for what happened to you and his unborn grandchild. And he will take it out on everyone he loves."
"Oh, God."
"We're ready to leave."
Hannah and Christine were back at the house in St. Louis. There were Christmas decorations up but the sadness was like a heavy blanket. Emma, Sailor and Tommy were sitting in the living room, staring at the tree while Mallory was in the kitchen.
"Mom, why won't Daddy come in? We want to open our presents." Emma looked older and her eyes were sad.
"I'll get him. He's in the office."
Christine and Hannah followed Mallory into the office. Mike was sitting at the desk with an empty whiskey bottle in front of him and an empty glass. He looked even older.
"Mike, the kids want to open presents."
"Tell them to go ahead. They don't need me."
"You don't want to watch them? They're really missing you?"
"I'm right here. I haven't gone anywhere. I'm no good to them. They are better off without me."
"They love you and somewhere under all that alcohol you love them too."
"Leave me alone."
"No, Mike. I know you're missing Hannah but you still have three living kids. They need their dad not an empty whiskey bottle." Mallory picked up the bottle and threw it against the wall. It shattered into a hundred pieces and there was glass everywhere. Mike was out of the chair in a flash and had pushed Mallory against the wall, with his hands around her neck.
"Mike, let me go. I can't breathe!" Hannah and Christine watched Emma run in and grab Mike's arm. Mallory was making choking noises and Emma was desperately pulling on Mike's arm. He pushed her away, and she lost her balance. Her head hit the corner of the desk with a sickening thud and she slumped over on the floor, unconscious.
"Mike, what did you do? She isn't breathing!" He let go of her neck and she ran for Emma. Hannah watched her take Emma's pulse and listen to her chest. She grabbed the phone and was calling 9-1-1. Mike was just staring off into space. Mallory confirmed to the operator that Emma had no pulse and was not breathing and she would be starting CPR.
"Mom? Seriously? He killed Emma?"
"Accidently, but yes. He retired after you died, distanced himself from Mallory and the kids and started drinking. He'll go to jail and end up killing himself in prison. One of the most famous men in the world, reduced to this. Murdering his own child. All because of you saying you hate him."
"He loves Emma. He would never hurt her."
"He does. And it was an accident. He truly didn't intend to kill her."
"I want to go back to the hospital. I need to see what I decide to do. This can't happen."
"Before we do, we have to see the other scenario."
"Which is what?"
"What will happen if you go back to the hospital room."
"Please tell me it's better than this?"
"Yes."
"I'm scared and I want my dad."
"In a bit. You have to see this first."
They were in a symphony hall. There was a group of violinist but Hannah was sitting off by herself and was performing a solo. It was beautiful. She was dressed in a plain black dress and had her hair pulled up in a French knot. After her solo was done, she stood up and bowed. The crowd was on their feet, applauding.
"Folks, thank you for attending our concert. That last violinist is Hannah Slattery. Hannah is the daughter of Secretary of the Navy, Mike Slattery. She was recently accepted into Juilliard and this was her last performance with us. We hope she revisits at some point. I might mention that Hannah is all of eighteen years old. She was also given full ride scholarships to several universities but she has decided to follow her dreams of being a concert violinist. Can we give her another round of applause?"
Hannah and Christine watched the audience give another round of applause and the real life Hannah walk off the stage. The crowd was dissipating but Hannah made her way to a couple standing at the front row. It was her dad and Mallory. He looked just like he had always looked. Not wore out and pale. Mallory looked beautiful, and had a baby bump that was more than obvious. Mike pulled real life Hannah into a huge bear hug and kissed her on the forehead.
"So, you can tell you will have a bright future if you go back to that hospital room and the family is flourishing."
"Mallory is pregnant? Dad looks happy."
"Yeah. He's beyond proud of you. He always loved to listen to you play violin. Better than that heavy metal that he listens to normally."
"That stuff is awful. He always said that my violin playing wasn't his usual type of music but was his favorite."
"He loves it. So you like this version better?"
"Definitely. Are we going back to the hospital?"
"We have one more Christmas to visit. A couple years in the future."
"Is it as happy?"
"Yes."
"Then I guess I can put off going to the hospital. Just one more though?"
"You inherited your father's impatience. Let's go."
They were standing outside the St. Louis house. There were Christmas decorations everywhere and Hannah could see the Christmas tree in the front window. They walked into the house and immediately heard laughter. The kids were playing a loud game of Twister and Mike and Mallory were cuddled up on the couch holding two babies that were apparently twins.
"Daddy, what time is Hannah supposed to be home?" Emma had lost and was standing next to the game mat. Sailor and Tommy were still playing.
"Anytime now. I am ready to see her too, Emma."
There was a knock on the door and real life Hannah stuck her head in. The kids all started yelling and Mike jumped off the couch. Real life Hannah laughed and walked in, dropping her luggage and violin case at the door. Mike got to her first and gave her a massive bear hug.
"I've missed you, baby girl. You're home for a month?"
"I've missed you too. I've wanted one of those big hugs since August!"
"Dad and Mallory had twins?"
"A boy and girl. Faith Christine and Nathan Michael. See how happy everyone is?"
"It's beautiful. I want this to end like this. It's perfect."
"I agree. Good ending."
"So how do I make this happen?"
"It's time to go back to the hospital."
Hannah felt like she was floating away again. She truly loved how things could turn out. The happiness was palatable and it was exactly what she wanted. Her family was healthy and happy and she seemed to be thriving. It was beautiful.