Julie

46

Mark's P.O.V:

'Where is she?', I gasped, the moment I got home as I rushed through the front door.

'Mark', my mother in-law cried, running to me and wrapping her arms around me, 'It all happened so fast.'

'Where is she?', I repeated, as she clung to me, 'Where's Julie?'

'She's at the hospital. She was in terrible pain and couldn't catch her breath', Julie's mother explained, 'Melissa is with her.'

'I need to go to her', I said, as she pulled away from me, 'I'll bring her back.'

With that I rushed to the hospital (Driving well over the speed limit), and when I got there I saw Melissa.

'Melissa!', I called, running up to her, 'Where's Julie?'

'Mark', she gasped when she saw me, 'I'm so sorry.'

'S-she's not gone, is she?', I asked in a frantic state, as she began to cry.

'No', Melissa whispered, as she wiped the tears that had fallen from her eyes, 'They gave her morphine to relax her and it made her sleep for a few hours. She woke again about fifteen minutes ago, but, she's begun to cough up blood.'

'Oh Christ!', I said, pushing past her to get into Julie's room.

I gasped when I saw her.

She had lost a lot of weight since I had seen her in person last, and I hated myself to have left her for so long.

She was also attached to at least ten different wires, and her skin was almost translucent.

'Julie', I whispered, as I walked over to her bed.

'Markie?', she gasped, her eyes lighting up slightly as she looked up me.

'I'm here babe', I replied, sitting down on a hard plastic seat bedside her, 'I'm here.'

'Mark', Julie whispered, 'I'm dying.'

'Ssh baby don't say that', I replied, gently stroking her hair.

'But Mark I am', she said, 'Will you, will you do one thing for me?'

'What baby?', I asked, 'I'll do anything for you.'

'Take me home', she replied, her eyes pleading with me, 'I want to die at home.'

'Okay',I gulped, trying to fight my tears, 'I'll bring you home.'

It took a while, but I eventually persuaded Julie's consultant to let me bring her home.

So with Melissa in the ambulance with her, I drove behind them until they had reached our house.

'Has Hannah been to visit her recently?', I asked my mother-in-law, while Melissa was tending to Julie so that she would be as comfortable as possible.

'Yes', she sniffed, nodding her head, 'Two days ago.'

'Do you think she'll be able to make it to say goodbye to her?', I asked, whispering in case the children heard.

'I don't think so', she replied, grabbing hold of my hand, 'She's near her end, isn't she Mark?'

'I'm afraid so', I nodded, 'I'm sorry.'

'Don't be', she said, cupping my head in her hands, 'You have been the best thing that has ever happened to her.'

'Thank you', I smiled, trying not to cry, 'And she has been the best thing to have ever happened to me.'

Julie's P.O.V:

I woke in a dream like state.

I was in a bright room, in bed, and I could hear voices, but I couldn't see where they were coming from.

Just then I heard a voice whisper, 'Hello Julie.'

I looked around and saw that my late grandmother was standing before me.

When I was a child I was always with her, and when she died when I was seventeen I was distraught. Now here she was over twenty years later standing before me.

'Nana?', I asked, 'Is that really you?'

'It is child', she replied, smiling as she walked closer to me.

'I've missed you so much!', I gasped, as I clung to her after she wrapped her arms around me, 'I thought I'd never see you again.'

'And I've missed you Julie', she replied, 'But I have been watching over you all these years. I was so glad that you and Mark finally got together, you know I told your mother that you two would get married when you were only children!'

'You were right Nan', I laughed, looking up at her, 'And I love him so much.'

'I know you do Julie, but the time has come for you to leave him', Nana explained, as she ran her fingers gently through my hair.

'But I don't want to', I whispered, 'I have him and the kids and my parents and Hannah. I don't want to leave them.'

'I know you don't Julie, but do you remember what I told you when your grandfather died?', Nana asked, as she continued to soothe me.

'That God needed another angel, and he picked granddad', I replied.

'Exactly', Nana nodded, 'Now he needs another angel, you.'

'Okay', I whispered, as a sense of peace came over me.

'I'll let you say goodbye, but I'll be back for you soon', Nana told me, as she began to walk away from me once again.

Just then I heard another voice, one that I knew better than my own.

With that I blinked and Mark was looking down at me.

'Hey babe', he whispered lovingly, 'I'm here.'

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Hey guys, 

I hope you liked this chapter. There's only one more chapter and the epilogue left in this story, so it's really wrapping up.

Thank you all so much again for reading and voting.

Love, 

Lauren

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