Alexa’s Ghost Pt. 01

I reached for my hated alarm clock, I wanted to throw it out the window, as usual. It read 5am as it chirped incessantly, the fake cheery song annoying me out of my warm, fluffy nest.

I sat up and moved about an inch, a voice in my head telling me it wouldn't hurt to sleep another ten minutes. I lay back down on my bed, still trapped in the fog between slumber and awake. I really wasn't a morning person, I'd happily sleep till noon if I could. My late nights probably accounted for part of my problem getting up for work in the mornings.

I finally made it to my kitchen counter and almost hugged my best friend, the coffee pot. As I waited for my brew I went outside to check the mail I hadn't bothered collecting for the last few days. I thumbed through the pile of garbage advertising and free papers and saw a handwritten envelope. I never got many of these and I dropped the rest of my mail and scrutinized the letter back and front. The return address was from a firm of attorneys located in the small town where my grandmother resided.

I felt my heart skip a beat as I opened the letter with trembling fingers.

She had not been well lately and I had spent the weekend with her less than a month ago.

She helped raise me and we shared a very strong bond. I remember her rocking me in her arms as she comforted me when I heard the terrible news that my parents had lost their lives in an horrific car accident. They were on their way home after going out to dinner to celebrate my Dad's promotion when a drunk driver plowed into them, killing them instantly and shattering a young girl's life in the process.

That was the day I realized that my future

lay in law enforcement. I swore I would do everything in my power to lock away as many criminals as humanly possible.

I worked harder and longer hours than any of my fellow colleagues. I had a lot of accrued leave I never took and as I unfolded the letter I silently thanked God for that.

It turned out Nana, as I called her, was in hospital. She had a stroke and was currently heavily sedated. Her Lawyer wrote to tell me that he would advise that I come to town as soon as possible as she had left instructions should anything happen to her. He had included his business card and requested I come and see him when I arrived there.

I wondered why the hospital had not called me directly. I looked over at my answering machine and the red blinking light meant my machine was full. I wasn't very good at listening to my messages. I really needed to have my calls forwarded to my cell phone.

My boss was going to have a fit but it was about time the others started to pull their weight and not rely on me to tie up all the loose ends and finish all the last minute paperwork.

I grabbed my giant coffee mug and filled it to the brim. The smell of freshly brewed strong black coffee was one of my favorite scents in the world, especially in the morning.

I grabbed a large suitcase from my guest room. I say guest room but I've only used it as storage seeing as I am always too busy to invite guests over to stay. There is a bed in there somewhere but I hadn't seen it in a long time. I really needed to clear out some of the junk I've accumulated over the years.

I threw random items of clothing into the case and grabbed my coat as I headed out to the police station.

"Damnit Woods! We have a ton of processing work to complete before the end of the week and there's that stake out, you organized, happening tomorrow!" My boss looked at me, his brow creased by the large frown he now sported. I could swear I saw a vein throbbing on the side of his head, ready to pop.

"I don't mean to be insensitive but you really could not have sprung this on me at a worse time."

"I'm sorry Sir but it is an emergency and I have a ton of leave that I have to take at some point. I will make sure Reynolds is up to speed with everything he needs to know to take point on tomorrow's job. It's practically in the bag anyway. These perps aren't smart, they've left a trail of breadcrumbs everywhere they've been up to no good. As for the paperwork I could name a few guys who haven't clocked in any overtime in months." A crooked grin formed on my lips as I imagined the pissed off faces of my lazier colleagues. They'd chew me up for this later but I had more pressing issues right now.

I finished up everything that needed to be done and was headed out the door before lunch time.

I jumped in my truck and headed out on the road. It would take me at least four hours to get to Nana's place. I was planning to look in on her first but after checking with the hospital it seemed I would need to wait for her doctors to complete a few scheduled tests before I could see her. This way I could change out my work clothes and take a shower. I also wasn't sure who was taking care of Tubby, her cat.

