I'll Take Care Of You

Chapter 14

            I sat there by my mom's bedside, holding her hand. Ash was nice enough to let me have some alone time with her. She was hooked up to tubes, and the thing that scared me the most was the heart monitor. I heard slow beeps coming from it. I prayed to God it wouldn't show that thin green line that everyone dreads.

            I thought back to when we got to the hospital, and how the doctor said that my mom was in a coma. "I don't know when she will wake up." He had told us as we made our way to the room

            I bent my head down and kissed the top of my mother's hand. "Please don't leave me mommy." I whispered as tears rolled down my cheeks. I couldn't survive without her. I mean I could, but I wouldn't know how. Graduation was a couple months away. I couldn't help but wonder if she would even be here for that. The thought of her not being there made me cry even more. I whispered to her as I stood up to kiss her cheek. "Please wake up soon." I walked out of the door and went to the wall. I sat down and pulled my knees close to me, laying my head on them. The tears wouldn't stop coming. I felt arms wrap around me. I looked up to see Ash looking down at me. He leaned in and kissed my forehead. I hugged him close to me and leaned my head into his chest, soaking the front of his shirt with my flooding eyes.

            "She still asleep?" He asked me, patting my back. I nodded and sniffled. He ran his fingers through my hair and put his hand on my chin, tilting my head back so I was looking up at him. He rubbed his thumb under my eyes, wiping away the tears, then leaned down and kissed me softly.

            As soon as he pulled away, I heard the dreaded sound that I was hoping I would not hear at all. I got up and rushed back into the room.

            "Mom?! MOM!" I shook her trying to get her awake. This could not be happening. "HELP!" I screamed. I looked back at my mom and leaned close to her, the tears pouring down once again. "Please don't leave me! Please!" I was crying even harder now. I felt arms wrap around me, pulling me back. "NO!" I yelled, not wanting to let go of my mother. Ash kept pulling me back further towards the door. I saw a bunch of nurses and the doctor crowd around my mother's lifeless body, trying to shock her back to life.

            "Get her out of here!" I heard the doctor order Ashton. I gave up and let him pull me back out the door, and into the hall. He turned me around and wrapped me in a tight hug. We stood there for what seemed like an hour. I kept my eyes closed tight and just let the tears flow out of me.

            I heard footsteps behind me, and turned around to see the nurses leave and the doctor looked at me with a frown on his face. I shook my head. "No." I whispered, putting my hand over my mouth.

            He put his hand on my shoulder. "I'm sorry." He said looking down. "There was nothing we could do." My knees felt weak. I held onto Ash to keep me supported. The doctor walked away. I looked in the room to see my mom's corpse laying there. I slowly walked forward and stood by her bed. I saw how peaceful she looked. I leaned down and gave her a kiss on her forehead, one last tear left me; I was all dried out. I turned back around and headed back out the door and down the hall towards the exit. Ash followed right behind me.

            The funeral was held a few days later. That was the hardest thing I had to see, well, the second hardest. It felt like déjà vu because I was just here last year for my dad's burial. I watched as they lowered my mother's casket into the ground. I tossed a red rose on top, as they started covering it up. I pulled away from Ash and everyone, and headed to my father's grave -which was right next to my mother's- and set a white rose on his.

            I had been numb for the past couple of days, leading up to now. Reality suddenly hit, and I broke down right there. "Why God? Why did you take them from me?!" I said to myself. I knew I shouldn't be angry with God, but I couldn't help myself. He took the two most important people in my life from me. How could I not be angry about that?

            I was quiet in the car on the way back to Ashton's house. I was so glad that Karen and Robert allowed me to stay with them. But I knew things would never be the same. It was my house for now, but not my home. My home would be with my parents, in the house I grew up in. That would never happen anymore. It will be forever a memory.

            When we pulled into the driveway, the family was standing out front. I got out of the car and walked towards them.

            Karen pulled me into a tight hug. "I'm so sorry Jen." I felt the tears stream down my eyes. I pulled away and gave her a small smile.

            "Thank you for taking me in."  I told her, my voice cracking. She nodded and I moved to Robert.

            "Sorry kid. It will get better." I knew this, but when? I nodded and then walked to Lauren. She just hugged me and gave me a kiss on the cheek. I walked over to Sky and she threw herself at me. Giving me a tight hug to where I couldn't breathe.

            "Uh Sky, can't breathe here."

            She loosened her grip on me. "Oh sorry." She said, pulling back.

            Ash's 13 year old sister, Hailey, and Sky's 12 year old sister, Madison, both hugged me. Then Ash's 7 year old brother, Luke, wrapped his arms around my waist and hugged me too.

            We all headed inside. I walked to Ashton's room - where I would be staying for the remainder of the time with them- and laid down on my stomach, onto his bed. I was exhausted from all that has been going on these past couple days. I also have barely been getting any sleep because of the nightmares I've been having ever since the day my mom died. Ash scooted me over and laid next to me, wrapping his arms around me. I didn't notice I was crying until he said something about it.

            "First you get my shirt soaked, now my bed." I could hear a smirk in his voice.

            I wiped the tears away and looked up at him. "Sorry." I said in a tired voice.

            He rubbed his thumb on my cheek. "It's okay. It's understandable." He leaned in and kissed my forehead. I laid my head on his chest and wrapped my arms around him. He patted my back.

            I was almost asleep when I heard him whisper, "I love you JenJen," in my ear.

            I smiled and mumbled tiredly back. "I love you too, AshAsh." At that moment, the darkness came over me, sending me off to dreamland.