The Original Taylor Daughter

Saying Goodbye

November 1991

Somehow Alice has beaten Doctor Melrose's prediction by two months, she's still around but she is getting weaker and weaker by the day.

Over the past two days, Alice has stayed at the Garden Lodge, Freddie is deteriorating rapidly and she doesn't want to leave him on his own.

She sits on the bed beside him, reading books aloud, playing music or just talking. He doesn't respond much but she knows he can hear her and appreciates her company.

On this particular day, she was sat reading when Freddie taps her hand, grabbing her attention, "Alice," He whispers, "Tell Miami he can inform the press. He'll know what that means."

Nodding, she marks the book and slowly hobbles out the room, nearly bumping into Jim on her way out, "Oops, sorry Ally. Is everything alright?" Jim asks steadying the bowl of soup in his hand.

"Uncle Freddie said to tell Miami he can inform the press. Do you know what that means?"

"Yes, sadly I do. It means he ready to let go," He passes Alice the bowl of soup, pain clear in his eyes, "I'll go tell him. This is for you, I figured you'd be hungry."

"Thank you."

"Alice," Jim stops her before she goes back into the room, "You sure you want to be here for this? I know your joints are hurting and you're tired but I also don't want to be insensitive, your both going through a similar..."

"I want to be here," She interrupts, joint pain is a constant for her now and walking is painful but nothing other than constant bed rest is going to stop that, "Being here has distracted me from the pain. Go make that call, I need to eat."

------

Miami did as he was told and later that day the news announced Freddie's illness to the world. Alice, Jim and Phoebe spend the night around Freddie's bed. It's the early hours of the morning when Freddie's breathing changed.

His clear breathing becomes slow and laboured, while the doctor looks Freddie over, Alice hobbles as quick as she could to the phone to ring her dad, ignoring the pain in her legs, "It's 2am, this better be good," Roger follows with a yawn.

"Dad, it's Alice. Get to the Lodge as soon as you can, he's not going to last much longer," She doesn't even get a reply, he just hangs up the phone.

She heads back up to the bedroom where the doctor is talking solemnly with Phoebe, she doesn't need to be a genius to know what that means, "What's going on?" Alice asks Jim, sitting on the bed.

"They're stopping the rest of Freddie's medication as his request," Jim informs her with tears in his eyes, "We just have to wait now."

Alice holds Freddie's hand squeezing it lightly, it stirs him a little, "Ally."

"Hey, Uncle Freddie," Her words make him chuckle, "What?" She frowns.

"Even now, you still call me your uncle," His smile is weak and his eyes aren't really seeing her, as the doctors predicted, his sight has been affected.

The frown turns to a smile, "I call you that because you are my uncle, your the closest thing dad has to a brother." The room falls quiet again but Freddie doesn't like it.

"Don't stop... talking."

"Are you scared, Uncle Freddie?"

"Of dying? No. I've lived... full life. Time... to go, you'll feel it too when your ready to go, the fear fades and you feel at peace with it."

"Then I'll see you there soon," Alice nods, tears falling.

"Not... too... soon," He looks over at Jim and they share a goodbye.