Hidden Scars

Chapter 54

Chapter 54...
"What do I need to do?"
"Stand by her side and be there for her as she passes..."
"What will happen?"
"We will turn off the machine that is providing her oxygen and wait for her heartbeat to stop."
"Will it hurt her?"
"No... she won't fell anything."
Astrid stood staring at her mother as she asked the question to the doctor who was on the other side of the hospital bed with a nurse. Her mother looked so pale, as pale as a sheet of paper and she looked so ill. Deep down Astrid wanted to just cuddle up against her mother and hold her tight as she got better and hear her mother's voice, but that was just a wish. And some wishes don't come true.
"We'll leave you two for a bit to say your goodbyes and then we will proceed." The doctor and nurse walked away leaving them to it, gently closing the door behind them quietly.
Hiccup was sat in a chair near the bed and began to say his goodbyes to Astrid's mother, thanking her for being his second mother and how he was going to look after Astrid through everything no matter what. Tears gently fell down his cheeks as he finished and took a few breaths to compose himself. Astrid walked over to Hiccup and hugged him. They held eachother hard with sadness.
Astrid let go of him and walked back to her mother, taking her pale, bruised, cold hand in hers.
"Hey mum... I know that I can't do anything to make you better again and I blame myself for everything. It should have been me in the car and you shouldn't be here waiting to... die... I won't ever get to listen to your voice... see your smile... hear you laugh again... but I'll keep all the memories... our memories... of me, you a-and dad. And I'll remember you two every time I look in my locket and wear it to take you with me."
Astrid gently moved a strand of hair that was covering her mother's face and stroked her cheek.
"You used to do this to me when I was a little girl... I remember I would fall asleep as you sung lullabies to me and stroked my cheek when I would have a nightmare... I'm going to miss you... so much..."
KNOCK KNOCK
Astrid turned to the door with tears in her eyes as she saw the doctors and nurses walking in again. They closed the door and stood by the bed in silence.
"It's time"
Astrid let the tears fall and moved away from the bed, their hands broke away and and she stood next to Hiccup who held her close.
The doctor moved his hand to the machine and hovered his finger around the button before looking at Astrid.
"Ready?"
Astrid just gave a silent nod before watching the button be pushed in and waiting as the sound of the beeps began to fade.
As each beep passed, memories flashed in Astrid's eyes of her family all together. It made her heart ache and tremble.
As the last beep faded to a flat line, she burst into tears with Hiccup and held eachother closer than ever.
"Time of death... 12:03am"