Amazing Grace (to be edited)

Chapter 4

I am so sorry guys. School has just gotten in the way and I wasn't able to work. Nag at me all you want, I deserve it. But, I do hope you enjoy this new chapter, and i'll get back on the ball ASAP. I'll be able to update more over spring break and after schoool ends. Also, thanks to Skylala and my friend Alli for motivating me. :P 

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My coworkers were supportive of me in the passing month, but there was really nothing they could do as far as getting me out of work. I had decided to take the last month of my daughter's life off, so I could see her at her last moments- instead of second to last. Otherwise, I would have taken off the first moment I knew that I could. I spent every afternoon at the hospital, spending time with Grace. She always seemed to put on a well facade for me, but I knew she was fantastically ill. Her face got a little paler each day. At one point she began to forget things. Currently, I was with her.

Her frail little body was connected to a couple IVs, and she was laying in a hospital bed with one of those stupid gowns on. There was a machine hooked up to all the IVs that constantly beeped. Annoying... Not to mention depressing.

Grace coughed a bit, and spoke. "Mommy, can you read me a story before bed?"

I glanced at my watch. 8:00. Wow, I didn't realize how much time had whiled away with her. I got out her favorite book and read with care, stopping when I realized her eyes had closed and her breathing had steadied. Ah, sleep.

"Sweet dreams, little one." I leaned in and kissed her head in a swift motion, then sweeped some stray hairs from her face. She looked utterly peaceful and perfect. For now.

I shook my head. No, Emily, bad. I stroked her cheek and soon dozed off.

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Waking up, I noticed the back and neck aches that I realized came with sleeping in a crappy hospital chair. I checked my watch. 5:30. Woah. Another Sid effect of sleeping in a crappy hospital chair: Interrupted slumber. A nurse peeked her head inside the room and started when she realized I was awake.

"Good... Morning, Ms. Macintosh." she said.

I shook my head to rid myself of my sleepy haze, and nodded at her.

"I hope I'm not interrupting much, but if you'd like it, I do have some news."

I sat up straighter. News? This couldn't be good. My eyes darted a bit.

"Oh, nothing urgent." she said with a slight chuckle.

Oh. Ok. My daughter's life is a laughing matter. Yeah. I get it. But, luckily, apparently it wasn't. URGENT, whatever that meant. I guess not life and death. I cleared my throat. "Um, if you didn't notice, I'm kind of trying to sleep here. If it's not important for right this second, I don't need to hear it, 'kay?" My voice came to me in a hoarse tone.

The nurse nodded and stepped out. I immeadiately fell back asleep.

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Waking up yet again, I quickly realized that I was conscious at a more sustainable hour. 7:00. I felt particularly excited, because I was going to be off tomorrow. Finally! I could spend more time with my amazing little Grace. I shook her slightly, waking her up. Her eyes fluttered open and she made a small groaning sound, and then was fully aware. She smiled and looked up past me, noticing the nurse in the process of walking in.

"I see you've gotten more sleep then, Ms. Macintosh."

I sighed. The same pesky woman from last night... Err... This morning.

"I've got letters from Grace's classmates for you." she said delightedly.

Letters? How sweet. The nurse came in with a basket of them and Grace and I read through them. Most of them were very sweet, the typical get well card. Well wasn't this sweet. I looked over at Grace. She was crying.

"What's wrong, sweetheart?" I asked, scooting closer to her.

"Cassidy!" She yelped, and a card fell out of her hand. Cassidy was Grace's very best friend since preschool. That girl must have played her heartstrings.

"Shh, it's alright." I said, gently caressing her cheek, kissing her forehead, an then bending over to pick up the card. 'To: Grace From: Cassidy" was written on it in sloppy first grade handwriting. I opened it up and began to read.

'I'm sad without you. I hope you get better. I miss you. I love you.

Love, Cassidy'

It made me want to cry. It was brief. Yet, coming from a first grader, it was one of the most heartfelt things I had ever read. My poor Grace...

It was going to be uphill from here, I could certainly tell that. I shook my head and drew Grace as close to me as I could manage with getting tangled up in any tubes, then let her cry into my shoulder. If only Greg were here. That got me crying, too.

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Yes, it's short. I apoligize.

-Nagini