The trip was uneventful, no traffic and I arrived just after 3.pm. I parked behind Nana's ancient Buick and grabbed my stuff to take inside. I found the spare key taped under the porch swing, where it always was. I had just made it inside when I was ambushed by Tubby. The plump fur ball started rubbing his ample black body against my legs and I almost tripped over him as I lugged my suitcase inside.

After putting my things in my old room I went to take a quick shower and then headed to the kitchen to feed the cat. Thank goodness Nana started using the auto feeder I got for her otherwise I would have had to change his name to Skinny. I petted him and he purred happily as he munched away.

I looked up at the clock, I still had over an hour to kill before heading to the hospital so I opened the fridge and threw out the spoiled perishables and made a mental list of what I needed from the grocery store.

I grabbed Nana's mail and put it in my purse as I exited the door.

I drove into town and made my way to the Attorney's office. There were only 3 lawyers practicing but in a town with about only 2000 permanent residents I guess that was sufficient.

The secretary told me to have a seat and wait for Mr Hobbs to call me into his office.

I looked around the drab room. It was furnished with relics from the seventies and there was even a dusty fake plant standing forlornly in the corner. Magazines that were several years old were stacked on the table in the waiting area. Business wasn't booming apparently.

I heard a buzzer signal at the front desk, that was my cue and I was ushered into the office.

"Good afternoon Ms Woods. I am your grandmother's attorney, Eric Hobbs. Please do sit down and make yourself comfortable."

Mr Hobbs was a balding, rather portly man who hadn't received the memo that Brill cream was no longer in vogue. He wore a dull brown tweed jacket over his off white shirt and his bright yellow tie did not fully cover the ketchup stain he obviously obtained during lunch.

"Thank you for reaching out to me Mr. Hobbs. I am rather confused that the hospital didn't contact me directly to inform me of her stroke. I am obviously worried about my grandmother's condition and came as soon as I could. You said you needed to see me regarding some instructions she left in case of emergency?"

"Yes that is correct. Mrs Woods listed us both in case of emergency and I informed the hospital that I would contact you and let you know about the situation. I tried several times to call you but I got no answer and your answering machine was full. Your grandmother is a very thorough woman and has left detailed instructions about her estate and continuity of care should she fall ill. She's even left instructions about her funeral arrangements should she pass.

All the information you need is in this folder." He handed me a red binder which held a relatively thick stack of pages inside.

"The folder contains numerous documents including the deed to her property, share certificates and bank account details. I suggest you take that with you and read through it carefully. Any questions you may have I will gladly answer for you but it's pretty self explanatory. Your grandmother's estate is rather substantial Ms Woods and you are her sole beneficiary. You have general power of attorney so you will be able to access her funds for any payments you need to cover with regards to her medical bills and household expenses. She has also appointed me as the executor of her will should it come to that."

I stared at the binder in my hand. Nana was the only close family I had. I never had any siblings. There were a few uncles and aunts as well as a handful of cousins out there somewhere but I hadn't seen them in years and apart from the occasional Christmas card I didn't really have any contact with them. I felt the heaviness of grief start to settle inside me. I closed my eyes and prayed that Nana would recover soon. I wasn't ready to face a life without her. Looking at this binder made it all to real that my time with Nana was finite.

"Thank you Mr Hobbs. I shall look over these documents as soon as I return from visiting my grandmother and finding out the doctor's prognosis."

I stood up and shook his hand and he opened the door for me to leave.

"You are most welcome Ms Woods and if there's anything you need please do not hesitate to ask. Please convey my wishes for a speedy recovery to your grandmother. Good day to you."

I walked out of the office, the late afternoon sun was beginning to fade and a chilly breeze had started blowing. I hugged my coat close to me as I made my way back to the truck.

I had spent more time at the attorney's office than I thought I would have so the groceries would have to wait till after I had gone to visit Nana.

