Moving Forward

six || cimmerian

cimmerian : very dark; gloomy

"Hello there, what can I do for you today?" The receptionist asked as she walked up to the counter. All of her luggage was still in the car, and she looked like a wreck. Antonio was going to head back to her parent's house and wait for them there, for this was a personal family matter and he did not want to be an intrusion.

"Um, I'm here to see a patient? Miguel Jacobson." She responded in a small voice. The receptionist tapped on the keyboard in front of her. As soon as she pulled up the file, she looked back to her with a somber expression.

"Room 415, top floor." She answered, and Georgia nodded a thank you before heading towards the elevator. She frantically pushed at the button until it opened, a wave of doctors and nurses exiting before she could get on. She was given a room number, so that meant he could not have been dead yet and she would at least be able to say goodbye. Once the elevator stopped at the top floor and the doors opened, she bolted out of the doors and directed herself towards room 415. Once she stood outside, she took a deep breath in and rubbed her eyes to rid of the tears that had formed and try to make herself look a little less bitter. She exhaled and entered the room.

"Georgia, you made it." Her mother said softly as she entered the quiet room where her father would spend his dying moments.

"Yeah, I got on a plane right after my shift." She responded softly, then looked to her father. He was paler than the last time she had seen him, and he looked lifeless. The only way she could tell he was still alive being the dull beeping of the heart rate monitor and the soft up and down motion of his chest as he took in slow, short breaths.

"Amada, I'm sorry." He croaked out, and she sat down in the chair beside him, tears once again forming in her eyes.

"Pai, it's alright. I'm here now, it's okay." Georgia responded softly. She could tell that he was holding on for she saw it in victims all the time when they were en route to the hospital. "You asked for no tubes, didn't you?"

"Si, I did. I want to go peacefully, not as a vegetable." He joked, causing himself to laugh, then heave big heavy coughs. "I'm sorry I didn't want to tell you, I didn't want you to worry."

"Hey, hey. It's okay, pai. You want what's best for me, I get it. Mamãe and I will be okay." She insisted, squeezing his hand.

"I'm supposed to walk you down that aisle..." He trailed with tears of his own. She caressed his cheek.

"Don't worry pai, you will. I love you." She said as she heard the heart monitor start to decelerate. If he was going, it was going to be now.

"I love you too, amada. I love you both so much." He said with a watery-eyed smile, and the sound of the flatline filled the room. Mariana burst into tears as nurses came in and shut off the monitor. Georgia stood up and walked backwards from the bed until she hit the wall, then slumped down to the floor. She felt as if she were numb, tears not forming and her heart not shattering as she watched her father pass peacefully onto the otherside. She did not know how long she had been sitting there, but before she knew it she was being helped to her feet by a nurse and being led back out into the hallway. She found her mother watching the nurses prepare to transport the body.

"I know this is a difficult time, and on behalf of this hospital we are truly sorry for your loss." The nurse said to them. Mariana was seemingly not paying attention, so Georgia took initiative.

"Thank you." She muttered with a small nod, stealing glances back inside the room.

"Now, we do need to make arrangements for your father, Ms. Jacobson." She said, and Georgia nodded.