The Original Taylor Daughter

Letting Go

Warning tissues will be needed for this chapter

December 1991

"Dad!" Roger hears Alice cry out for him, it pulled him and Debbie from their sleep and he's out of bed like a shot. Debbie goes to comfort Rufus, Alice's cries woke him. Her cries also woke Dominique, Rory and Felix.

It's been two weeks since Freddie's funeral and a few days ago Doctor Melrose confirmed that Alice's body has given up. Her water intake is small but enough to keep her from dehydrating and very little food is consumed.

With that said, Dominique agreed to move back in with the kids until after Alice's passing. They all want to be there when she goes and she doesn't want to risk getting stuck in traffic.

Dominique follows Roger to Alice's room, he pushes the bedroom door open and finds Alice on the floor next to her bed, "Alice, what happened?" He rushed over.

"I was getting out of bed to go to the bathroom but I fell..." She looks down at her feet, "I can't feel my left foot, dad."

"Try wiggling your toes," Roger instructs trying to remain calm, she sits up leaning against Dominique and tries, but nothing happens to the left foot. He tries ticking the bottom of her foot and even tries digging his fingernail in, she doesn't feel a thing.

"I... I think the cancer has got to my spine," She wants to sob and ball but Rory and Felix are stood by the door watching and she doesn't want to upset them.

Dominique follows her line of sight, "Rory, Felix can you go back to bed, please."

"Thank you," Alice sobs once they're gone.

"I'm going to call Doctor Melrose," Roger informs her, not sure what else to do, he leaves the room.

"I'll help you to the bathroom while he's on the phone," Dominique helps her up then down to the car when Roger got off the phone

Melrose told Roger to bring Alice straight to the hospital, he drove as fast as he could doing a two-hour journey in just under an hour. She sent Alice for a full body scan and x-ray, fast-tracking the results.

They'd been there an hour when she came into the room, "So your results show the cancer has reached your spine and has caused mild paralysis in your foot and leg up to the knee and a little in your left fingers. But that isn't my biggest concern here, the scan also picked up congestion in your lungs suggesting the start of a viral infection."

"That's bad, isn't it?" Alice knows she has no immune system, having a cold at this point is as deadly as the plague.

"Yes, it is bad. Your immune system can't fight it off but the choice is yours, we can give you medication to help flush it out your s..."

"No," She interrupts her doctor, "I'm dying anyway."

"Alice, don't," Roger isn't ready for it. Dominique isn't either but she knows there's no fighting it.

"It's time to let go," She looks at her dad, "I want to be at home though."

"I'll arrange for your discharge at once," Melrose turns to leave.

"How long do I have, Doc?" Alice stops her.

"Don't answer that," Roger butts in but they ignore him.

Melrose works it out on her clips board with the information she has, "With no immune system to fight the infection, it will take hold by morning. So I'd say two days at most..."

"No!" Roger yells, storming out of the room. Eyes blurry with tears, air rapidly leaving his lungs, he needs air. He falls against a bench when he reaches the thankfully empty hospital garden and crumpling into a sobbing heap.