Hidden Scars

Chapter 53

Chapter 53...
Why was this happening? What did she do to deserve this? Just... Why?
Astrid followed the doctors and nurses and kept asking what was happening but was ignored by them as they continued to work. It wasn't long until she was waiting outside the resus room... just over an hour ago she was stood there watching her father die in front of her own eyes. It was happening all over again.
Her father was still in hospital bed in the room. The nurses had to leave his body as they were finishing his notes and moving his body, but they had to help with Astrid's mother again.
"We need to restart her heart and get her heart rate back to normal," she heard the doctor say through the glass. "Ok everyone stand back... clear... shocking."
She watched her mother as the electrical impulses passed through her body, making her jump and stop her heart stopped.
BEEEEEEEEEEEP
"Shocking" the doctor said again as he pressed the button again. It worked.
Seeing the monitors moving back in a normal rhythm and the sounds of the machines beeping at a normal pace made Astrid hold back the tears. She wasn't going to lose her mother... Not now. Her eyes kept moving between the two bodies in the beds next to eachother. One dead... One alive.
Astrid watched the nurses talking to the nurses. They were pointing at the notes on the board with a sad and concerned face. They shook their head and looked at their patient who was only just alive. All the nurses moved away from eachother and began to abandon the patient to work in more jobs. The doctor walked out of the room rubbing his head and opened the doors to see Astrid.
He paused before he spoke.
"We need to have a serious talk Miss Hofferson..."
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Astrid was sat in the consultants room with Hiccup who she had woken up. The consultant and doctor had left to gather the notes of the situations which were unknown. Her hands were shaking a little and she fidgeted in her seat as she waited.
"Hey," Hiccup held her hand and squeezed it tight in a comforting manor. "It's going to be ok..."
Astrid nodded and took a breath.
KNOCK KNOCK.
She turned to the door to see it open. The doctor and consultant had returned with the notes.
"Good evening Mr Haddock and Miss Hofferson." The consultant shook both their hands and sat down together to discuss the information. Both Hiccup and Astrid were unprepared for what happened next.
"We are here to discuss the further implications to your mother's well-being and condition. We are both so sorry for the loss of your father Miss Hofferson and we hope we can support you though these times."
"Thank you." Astrid nodded sadly.
"We understand that you are not in the right position to talk about this next topic right now but, we need you to make a decision."
"Ok..."
The doctor opened the file and presented a list and scans to Astrid after she replied.
"Your mother has sustained many injuries from the crash, many if which were treatable but... She has a very serious and life changing head injury. Monitoring her through the past few hours and during her sudden change in health, her brain is struggling to maintain her body functions properly and... Her body is beginning to shut down along with her brain."
"...oh..." Astrid was lost for words along with Hiccup.
"I...Is there anything that can be done?" Hiccup asked.
"That's the decision that needs to be made by Miss Hofferson. There are two choices which can be done for you mother... we either keep her on life support like she is now connected to for the rest of her life and have the medical help and assistance....or... we take her off of Life support and allow her body to shut down in peace."
Astrid sat in shock as she listened the choices. The tears were forming in her eyes, thinking about the decisions she had to make.
"If Astrid's mother is kept on life support and being medically looked after... will her body be ok to cope?"
"If she is kept on... Her brain will become unstable and not be able to control her body no longer."
There was a cold silence.
The two choices... let her mother live through the pain and suffering... or let her pass peacefully painless.
"We will give you time to decide... Thank you for meeting us and we will be back shortly. They left the room and Hiccup allowed the tears to fall that he was holding back.
Astrid was too shocked to sob, the tears just fell. She didn't want to let her mother go... but she knew she had to make the right choice.
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"Miss Hofferson... have you made a decision?"
"Yes... I want to stop her life support..."