A New Life for Hope
Chapter One
Bright blue and red lights swirled across the faded brick walls - I froze, knowing without doubt exactly which house the ambulance would be parked at; who they would be taking to the hospital.
“Mum!” A hoarse cry came from nowhere, and I realised, with a jolt, that it was me.
The shrillness of my voice scared me, as I choked back tears to find I was running - down our street, through our yard, and in through my widely gaping front door.
It was screaming too.
The blue-suited paramedics were in her bedroom, lifting her unconscious form onto the stretcher.
I started to stumble silently towards my mother, but a bored-looking paramedic pushed me back.
“Clear the area, please - no one gets in while we’re working. You can visit her in the hospital.”
“...mum…” I managed to whisper, just catching the attention of mum’s carer, whom I knew well.
“Hope! Your mother… She fell… I…” The nice young carer was lost for words, but let me collapse sobbing into her arms as I watched my deathly pale mother get lifted into the ambulance.
“Maria…” I whispered, shock setting in as my first tears dried.
“Yes, baby girl?” Maria had always been there for me when mum was sick.
“Maria… is this it… is it over for her?”
“Hush, now - no-one knows yet.” She paused for a moment, rubbing my hair, before continuing with a sigh, “But... I think she’s fought enough, now. I hope she doesn’t have to suffer any longer.”
I understood - it would be better for her; but I wasn’t ready to let go without a fight.
As I watched the flashing lights turn the corner and fade away, I controlled the very last of my tears, adjusted my glasses, and turned to Maria.
“Maria, could you drive me to the hospital? I need…I need to be there.”
Through my swollen eyes, I saw her nod and without knowing it, I got into her car.
I was numb and silent as the city lights flashed past - more and more switching on as the sun sank lower upon the horizon.
We pulled into the hospital car park as the last rays of sunlight disappeared from view.
I hoped it wasn’t an omen of ill fate, and ran for the main building before Maria had stopped the car.
Time had stopped, and all I knew was now…was it now?
We were only moments behind the ambulance, so we had to wait a few long, agonising minutes before the woman at the register would let us go through.
“Room 203.” she murmured with a sympathetic smile.
I couldn’t stand it - everyone but me knew what was going on.
My thoughts started going overtime, until I walked through the door of room 203.
Doctors and Nurses were scrambling around her bed, trying to wake her up, but they all knew it was useless - from the looks on their faces, I knew she didn’t have long to go.
I sobbed, but caught my breath as the white hand on the hospital sheet moved. I started up, but the doctor was there first.
“Miss Smith? Can you hear me?”
A faint voice; somewhat like a gentle breeze after a rainy day, called out to me weakly.
“Hope… where’s Hope?”
“Mum!” I shouldered my way to the bedside, not caring for the dirty looks from the doctors.
Finally, I got to the bed and leaned closer to my mother, lying immobile on the bed.
“Mum… I’m here.” I spoke in a broken voice, knowing, somewhere deep in my heart, that this would be the last time I ever spoke to my mother.
“Hope…” my mother whispered, “Hope - you must ring…”
“What? -ring what?” I cried, but my mother, always the strong one, continued.
“Ring… your father. His number’s in… my will. Maria can go get it... for you. Yes… I made sure of that…”
She rested for a short moment, before pulling her battered body up onto one elbow and looking me in the eye.
“And Hope…”
“Yes?” I whispered.
“Forgive me…for not telling you about him…”
I nodded, tears threatening to overflow from my eyes. I didn’t understand what she meant at the time, for it was only later on that I knew why she had said it.
Mum was still able to talk, though only just.
“I thought... I thought it was the right thing to do…I love you…” She sank back on the bed, her eyes closed in what appeared to be a peaceful sleep.
“Mum? Mum!” I screamed, but she didn’t move; the only sound was a whine from the flat-line monitor attached to her arm.
“No!” I wept, falling back into Maria’s compassionate embrace.
