My Life: Congrats, You Lost Me

Chapter 23 - Take Care of Her

"You best take care of her," I whisper.

"I will, I promise," he responds. He brings my face to his and kisses my forehead. I stand back up and walk out the door, stopping at the window to wave to them both. They were already laughing about something.

Becca probably said something about us kissing or something....

Once out of the hospital I walk down the narrow sidewalk for what seems like hours. As I walk down a more familiar street I see an older man sitting against a wall with a little torn up, cardboard sign leaning against the wall next to him. He had a young girl, no older than 6, sitting in his lap and a dog sleeping beside him. I stop and read the sign. The girl was asleep and I could tell he was getting there

Please help, even a dollar will help. I'm putting my daughter through school and was recently laid off from my work. My wife left, taking all our money and belongings we had left with her.

Was written in shaky handwriting. I fish through my bag and pull out my cash box. I undo the lock and pull out a thick stack of 5's, 10's, 1's and 20's that I had earned while I was away. I set them into his lap and smile. I gave him at least $100-200 to do with what he thinks best.

He looks up at me with bright eyes and picks up his sleeping daughter and sets her next to the dog. He stands up and looks me in the eye. He looked as though he was close to tears. "Thank you," he says, a smile crossing his face. "Thank you so much. Could I have your name?"

"Jessamine," I say. "Jessamine Taylors. I wish I could do more but-"

"This was all I needed... I can feed all 3 of us now. Bless your soul," he takes my hand in his and pulls it toward his chest. A cloud of confusion washes over his face. "My name is Richard. I remember you, you're the girl from the bus stop, right?"

"What?"

"A couple months back, sometime in May... It was in the middle of the night and you were waiting on the bus. I was there and I talked to you- well, I waited with you," he laughs lightly and shakes his head. "It's nothing important, I doubt you even remember it..."

"I do... You looked so happy as you rode... That was you?"

"Yeah, before my wife left me. Looks like you didn't stay gone like you looked like you wanted to."

"No, I didn't... I couldn't let myself..."

"Well," he says. "Whatever you came back for is worth it. Everything happens for a reason, you know? Everything." He looks me over and sees my leg. "W-what happened?"

"I was in an accident, it's not important," I say. I look down at my feet. "I should probably go, I only have a couple hours before I need to be back at the hospital with my sister."

"What's wrong, I'm sorry if I said something..."

"No, it isn't you... My sister is in the hospital with cancer- has been for weeks, I'm just heading home to get a good bit of sleep in now that she is stable."

"You'll be in my prayers Jessamine, it's the least I can do for you." He flashes me a smile, missing a few teeth, and sits back down, shoving his newly earned money in his pocket. As I turn to walk away I see the girl stir as he places her back in his lap.

I walk for another 5 minutes before I am inside the house. I come in quietly as I see Eliza fast asleep through the crack in the door to the master bedroom. I push the door to my room open and quickly collapse onto my bed.

I sleep for hours before I'm awoke by a voice outside my door. "What's going on," the voice said. It was a higher voice, probably Eliza. "Should I come back up to the hospital?" "Is it urgent?" "Jessamine is home?" "Alright, I'll be up shortly." I hear her drop her phone onto what sounds like a table before running into my room. "Jessamine," she says. "It's Becca, we need to get back up to the hospital."

I was running as soon as my feet hit the floor. Eliza couldn't seem to start the car fast enough. "What's going on," I ask, worry seeping through my voice.

"I-I really don't know. I only know that Allan called saying something was wrong," Eliza says anxiously. I look out the window and finally notice that the sky was black as pitch, no stars shining on this fateful day. Not nearly soon enough we are in the parking garage again and I'm on my feet before the car even stops. I hurry inside and up the stairs, not even bothering to wait on an elevator.

Several flights of stairs later I find her room again and see several nurses again, surrounding Rebecca, and one of them doing compressions, another using a pump to push air through her mouth and nose. Allan notices me and rushes toward me.

"What the hell is going on," I yell. "What the fuck happened! You told me she would be fine if you were here with her!"

"Jessamine, please," Allan says, his eyes bloodshot, tear streaks down his cheeks. "I don't know what happened, honestly. She was talking to me one minute and the next..." He turns toward the window and cups his face in his hands. "I am so, so sorry Jessie."

"No," I say angrily. "No, no, no. This isn't happening. It can't... Becca can't be dying, Allan! She can't!" I break down with a sob and collapse onto my knees. Eliza comes hurrying behind me, bearing my cane in hand. She stops dead in her tracks when she sees Becca inside the room. I let out a wracking sob, loud enough to make the birds fly from the trees.

She can't die now... Not after all this... Not after everything she's made it through before... She can't...

*******Well that wasn't the ending to this that I had planned on writing.... Sorry... I also realize that it is a shorter chapter, I just figured that I would put it out there.*******