I found the floor that Nana's room was located on and stood in the elevator waiting for everyone to file in. The typical hospital smell assaulted my nostrils. I hated this smell, it reminded me of the worst day of my life, the day my parents had passed away. I mentally scolded myself and shook it off. I had to be strong for Nana.

I walked to the nurses station and introduced myself, asking to speak with the doctor who was treating her. The nurse smiled at me as showed me to the waiting area.

"Dr. Edwards is just finishing up his rounds and will be with you shortly. Your grandmother is in very good hands my dear and luckily we got to her in time to save her life."

She smiled at me reassuringly and I thanked her.

I tapped my fingers nervously as I waited for Dr. Edwards to finally appear. It was only a matter of minutes but it felt like hours had gone by when he approached me.

"You must be Ms Woods," he said as he offered his hand to greet me.

"Yes I am. Please tell me how she's doing Doctor and please be frank with me. I want the whole detailed analysis if you don't mind."

"Well I'm not going to sugarcoat things, the stroke was pretty severe. Luckily it happened while she was in town and could be seen to relatively quickly. Had she been at home when this happened it's doubtful she would have survived.

We have her sedated right now because she broke her hip when she fell and had to have surgery. She's also sustained a minor blow to her head and bruised several ribs."

"Is she going to pull through this? What long term care is she going to need?" I clutched his hand, waiting to hear if he was positive about her chances at recovery.

"It's really a matter of time, Ms Woods. We won't know the extent of the damage caused by the stroke until she comes to. Best case scenario is she will need speech therapy, physiotherapy and bed rest. She will also need help being fed and bathed and she won't be able to use the bathroom till she can walk again.

The next 48 hours are going to be crucial. If she doesn't regain consciousness by then it won't look promising. I wish I could give you a more definitive prognosis but I'm afraid I cannot. You may go in and see her now. Talk to her, having a familiar voice will help."

I thanked the Doctor and made my way to Nana's room.

I stood frozen in place as I stared at her. She looked so pale and small lying there, tubes attached to her in multiple places. The machines around her creating the only sounds in the otherwise quiet room.

I swallowed, trying to moisten my dry throat as I walked over to the chair beside her bed.

I clasped her hand in mine.

"Hi Nana, it's me. I'm right here. Please fight this, please don't leave me." A single tear rolled down my cheek as I looked at her, willing her to wake up.

I spent the next hour just talking to her. I rambled on about my job, reassured her that Tubby was fine and missing her. I looked through her mail and informed her about what was important. I completely lost track of time till the nurse I saw earlier came in and told me that visiting hours were almost up.

I kissed Nana on her forehead and promised to come see her again tomorrow.

I decided as I left the hospital that I had to remain positive. Moping wasn't going to help my grandmother get better. I rushed to the store before it closed. Nothing here stayed open very late except a couple of spit and sawdust bars and the Movie house. I parked my truck and grabbed Nana's grocery basket and made my way to the entrance of the store when I nearly slammed straight into Andrew Cooper, the guy every girl had a crush on back in high school. I was surprised he was still here after all these years. Also I'm sure he'd slept with half of the girls in town by the time he was twenty.

"Well I'll be damned! Is it really Alexa Woods in the flesh? Damn girl it's been years, you here for good or just visiting?"

He grabbed me in a bear hug and spun me around.

"Hey Drew." I smiled at him. "My grandmother is in the hospital so I'm here till she gets better. Not sure how long it's going to be so I'm just going to pick up some supplies. How are you? You still live in town?"

"Hell I'm sorry to hear that Alexa. I hope she gets better soon." He placed a reassuring hand on my shoulder.

"I moved back here a year or so ago, took over my Dad's car dealership." He looked smug as if he expected me to be impressed or something.

"Well good for you Drew! I hope that makes you happy." I tried really hard not to sound too sarcastic but then I remembered that Drew was so into himself he probably wouldn't notice.

"I need to get going before the store closes. It was good to see you again."

