Dying Wish

Chapter 26

Laura coughed and coughed and coughed. But at least she was awake now.

Tobias held her hand holding back tears. "I'm so sorry, baby girl. I'm so sorry things are this way."

She could respond, and she felt like she was choking. Not only from mournful tears of goodbye but from her suffocating cough. She only gave his hand a squeeze to let him know she understood and appreciated what he said. She shaped her hand into the I love you sign in sign language because she wasn't able to talk well. She wanted to save the last of her voice for her mom. Tobias cried and signed back to her, also saying "I love you, too."

Andrew then approached her bed. "I hate to see you like this, Peanut." He moved closer. "You have no idea how horrible it is to see you suffer. I wanted you to grow up with a simple, easy life. I don't know why things didn't work out that way, but God always has a greater good to seemingly bad situations."

Laura weakly nodded.

"I love you, Laura, don't you forget it. Whatever you do, Laura, keep loving God. He will always be good to you, even if He's good to you in another place," said Andrew choked up. "I just hope that He'll bless you here on this earth for now so we can still have you. I love you forever and always."

She also gave him the I love you sign, which he did back while speaking.

Lastly, Aubrey came up to the bed. "My sweetheart. I still believe in you."

Laura shook her head and whispered. "I...think I'm going home today."

"You're not yet well enough," said Aubrey, dismissing the thought.

"No..." Said Laura. "Home with God. I'll be well there."

"No, baby, no!" Disagreed Aubrey, crying. "I'm not ready to lose you. I can't lose you!"

"You'll be okay. Just remember..." Said Laura, "my wish."

"You're asking a lot of me," Aubrey shook her head.

"Please mom," said Laura with pleading eyes. "My wish."

Aubrey sighed. "I'll consider."

The answer was enough for Laura, who laid down to sleep. A bit later, her machines went off, beeping like crazy.

"Help! Help!" Aubrey screamed hysterically. "Help my baby! Bring her back!"

Doctors and nurses piled in, mourning the loss. "There's nothing we can do," Quiana, eyes watery and lip quivering, told her with her hand on Aubrey's shoulder. "I'm so, so sorry. Laura is a great little woman."

"No!" Cried Aubrey. "Please! Please do something! Please!"

A half hour passed and Steven finally arrived at the hospital to find three people mourning over a still body, which was his biological daughter.

"Too late," he said, beginning to sob. "Too late! I was too late!"

The three looked at him, sorry for the lost time between Laura and her biological dad. Not once had they ever bonded or had any kind of time together. Steven hit the ground and was unsure of what to do next.

A few hours passed, and Laura was taken away. "What do we do now?" Asked Tobias, clearly affect by the loss of his great friend.

Andrew was the only one to respond. "First, we'll put her to rest with a nice service, and then we'll mourn, heal, remember, and move on."

They all agreed and attended her funeral and burial the next day.