A Time For Love (A Time For Love Series-Book 1)

He's Gone

LENA POV

Rushing into the hospital after I had gotten a call that my Uncle Alvin had slipped into a coma last night, I can't get to his room fast enough. Duke had warned me of this very thing, and I knew my uncle was running on borrowed time, but I guess the last week or so, I tried to push it out of my mind. The real reality was setting in now that he would be gone very soon, as I pushed past everyone and toss my things down on my desk. Running out of my room and rushing to the elevator as I feel someone gently grab my arm as I turn and see Duke.

"Lena, you can't go down there. It's a mess!" He says as I glare hard at him and continue to press the elevator button. "Lena!"

"Don't tell me what I can and can't do, DUKE! That's my uncle. If you didn't want me to know, then you should have kept your mouth closed and not called me! What did you expect?! Did you expect me not to go there! To just leave him to die alone!"

"Lena, I was down there and....he wouldn't want you to see him like that! It's bad! Please listen to me, honey. You don't want to see him like that, you

"BUZZ OFF, DUKE!" I say, pushing past him as I push open the door to the emergency steps rushing down as I hear him call after me.

"LENA! LENA!" He yells as I fling the door open to the floor seeing stretchers lining the hallways with AIDS patients. It was horrific and far worse than last week. Many bodies had sheets over them, and some patients were clinging to life as I quickly rush to my uncles room as I see the nurse cover his face with a sheet and begin to roll him out.

"WAIT! That's my uncle! WAIT! He's a person, you know! He's a person with feelings! A human being!" I yell.

"You shouldn't be on this floor. It's not safe." One of the nurses says as she doesn't pull her mask off her face and stares right at me, and I step towards her.

"I don't care, I really don't. He's my uncle. And before you dump him in the hallway with the rest of the patients, I want to say goodbye to him! Do you get that?! He was someone with a life, with friends, with family! Not just a body you dump in the hallway like you did to everyone else! Do you GET THAT!"

"Give her a minute, Eileen." The other nurse says as she gently places her hand on my arm, and I look right at her.

"I'm sorry for your loss. He was a nice man." She says as they both leave now, and I stand here looking down at the sheet covering my uncle as I pull it back from his face.

Instantly, I feel tears run down my cheek as my uncle's face is practically emaciated and ghastly looking to the point I don't even recognize him anymore. I feel lost for words, and I don't even know what words to use right now because there aren't any to describe how I'm feeling.

I can't help but rest my hand on him, feeling how still he is. There is no movement, no life, nothing as I stoke his cheek with the back of my hand.

"Uncle Alvin, I just want you to know how much I love you and how much I care about you. I will always love you, and I will never, never forget about you. Ever. You were my heart and soul, and it's because of you that I am the woman I am today. Thank you. Rest now, and it will be okay. I love you." Kissing my finger, I gently touch his cheek with it and carefully place the sheet back over his face as I walk out of the room.

This is the worst I've ever felt in my life, the absolute worst, and all I want to do is cry. Cry forever, and I do just that as I run to the bathroom and cry for what feels like the next few hours because my heart is just broken in half and will never be the same again.