Last Steps

10. The Final Moments

The next morning I woke up, needing to use the bathroom. James was still sleeping so I got up silently, not wanting to wake him. I was almost at the door when I felt a sharp pain in my stomach, except this time it was more painful then all the others. I opened the door and collapsed. After a moment I black out.

JAMES POV
I woke up to the sunlight pouring through the window. I roll over to see that Jamie isn't there. "Jamie?" I say and sit up. I realise that the bedroom door is open. I look and see Jamie lying on the floor, unconscious. "Jamie!" I yell. I run over to her. She's still breathing. "What's going on!?" Jamie's parents come over. "Call an ambulance!" I yell and Jamie's dad leaves. I cradle Jamie's head in my lap. "An ambulance is on its way" her dad comes back. Ten minutes later the ambulance arrives and takes Jamie to the hospital. I go in the ambulance and Jamie's parents follow in their car. When we get to the hospital, they take Jamie away and tell us to wait in the waiting room. I sit in a seat and bite my nails. I really hope that she's going to be okay. I'm not ready to lose her yet.

2 HOURS LATER

A nurse that Jamie's had before ends up coming out. "Brianna" I exclaim. She doesn't smile. Jamie's parents run up to us. "She's stable but, I am afraid that she only has hours left. A day if you're lucky" she frowns. She tells us where her room is and I run to it. I go in and see her lying in the bed with and oxygen tube connected to her nose. "Jamie" I sigh. She looks at me and bursts into tears. "James" she sobs. I go up to her and kiss her. I pull back and sit in the chair beside her. "I guess that this is the end" I frown. She sniffs. Then her parents come in. "Mum! Dad!" Jamie yells. They go up to her and give her a cuddle. Then they sit beside the bed and and frown. "What do you want to say?" I ask. "What do you mean?" Jamie replies. I smile. "I read somewhere that when someone is dying, in their final moments, they like to tell their loved things that they haven't said before" I say.

JAMIE'S POV
"Well, I haven't kept anything from you guys" I say. It's half true. There is one thing that I haven't told James, but it doesn't matter. "Have you called Casey?" I ask. "I'll do that now" James kisses me on the forehead and leaves the room. "Jamison" mum grasps my hand and smiles. "We just want to let you know that you have been the perfect daughter" she says. "We couldn't ask for any better. We love you" dad jumps in. "I love you too. I'm sorry" I frown. "You have nothing to be sorry for" mum says. "I do. I got a tumour and I ruined your lives. If I didn't get the tumour, then we would be a happy family and you would all be happy. Instead, I have to get sick and ruin everything" I start to cry again. "Its not your fault" mum cries as well. "Thank you. You guys have been the best parents. I love you so much" I sob. They both lean down and cuddle me. "We love you" dad says.

JAMES' POV
I go into the waiting room and dial Casey's number. It goes to voice mail. "This is Casey. When the thing goes beep you can leave me a message, or you could hang up and leave me with your missed call. Good day" her recording says. The beep sounds. "Hi Casey. It's me, James. Look Jamie is dying. I know that you already know that, but she only has hours left now. A day if lucky. We just wanted to let you know" I say and hang up. I go straight back to Jamie. When I go in I see her parents hugging her. As soon as Jamie sees me she shoos her parents off. "What did she say?" she asks. "It went to voicemail" I frown. "We'll got get some coffee. Do you guys want anything?" her mum asks. I shake my head and so does Jamie. "We're alone" I say. "Yeah" Jamie smiles. "What's that thing that you haven't told me?" I ask. "What thing? I haven't kept anything from you" she smiles smugly. "Come on. Spit it out" I smile. "Okay" she sits up. "Remember in year 9 when you asked me out for the first time and I said no?" she asks. I nod slowly. "It wasn't because I wasn't into you, I just......didn't have any good clothes at the time and I didn't want to look bad" she says. "You refused to go out with me because you didn't have any clothes?" I laugh. She laughs as well. "You could've worn a sac and you still would've looked beautiful" I say. "I do have a sac in my cupboard at home, so you are in luck!" Jamie smiles. Thats when I lose it. The tears just come and I start to cry. "Jamie, I want to be strong. I really do, but I'm not ready to lose you and I never will be" I sob. "James. You are strong" Jamie grabs my hand. "How am I meant to move on? How am I meant to ever be happy with anyone else again?" I ask. "You will love again. I believe that every relationship shapes a person. Every heartbreak, every good day, it all makes you who you are. This is just going to make you better" Jamie says. "I love you" I say. "I love you too" Jamie says. I lean down and kiss her.

JAMIE'S POV
He leans down and kisses me. We pull away after a minute. I feel a sharp pain in my stomach again. I scrunch my face up in pain. "Jamie!" James yells. I open my eyes and I smile. "I love you" I say. Then I black out.

JAMES' POV
"Jamie!" I yell as she scrunches her face up in pain. She opens her eyes and she smiles. "I love you" she says and closes her eyes again. She goes limp. "No. Jamie wake up" I shake her lightly. "Jamie! Wake up! Please" I start to cry again. The machine next to us stops beeping an makes a high pitched beep which it holds. I bury my head into her shoulder. "I love you too" I mumble. After a minute a nurse runs in. She disconnects the machine from Jamie and places a hand lightly on my back before leaving. "Jamison?" I look up and see her parents come in. They run to her and burst into tears. My phone starts ringing. I leave the room and answer it. "James? Are you there?" Casey asks. "Your too late" I sob. "What?" Casey's voice wobbles. "She's gone" I cry. I hear Casey start to cry on the other end. She hangs up. I go back into the room and take Jamie's hand.

-

"Today, we are here to celebrate the life of Jamison Bell Kaylour" the celebrant says. The funeral has actually arrived. We're at the graveyard. Jamie lies in a coffin that is on straps, waiting to be lowered into the ground. There is a big canvas stand near the coffin that has a photo of her on it. She looks so happy. Casey managed to make it for the funeral. She grips my hand as the speeches start. She cries into a hanky. I just cry, wiping my tears every now and then. Eventually, it's Casey's turn to do a speech. She walks up in front of everyone. She opens up a bit of paper and looks at everyone before starting. "Jamie and I were best friends. We met in prep, when she spilt her yoghurt over my dress. Ever since, we had been the best of friends" she sniffs. I don't really hear the rest of her speech. I'm too busy crying. Then its my turn to go up. I take Casey's place in front of everyone. I pull a piece of paper out of my pocket. "Jamie was a wonderful girl. She was beautiful and had a wonderful heart. I was lucky enough to be her boyfriend. I will never regret spilling coke on her in year 7. If I didn't then I would've never met her. I didn't have the guts to ask her out until year 9. She turned me down the first time, but I didn't go home and cry. The next day I asked her again. It was the third time that I asked her, she said yes. Ever since we were really close. She didn't deserve to get that tumour and pass away. Not only was she young but she has affected everyone's lives. She was a beautiful person and I will forever miss her" I go and sit down again. After a few more speeches, its time to bury her. We all get up and stand around the coffin. It lowers into the ground. There is a pile of dirt beside the hole. We take it in turns to throw a handful of dirt onto her coffin. I go up and grab a handful of dirt. "Goodbye Jamison" I say and I throw the dirt onto her coffin, burying her away from the world.

Jamison will never leave our hearts. She may not be breathing anymore but she will always be with us.

Goodbye Jamison.