That Summer in Nevis (Lams)

Chapter 23

"Alexander Hamilton?"

They all jumped at the sudden change of the volume in the room. Their heads turned towards the voice. It was the same nurse from before.

"How is he?" Martha asked.

They all stood, pleading eyes staring at the nurse. Her fingernails tapped at the wooden clipboard in her arms. She was nervous.

"Your son is Alexander Hamilton?" George and Martha nodded. She took a deep breath. "Your son's internal injuries were very severe, and as you know we um, we took him into surgery to get a blood transfusion. We-we couldn't get the blood to him in time. His organs were too damaged- I'm so very sorry for your loss."

John stumbled into his seat. This was too much.

"W-What?" Martha gasped.

"I'm sorry. Your son passed away shortly this morning after suffering from internal bleeding caused by a falling tree." She bit her lip and left them in the suffocating silence. That seemed to be a natural occurrence. Heh.

Then, John broke it.

"Guys, I'm so sorry," he choked. "I shouldn't have left him. I-" John cut himself off with a soft sob into his hand.

Peggy came up to him. "Breathe, John. It's not your fault."

Soon enough, everyone else joined John and Peggy. They offered each other comforting hugs and reassurance.

-

Alex watched them, tears in his eyes. He wished he could've been there. He should've been there. They were right. It wasn't John's fault, it was his.

He could've been faster, he could've-could've done anything more. He didn't want to hurt them. He knew how bad it hurt to lose his family. George and Martha had already lost so much. John and Laf, Maria...

He just wanted to hug them. He wanted to let them know he was there, that he was watching. That he was sorry. That he loved them. Loved John.

"John, I know you can't hear me. I know none of you can hear me, but I love you. John, I want you to move on. I-I want you to be happy, to have a family. I know you want that. Forget about me, please. Forget me and be happy. It's not your fault. I love you."

To his surprise, John turned his head. He turned and looked where Alex would've been, straight in the eye as if he could see him. For a split second, he thought he could. But then, John turned away like it never happened.

"I'll see you on the other side..." he whispered.

Alex felt an arm on his shoulder. It was his mom. He gasped and smiled, throwing himself into her arms. Finally. Finally, he was with her again. God, he missed her so much.

-

They got back to New York a few days later. They barely talked during then. They just packed and left.

The funeral was sad. I mean, of course, it was sad, it was a funeral after all, but...

Alex never had too many friends. I guess he just lucked out being Laf's brother. I guess he lucked out having such amazing and understanding friends. Laf was always social. Popular. Alex wished he was him.

Alex didn't have any extended family either. It was just them at the funeral.

He didn't get to live a long, happy life like he was supposed to. He didn't get to change the world, didn't get to make a name for himself. He never got that date with John...

-

The rest of the summer was too quiet. Laf would stay in his room most of the time. The Washingtons tried to be happy. They tried to move past it for the kids, but it only hurt them more. Peggy stopped having that little pep in her step she used to have. Everyone was just a little different. Life was never the same without him.

Some good things happened, though!

John finally moved out of his dad's house. The Washingtons took him in. The graduates all got accepted into nice colleges. And they weren't too far away from each other!

They knew that soon enough, instead of feeling sad when remembering Alex, they would be happy. Happy that he was there. Happy that they got to meet him, to know him. To laugh and smile with him. And instead of sad tears, there would be happy tears. Happy tears in his memory.

So okay, he didn't plan his life like that. Yes, he wanted to make a name for himself, a name in the history books, but life doesn't always go as planned. And yes, this was such a shitty change in plan, Alex was still with them. Alex was still there. They felt that.

Alex watched all of this happen, and he would continue to watch them for the rest of their lives. And when one by one they would join him again, he would welcome them with open arms. They would meet his mother. They would meet and watch over everyone else until their time came. Until they were finally together again.