Chapter 12 Loss

Chapter 12 Loss
Elizabeth and Keith were sleeping, when the phone rang waking them up. Keith quickly got up and answered it. He handed it to Elizabeth, told her it was her aunt, then turned around and went back to sleep.

Elizabeth took it worried; she shakily answered “Hello”

“Hi sweetheart.” answered her aunt.

“Hi.” Elizabeth said nervously “What’s wrong?”

Her aunt inhaled and answered slowly “It’s your mom.”

Elizabeth’s heart sank “Oh my God! What happened?”

“She is OK, she just got into a car accident and is now in the hospital” her aunt answered.

“Oh my God. Seriously? How?” Elizabeth asked wanting to know all the details.

“Somebody lost control of their car and ran right into your mom; her car spun out and landed in a ditch. She has a few cuts, bumps, and bruises.” She stopped but it sounded like she wanted to say more.

“What?” Elizabeth asked.

“Well she is OK, but she hit her head.” said Elizabeth’s aunt.

“What?” Elizabeth cut her off.

Elizabeth’s aunt answered “Well the doctor’s are worried because she is not coming too; she has been unconscious since they found her.” Her aunt finally disclosed.

“Oh my God. How is this OK? What hospital is she at? I’m coming right now.” Elizabeth proclaimed.

“We’re at the Ariel Memorial Hospital.” answered her aunt.

Elizabeth hung up the phone, and got out of bed as quickly as possible. She grabbed a suitcase and started to pack some of her clothes. Keith woke up from all the noise she was making and jumped up surprised

He asked “What’s happening?”

“I have to go see my mom, she is in the hospital. She got in a car accident and won’t wake up now.” Elizabeth explained.

Keith got up and went over to her, he went to hug her but she avoided him and kept packing. Keith grabbed her arm to stop her and said softly “Hey, you need to slow down.”

Elizabeth asserted annoyed “No I have to go now.”

She took her arm out of his grip, and went back to packing her clothes. Keith grabbed her and placed her on the bed

“No sit down, I will pack our stuff.” Keith proclaimed.

“Our stuff?” asked Elizabeth emphasizing the word ‘our’.

“Yea, obviously I am going with you, she is my future mother-in-law.” answered Keith.

Keith started to pack their clothes. He wanted to laugh at Elizabeth’s packing job she grabbed a bunch of shirts for herself and nothing else. But he knew he couldn’t because she was packing while stressed and hurt and he knew she would never pack that way in her normal state of mind. Keith took out what she had packed and repacked with all the essentials they would both need. When he was done packing he grabbed Elizabeth and helped her get dressed, help she needed because she was having difficulty moving.

Keith had called Harold so he was outside waiting for them when they were ready to leave. Keith put the suitcase in the trunk while Elizabeth got in the car. Keith got in the car next to her closed the door then Harold drove off.

The second they started moving it began to feel all too real for Elizabeth, and she just broke down and started to cry. Keith put his arm around her and pulled her into him and assured her that everything was going to be OK.

The drive felt like the longest drive of Elizabeth’s life. Keith held her close terrified that he had just lied to her, but hoping he had not and that her mother would be alright.

When they arrived Elizabeth got dropped off at the hospital, meanwhile Keith went to get a hotel room and got everything set up for them to stay there.

Elizabeth walked into the hospital, she felt as though the fluorescent lights were blinding her. She found her way to the elevator and, she went up to the floor her mother was on. She quickly found her aunt who brought her to where her mother was.

Elizabeth stood outside the room staring through the Plexiglas at her mother. She was lying there unable to wake up and unable to move. Her mother had always been fragile but she had never seen her so prohibited. She fought back her tears as she noticed a doctor approaching her.

The doctor came up to her and asked her who she was; she explained to him that she was her daughter. Elizabeth asked if she could see her. The doctor said that she could go in for a few minutes. Elizabeth thanked him then went in to see her mom.

She walked in and took her mother’s hand it felt really cold, she started to rub it between her palms trying to warm it up. As she did this she looked at her mother, she was bruised all over, and where she was not bruised she was cut and scratched. Elizabeth did not know what to do but, she wanted to do something to help.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the doctor who came in and asked her if he could talk to her about her mother. She nodded put her mother’s hand down gently then walked back to the hall to talk with the doctor.

In the hallway the doctor told her that her mother was not doing well, he explained that they did not get to her in time, and that her mother was having a brain haemorrhage that they could not get under control. He explained that they performed surgery on her but they could not get all of the haemorrhage.

Elizabeth’s was stricken by this, and then she did what she did not want to do and asked what all that meant. The doctor explained that it meant that she would never wake up, and that she as her power of attorney had to make the decision on whether or not to keep her on life support.

Elizabeth felt too weak to stand and sank down to the floor; she started weeping into her hands. Keith had made his way to the hospital and found the floor where Elizabeth’s mother was. He saw Elizabeth on the floor with the doctor trying to comfort her but to no avail. The doctor was relieved when Keith came up to them and told him that he would take over.

Keith bent down to be at her level and stroked her shoulder. He waited for her to stop crying to tell him what he had already figured out when he saw her there on the floor. After crying for about ten minutes, Elizabeth resolved that she was going to be strong and do what she needed to do.

