St. Elsewhere
Part 14
If you have ever been to a hospital to visit a sick or dying person you will know exactly how Mia felt. The smell in such a room is indescribable. The sweet stench of the decorated flowers only achieves a gut wrenching stomach-turning contrast to the smell of decay and unhappiness that hangs thick and heavy in the room. The walls are painted bright colours, only as a cruel irony because nothing in the patients' lives that reside on the ward is bright anymore.
Mia's mother was not dying.
At least not literally.
Her heart was still beating strong. If not it was only beating stronger, in resilience. Proving its cruel point how one part of the body can function perfectly whilst the rest decays.
Mia's mother was dying from the inside.
You could see it from the eyes.
Empty eyes.
Cold black despairing eyes.
Mia's mother turned and looked at her daughter.
But only for a second.
She couldn't bare to look at her perfect daughter. Perfect beauty.
Perfect health.
"Dad dropped me off here. He says hi but he had to dash to his lecture. Something on Einstein." Mia said and let herself sink into the chair that was set up next Mrs Ferguson's bed.
There was silence and both the women fixed their eyes on the television screen and watched the performance of Swan Lake unravel.
"Do you still want to be Odette Mia?" Her mother suddenly asked, her voice croaky from lack of use.
"More than ever." Mia said quietly.
"Well maybe the time has come to put your dreams on hold for a little while." Mrs Ferguson said emotionless.
"What do you mean?" Mia asked alarmed, ripping her eyes from the screen where the beautiful Odette had just turned into a Swan.
"Mia don't be naïve. We can't afford all this hospital care. Your father cannot give up his job. We cannot afford a nurse. Somebody has to look after me. Mia, you need to come home. Permanently."
Mia's mother was not dying.
At least not literally.
Her heart was still beating strong. If not it was only beating stronger, in resilience. Proving its cruel point how one part of the body can function perfectly whilst the rest decays.
Mia's mother was dying from the inside.
You could see it from the eyes.
Empty eyes.
Cold black despairing eyes.
Mia's mother turned and looked at her daughter.
But only for a second.
She couldn't bare to look at her perfect daughter. Perfect beauty.
Perfect health.
"Dad dropped me off here. He says hi but he had to dash to his lecture. Something on Einstein." Mia said and let herself sink into the chair that was set up next Mrs Ferguson's bed.
There was silence and both the women fixed their eyes on the television screen and watched the performance of Swan Lake unravel.
"Do you still want to be Odette Mia?" Her mother suddenly asked, her voice croaky from lack of use.
"More than ever." Mia said quietly.
"Well maybe the time has come to put your dreams on hold for a little while." Mrs Ferguson said emotionless.
"What do you mean?" Mia asked alarmed, ripping her eyes from the screen where the beautiful Odette had just turned into a Swan.
"Mia don't be naïve. We can't afford all this hospital care. Your father cannot give up his job. We cannot afford a nurse. Somebody has to look after me. Mia, you need to come home. Permanently."