Between Heaven and Earth

Chapter Four

Alice

Alice moves to the right side of the hospital bed where her Aunt sleeps peacefully.

It was hard to believe that just an hour ago, her Aunt had raced down the corridor.

Yes, it had been a long night of emotional outbursts, frustration from sleepy patients and a feeling of complete helplessness, for Alice.

All of this could have been avoided, had the nurses just given her the tablets prescribed from home. Much to Alice's dismay, there were to be many more nights like this, due to the lack of doctors.

The whole experience left Alice's stomach in knots.

"If I had been here, I could have done something." Alice said softly, to a sleeping Aunt Hazel.

The mass of white fluffy hair had fallen over Hazel's eyes, so Alice, feels the need to move the strands, exposing a large sterile pad upon her Aunt's forehead.

The bruising was beginning to show now  around the eyebrow and top of the cheekbone, where Hazel had hit the tiled floor, back home.

It looks extremely painful and Alice, grimaces. A single tear escapes the corner of her eye and she let out a long shaky sigh.

The chair beside the bed is proving to be inviting, so Alice sits down hard to await Jack's return.

Alice knew, Aunt Hazel didn't know she was there. Her eyes are still closed - moving rapidly, indicating rem sleep.

Alice imagines her Aunt would be in a far away land, based upon wonderful memories of, Uncle Jack.

Jack had told her over and over that Hazel's accident couldn't be helped and she shouldn't feel guilty - but even though she knew this to be true, it didn't alter anything.

Neither of them could be there all the time. It was an impossible task, even though they had both tried.

His words didn't take away the feeling of responsibility and no words from him, or anyone else for that matter, was ever going to change that. Hazel would still put herself in danger sooner or later. With a condition such as this, it was inevitable.

Alice, had secretly hoped the last time Hazel, went into hospital, the social services would finally agree for her to go into a nursing home. God knows she needed it. They all did.

Hazel would get the care she desperately needed around the clock and the nurses would administrate the medication for her to finally be safe at night.

What could anyone do for an eight - six year old woman who races off down the street in her night gown? How was that considered normal behaviour?

It was beyond normal understanding. Best thing was, when the doctors assessed her, Hazel had said she was fine and slept through the night.

It was evident that no amount of persuasion on their part, was working at all. All efforts fell upon deaf ears.

All the relatives had tried. Why couldn't anyone see Aunt Hazel, was worsening? It seemed, Aunt Hazel would end her days alone. Life could be so cruel.

She recalled the day she had arrived at her Aunts home. She couldn't have been more than six at the time. All Alice had was the clothes she stood up in.

Her own mother had said it was a visit  and the excitement had filled young Alice, into a hypa frenzy. She recalled running up the garden path. Little did she know, this would be her home and Hazel, would bring her up as her own.

                        *

Kirsty

I opened my eyes slowly. The blonde woman sat beside the bed opposite. The old lady, is sleeping soundly. Her tiny frail body covered in a fashion, by the hospital blanket.