She explained to Keith everything that was happening.

Keith asked her “What are you going to do?”

“I cannot let my mother suffer. It hurts unbearably but I have to take her off of life support.” Elizabeth explained.

Keith hugged her “I’m so sorry.”

Elizabeth fought back more tears and sniffed “Thank you, I still can’t believe this is happening.”

“I know.” Keith stroked her hair, not knowing what else to do. “You’re doing the right thing though.” Keith reassured her.

Elizabeth pulled out of his grasp, squeezed his hand him “I know, I have to tell my aunt.” Elizabeth walked away to tell her aunt what was going on. Keith stayed where he was while he looked on and he saw Elizabeth’s aunt break down, the same way Elizabeth just had, after Elizabeth told her what was happening.

Elizabeth told the doctor her wishes, the doctor followed protocol then carried her wishes out. By the time the sun had risen the next day Elizabeth’s mother was gone, and Elizabeth felt a huge sense of loss. Keith on the other hand although sad for the loss was impressed by Elizabeth’s strength throughout the whole ordeal.

Elizabeth had to stay at the hospital to make arrangements to have her mother’s body moved from the hospital to a funeral home. She was overwhelmed now that she needed to plan her mother’s funeral, go through her personal affects, deal with her selling her house, and still try to find a way to say goodbye to her dear mother.

Elizabeth planned the funeral for her mother she did it how she thought her mother may have wanted it to be done. As her mother left no instructions or plans while she was alive, Keith helped her as much as he could.

Friends, family, and many neighbours came to the funeral to say their goodbyes. Elizabeth was touched by the amount of people who attended, and she knew then how amazing her mother was.

The funeral was going as well as a funeral could go, until Elizabeth saw a familiar face, a face she had not seen in years, and a face she did not want to see now.

Elizabeth walked up to this man and demanded in a hushed tone “What are you doing here?”

The man looked at her with sympathetic eyes “I came to say goodbye like everyone else.”

“You said your goodbyes a long time ago. Leave I don’t want you here and neither would she.” retorted Elizabeth.

“I’m sorry you feel that way, but it may be best to let go of your anger I made one mistake a long time ago.” he trailed off as he saw a very tall man approach.

Keith had noticed that Elizabeth was having an altercation with someone so he went to see what was happening.

Keith asked Elizabeth “Who is this?”

The man answered for her “I am Elizabeth’s father.”

“I don’t have a father. This man is simply John.” Elizabeth came back with. “And I was just explaining to him that he is not welcome here.”

“And I was telling her that I was going to stay anyway.” John retorted

Keith turned to Elizabeth and told her to sit down and then he gently asked John to leave the funeral as his presence would only make things worse. John agreed partially because he wanted to respect his daughter’s wishes but also because he was scared of the large man in front of him.

Elizabeth was listening from her seat and was relieved when John left; Keith took his seat next to Elizabeth. Elizabeth quietly thanked him for helping with John. She knew her mom would be grateful that he was not there. Elizabeth was disgusted that after all this time he would even try to attend her funeral.

Elizabeth had to put it out of her mind so that she could be present at her mother’s funeral. The priest spoke beautifully of a full life lived, and of how Elizabeth’s mother was in heaven looking down at everyone in that room gathered for her.

Once the service was over everyone gave Elizabeth their condolences and told her what a beautiful service it was. From there everyone went back to Elizabeth’s mothers place for the reception. There was great food, and everyone told their favourite stories and memories of Elizabeth’s mother.

Nearing the end of the reception, Keith got a phone call from the office it was Grace, she told him that his presence was needed for a contract signing. In all the drama Keith had completely forgotten to reschedule and it was too late to do so now.

After he had concluded his conversation with Grace he went over to Elizabeth and brought her to the hall so they could talk in a more quiet place.

“Hey I have to go back home.” He told her.

“Oh really? Why?” Elizabeth inquired.

Keith explained “I have to sign a contract I am so sorry I forgot about it. It is too late to reschedule now”

“Don’t be sorry, and don’t worry about me I am OK. I have almost everything done here now. You go home today I’ll be going back home tomorrow.” Elizabeth replied.

Keith held her hand, then kissed her cheek and asked concerned “Are you sure you are going to be OK?”

“Yea, I think so. If not I can always call you right?”

“Yea of course, anytime.”

“Yea and I will be back tomorrow, I just have to finish packing up what is left here and meet with the realtor.” Elizabeth smiled “Thank you for being so concerned though.”

“Of course. I love you.”

“I love you too.”

With that Keith went back to the hotel packed up his stuff then headed home. Elizabeth was left alone to clean up after the reception. She cleaned, then finished packing what little was left to pack of her mother’s belongings. She had separated it into things for charity and mementos she was going to keep. The realtor had agreed to meet with Elizabeth that evening. When the realtor came over Elizabeth immediately signed all of the paper work.

Once the realtor left Elizabeth drove all of her mother’s things to be donated to a donation centre. She finished all of her tasks much sooner than she had anticipated, so that when she got back to her mom’s house she did not know what to do with herself. She tried occupying her time but with the house being empty there was very little to do.

Elizabeth finally decided that she could not stay alone in her mother’s empty house for any longer. So she got all of her stuff together and got on a train to head home.