The Old Man With The .44

I dont say this often but...

-Present day, April 13, 2049-

"Your really thinking about it huh?" Holly was asking  me about building a little house to cover Rachel's gravestone in the pasture, in the back yard. "Yeah, it would be nicer for her. She never did like the cold rain." I told holly my plans for the little house. "That would be amazing dad." Holly laced her head on my shoulder. We were driving to the hospital to check on Holly's brain tumor. It was her last check up before we figured out how long she might live.

We walked into the hospital doors, and immediately I was handed the sweet smell of body odor, hand sanitizer, and old magazines that no one actually reads for enjoyment. Me and holly walked up to the check in counter, and Holly checked herself in. "So how are you holding up?" I asked holly while we went to sit down. "I'm doing okay... I miss her." Holly looked at me. "Me too." I replied.

Holly revived a text, and I overlooked at her phone, it was her boyfriend Michael. "So um... are you and-" Holly cut me off, "Yes dad... damn." Holly exhaled. See Michael wasn't exactly the best match for Holly, when him and Holly were 16, he tried to sneak Holly out of the house one night, so when I saw him creeping his way down the hall way in my house, I shined a flash light at him, and I saw Holly open her bedroom door to meet him. It was at this moment I knew what was going on. Haha, he ran out of the house so fast he knocked over my lamp shade in the front room, and when he got outside, I pelted him with some 20 Gauge birdshot.

Unfortunately, Michael's father, Allan, didn't really agree with my punishment. But I bet you he would have done the same damn thing. "Your still seeing him?! Come one Holly, You deserve so much better... I don't know what you see in him." I told her. "But I love him dad, why can't you see that?" Holly asked me.

"Ms.Sheidland, we're ready to see you." A lady said.
We followed her into the nurses room, I opened the door for Holly and sat down with her. Holly looked nervous, and I was anxious already. I never liked hospitals, with all of they're needles, and white coats, and medicine talk. The doctor was quick, and when she walked in, her face was full of worry, like she knew we'd be upset.

"Mr.Sheidland, Ms.Sheidland..." Doctor Jackson spoke to us. "Mrs.Jackson." Holly and I replied, "Okay Holly, I have good news and bad news. Which news you want to hear first is up to you." Mrs.Jackson told Holly. "...tell us the good news first." Holly told her. Mrs.Jackson got on her knees, and put her folder on the seat next to Holly. "Holly, With the severity of the cancer, and how late we found it, the surgery we spoke in hopes of last year, is inoperable. This-unfortunately... will leave you with about a year, and eight months left of life expectancy. But the good news is... if anything thing is to happen to you, you won't feel anything... I'm so sorry." Mrs.Jackson kept her composure, but she was very upset.

"Surely this isn't set in stone. Right doc?!" I stood slowly and spoke to the doctor. "Mr.Sheidland, we've ran over 30 tests on Holly's blood, bone marrow, and tissue. To say it isn't accurate would be a lie." Mr.Jackson told me. Holly had rested her face in the palms of her hands, and didn't say a word. "I'll leave you two alone, you don't need to sign anything, your paperwork will be mailed to you."Mrs.Jackson told me. My heart sank into my stomach, and my hands started to tremble uncontrollably, and the only sound out of holly, was her gasping into her hands, trying to catch her breath from crying.

As we walked out of the hospital, I had never been so worried in my entire life. My daughter was only 23 years old, when she heard that she would only make it to 25. We walked to the truck and sat inside, in silence for a good 45 minutes. "You know Holly... I don't say this often but... I love you." I told Holly while I held her hand. But holly had no words, and no expression.

I started the truck and drove our way down to the old DQ, downtown for half price blizzards. Holly loves to try all of the new blizzards, along with the Blizzard of the month. I knew what she would order, so I got her a Confetti Cake Blizzard in a large cup. I put it in the cup holder next to her. "You deserve it." I told her.

When we got to Holly's house, I walked with her to her couch in the front room, and we sat down and ate our Blizzards. Holly didn't say anything, but I was okay with it. I tried to keep her company as best as I could. I even turned on her favorite show, "House M.D.". I looked over to see how she was doing, and she went to sleep, so I tucked her in with a blanket, and gave her a kiss on the forehead, then I slept on the floor next to her.