Hamliza Month 2020

Day 19: Pain

Eliza and Alexander were at Peggy's funeral when they heard the worst news.

"Excuse me, are you Alexander Hamilton and Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton?" a man asked.

"Yes, that's us. Why? What happened?" Alexander asked.

"It's your son, Phillip. He was in a duel with George Eacker and got shot. He's currently in critical condition," he informed them.

They rushed to their carriage and told the driver to take them to Phillip.

When they were in the carriage, Eliza began shouting at Alexander, "How dare you let Phillip go to a duel! Now he's dying and it's all your fault!"

"What? I never heard anything about a duel," Alexander lied, not wanting to face Eliza's wrath.

"How dumb do you think I am, Alexander! You're his father, who else would he go to? Where else would he get the guns? And you trying to make it seem like you aren't the reason our son is in the hospital isn't going to help!" Eliza shouted at him, tears filling her eyes.

"What makes you think shouting is?" Alexander felt tears filling his eyes. "Do you think I'm not panicking about what's going to happen to him? Do you think I'm not silently shouting at myself for being irresponsible enough to let this happen? Yes, I did give him the gun, I did tell him what to do, but it was his own choice to go to the duel. I can't be held responsible for his actions!"

"You can't be held responsible for his actions! You're his father! He is a child who's moral compass is defined but why what we say is right and wrong! You could have told him this is wrong and he would have listened to you! But no, instead you told him to go to the duel. This is all your fault!" Eliza shouted at him.

"No, Eliza I didn't mean that it was his fault-"

"That is exactly what you meant! We both know the only reason you're going back on your words is that you don't want to take responsibility! You'll say anything if it means that you won't be held responsible, even if what you're saying is a lie that made things worse!" Eliza shouted.

They were at the hospital, so Eliza ran inside to see Phillip with Alexander not far behind her.

"Phillip are you okay?" Eliza asked with a caring voice replacing her tone towards Alexander. "I'm so sorry for letting this happen to you."

"It's not your fault, Ma," Phillip told her.

"It's not yours either. Now you shouldn't talk much, you need to conserve your strength."

"But, what if I need to say goodbye?"

"Hopefully it doesn't get to that point, but if it does, then, of course, you can say goodbye. Now try don't move around, I don't want to lose you," Alexander told him.

Eliza hated to admit it, but Alexander was right. Phillip was panicking and moving his arms, which was not good for conserving energy.

Alexander and Eliza both stayed by his side until his very last breath.