Painting Monochrome ||Ereri/Riren||

Departure

Weeks went by and I returned to work, bringing in a steady paycheck weekly. Grisha and I had begun to spend more time together throughout the day, of course when I wasn't in therapy or spending time with Levi.

As time went on, I watched my father deteriorate faster than I ever imagined he would. He shed weight before my very eyes, and the strength began to leave his body on a massive scale. Daily outings turned to weekly outings, which turned to monthly outings, which turned to daily visits in the hospital. The lung cancer had progressed to stage 4, meaning it had spread beyond his lungs and was now circulating through his bloodstream and attacking other vital organs.

On my breaks during the night shift, I would go upstairs to the ICU where Grisha was staying, and sit with him for a few minutes. We talked and laughed about memories from when I was younger, and cried a little when my mother was mentioned. Each night, I could see the strength leaving him more, and it killed me. It killed me because I had forgiven him and let him grow on me as a father, and now...he was leaving forever.

On October 29, I went upstairs at my regular time, 3:50 AM. I knocked on the door, waiting to hear his voice call and tell me to come in. But this time, he didn't speak. I knocked again, thinking he was just sleeping, then opened the door and walked in.

"Dad?" I whispered, peeking around the curtain that concealed him from the eyes of the public.

The room was awfully quiet. And then it occurred to me. The machines keeping him alive were unplugged. There was no rise and fall of his chest. His eyes were closed and he was absolutely still. I touched his hand, and to my surprise, it was nearly ice cold. Laying on his chest was an crisp , white envelope.

It took a few seconds for my brain to actually register what was happening, but when it did, my heart nearly stopped as I looked at my father, laying there. I outstretched a shaking hand and grabbed the envelope, ripping it open and reading the letter.

Eren,
If you're reading this, the time has come for me to leave this earth. There's no telling how long I've been gone, but if you're reading this at your normal time, I've probably been gone for a few hours now. Please don't cry, Eren. Tears are the last thing I want. I'm in a much better place. I finally get to be reunited with the love of my life. You're a strong man, Eren. I know you are. You've gone this long without me, and I'm sure you can continue to be strong. Please keep your head up. I don't want to see any tears on your face, and your mother won't want to see them either. I love you, Eren. I'm sorry I wasn't there for you earlier in your life, but these past few months have been the best few months of my life. Take care of your sister and brother for me. But most of all, take care of yourself. Smile, Eren. Your smile is one of your greatest features. When you smile, both your mother and I smile.
With Love,
Dad

By the end of the letter, tears littered my face. My father was gone and there was nothing I could do to bring him back. Following standard procedures, I pushed the button next to his bed, calling in his overnight physicians to let them know what happened. After saying my final goodbyes to my father, I retreated back downstairs. By that point, my body had slowed down immensely.

"Jaeger, you're late. And why do you look so dead?" Wow... My director, Dr. Pixis, called to me as I walked by his office. I stopped and walked back to his door.