Stranger Things Have Happened (Elvis Presley story)

Chapter 27

It is the middle of the night when something loud startles me awake. 

"Elvis!" I hear Joe's voice bellow from somewhere downstairs. "Elvis, hurry!"

My stomach drops and I immediately know exactly what's going on. Pulling back the blankets that are tangled around me, I hop out of bed and practically sprint to the closet. I grab the first things my hands make contact with and roughly tug them on over my thin nightgown. I am just slipping into a pair of shoes when I hear Elvis's voice from out in the hall.

"What's wrong?" He demands as he calls out to Joe.

I exhale nervously and scurry to my door, slipping out into the hall. Elvis stands at the top of the stairs in his pajamas looking distraught with concern.

"We have to go the the hospital!" Joe exclaims in dismay from the bottom of the stairs. Elvis's expression falls.

"Okay, uh, just gimme a second," he stammers out before turning and running back to his room. I just stand there unsure of what to do.

I don't think even a minute passes before Elvis emerges from his room. He now has on a pair of slightly wrinkled grey slacks on and still wears his pajama shirt. He jogs over and grabs hold of my wrist, tugging me down the stairs with him.

Joe is already outside, but he left the door open for us. We hurry outside into the unseasonably cold night air and run together to Joe's car. Jerry sits in the passenger seat, so we hop in the back. Joe takes off before we even have time to close the door completely. The whole ride I am shaking, anticipating the horror that is sure to greet us once we get to the hospital. Glancing at Elvis, he doesn't look much better. His hair is sticking up all in different directions and his face is stone cold, eyes distant. He has my hand in a death grip.

When we finally get to the hospital, we all burst out of the car the second Joe pulls into a parking spot. We run all the way until we reach Gladys's room, everyone rushing inside as I linger back in the doorway. We're too late.

Gladys lays completely still, her blank and lifeless face staring up at the ceiling. She's already gone. Vernon kneels beside the bed, quietly weeping as he clutches her stiff hand. I can't imagine this possibly getting any worse, but then I hear Elvis's voice cut through the air, breaking my heart into pieces.

"Mamma!" He cries out in anguish, rushing to her side. He reaches out to caress her stony cheek, but is soon instructed to get back as one of the doctors pulls the sheet up over her face. I watch as Elvis crumbles down to his knees by her side, a pain filled sob escaping his lips. I feel tears stinging in to corners of my eyes and in that moment I know this is too much. I can't handle it, I'm not strong enough. Watching all of this makes me feel as if I might be sick, and before I know it I'm running out into the hallway.

My hands find their way into my hair and pull tightly. This can't be happening. No way. I refuse to believe it. I pace for awhile, my chest rapidly rising and falling as I hyperventilate, the horrible truth of the situation slowly sinking in. Gladys is dead. my head is spinning as I collapse onto one of the nearby chairs lined up against the wall. Thoughts race through my brain at a million miles an hour. Oh my god, what if this is my fault? What if I could have stopped it?