“I’m sorry, baby girl... I’m so sorry.” were the last words I remember from that awful night.
“Mum!” A hoarse cry came from nowhere, and I realised, with a jolt, that it was me.
The shrillness of my voice scared me, as I choked back tears to find I was running - down our street, through our yard, and in through my widely gaping front door.
It was screaming too.
The blue-suited paramedics were in her bedroom, lifting her unconscious form onto the stretcher.
I started to stumble silently towards my mother, but a bored-looking paramedic pushed me back.
“Clear the area, please - no one gets in while we’re working. You can visit her in the hospital.”
“...mum…” I managed to whisper, just catching the attention of mum’s carer, whom I knew well.
“Hope! Your mother… She fell… I…” The nice young carer was lost for words, but let me collapse sobbing into her arms as I watched my deathly pale mother get lifted into the ambulance.
“Maria…” I whispered, shock setting in as my first tears dried.
“Yes, baby girl?” Maria had always been there for me when mum was sick.
“Maria… is this it… is it over for her?”
“Hush, now - no-one knows yet.” She paused for a moment, rubbing my hair, before continuing with a sigh, “But... I think she’s fought enough, now. I hope she doesn’t have to suffer any longer.”
I understood - it would be better for her; but I wasn’t ready to let go without a fight.
As I watched the flashing lights turn the corner and fade away, I controlled the very last of my tears, adjusted my glasses, and turned to Maria.
“Maria, could you drive me to the hospital? I need…I need to be there.”
Through my swollen eyes, I saw her nod and without knowing it, I got into her car.
I was numb and silent as the city lights flashed past - more and more switching on as the sun sank lower upon the horizon.
We pulled into the hospital car park as the last rays of sunlight disappeared from view.
I hoped it wasn’t an omen of ill fate, and ran for the main building before Maria had stopped the car.
Time had stopped, and all I knew was now…was it now?
We were only moments behind the ambulance, so we had to wait a few long, agonising minutes before the woman at the register would let us go through.
“Room 203.” she murmured with a sympathetic smile.
I couldn’t stand it - everyone but me knew what was going on.
My thoughts started going overtime, until I walked through the door of room 203.
Doctors and Nurses were scrambling around her bed, trying to wake her up, but they all knew it was useless - from the looks on their faces, I knew she didn’t have long to go.
I sobbed, but caught my breath as the white hand on the hospital sheet moved. I started up, but the doctor was there first.
“Miss Smith? Can you hear me?”
A faint voice; somewhat like a gentle breeze after a rainy day, called out to me weakly.
“Hope… where’s Hope?”
“Mum!” I shouldered my way to the bedside, not caring for the dirty looks from the doctors.
Finally, I got to the bed and leaned closer to my mother, lying immobile on the bed.
“Mum… I’m here.” I spoke in a broken voice, knowing, somewhere deep in my heart, that this would be the last time I ever spoke to my mother.
“Hope…” my mother whispered, “Hope - you must ring…”
“What? -ring what?” I cried, but my mother, always the strong one, continued.
“Ring… your father. His number’s in… my will. Maria can go get it... for you. Yes… I made sure of that…”
She rested for a short moment, before pulling her battered body up onto one elbow and looking me in the eye.
“And Hope…”
“Yes?” I whispered.
“Forgive me…for not telling you about him…”
I nodded, tears threatening to overflow from my eyes. I didn’t understand what she meant at the time, for it was only later on that I knew why she had said it.
Mum was still able to talk, though only just.
“I thought... I thought it was the right thing to do…I love you…” She sank back on the bed, her eyes closed in what appeared to be a peaceful sleep.
“Mum? Mum!” I screamed, but she didn’t move; the only sound was a whine from the flat-line monitor attached to her arm.
“No!” I wept, falling back into Maria’s compassionate embrace.
“I’m sorry, baby girl... I’m so sorry.” were the last words I remember from that awful night.
♠ ♠ ♠
sorry this is so sad =(i promise itll get better, though =3