"Yeah it's great seeing you too Darlin, you look mighty good by the way, I think I'm going to have to take you to dinner while you're in town." He flashed me the same grin he used in high school when he wanted to get a girl in the sack. Guess he never learned any new moves.

"Maybe Drew we shall see. I'm not going to have much spare time though. Nana is going to need a lot of care. See you around." I left as quickly as possible before he got any ideas.

I grabbed what I needed from the store in record time and headed back to the house for some much needed food and sleep. It had been a long and emotional day and I didn't like the emotional part. I liked being rational and practical, it was clean and precise and there were no grey areas to screw with my heart strings.

I fixed myself a simple meal and went to sit on the couch. I flicked through the Television channels and settled on an old movie Nana and I used to watch together. It comforted me and made me feel close to her. Tubby settled himself on my lap and lay purring as I ran my hands through his soft fur. Poor fuzz butt missed the attention and he followed me when I got up to go to bed. He stretched out and lay against me as I fell asleep.

Something woke me up with a start. My brain was foggy and it took me a moment to realize where I was. Tubby was growling low in his throat and his tail was rapidly twitching, swatting me in my face. I grabbed my phone off the night stand to check the time, 3.15am. I groaned.

"Damnit Tubs what's the matter with you, " I asked the aggravated cat. I shone the light on my phone around the room and saw nothing. "Crazy kitty. Calm down and go to sleep." The cat hissed and jumped off the bed. I was too tired to figure out what had him so spooked and I fell back down on the bed with my head hitting the pillow. Maybe there was a mouse or something in my room. I made a mental note to deal with it in the morning. It didn't take me long to drift back off to sleep.

The sunlight streaming in my room through the partially open curtains finally woke me the next morning. I stretched contently not having been awoken by my horrid alarm. I looked at the time, 9.48am. I hadn't realized how late it was and I scrambled out of bed. I would have to hurry if I wanted to make it in time for morning visiting hour.

I hopped in the shower, brushed my teeth and grabbed an apple from the kitchen on my way out. I would have to stop in town for coffee but that would give me an opportunity to grab the paper to read to Nana. She always read the newspaper every day. She preferred it to watching the news on TV as she said she could choose what she wanted to read without being forced to watch the annoying advertisements.

I walked into Nana's room, the paper under my arm and a large latte in my hand. I read the newspaper articles I thought would interest her while I sipped my coffee.

There had been no change in her condition and she lay there as still as she had the day before. I decided that it might be a good idea to bring in one of her favorite books to read to her, maybe that would trigger a response.

I returned to the house after visiting hour was up and decided to call my boss to update him on my grandmother's condition and to inform him that it looks like I would need an extended leave of absence. Needless to say he wasn't in a good mood when I ended the call. The guys at work were going to be cursing me in several languages by the end of the day.

I looked at the red binder I had placed on the coffee table and sighed as I opened it up to scan the contents.

Mr Hobbs was right, Nana was very comfortable financially. I knew she inherited a healthy sum when Grandad passed away but I had no idea how much. She had also taken control of my parent's estate till I was 21 and I had never bothered to have that transferred to my name because I hadn't needed the money. She had paid the deposit on my condo and I earned enough money to pay my bills and live a relatively comfortable life.

She had several share certificates and bonds as well as a safety deposit box at the local bank, the key was located in her lock box under her bed. I was curious what it contained but decided that I wouldn't open it unless the worst happened.

I looked at the deed to the house. It was much older than I thought and it turns out it was built on the site of a far older building. The blueprints were included in the folder and it appeared part of the original structure was still intact behind a false wall down in the basement. I would have to check that out while I was here.

I placed the contents back in the binder and went up to my room to check for signs of rodents. Tubby was nowhere to be seen and that wasn't like him. Something had really spooked him last night and it had me a little worried.

I spent a good 20 minutes searching every nook and cranny and found absolutely nothing that could explain Tubby's behavior. It must have been something he saw out the window last night, that was the only rational explanation. I went down to the kitchen to prepare myself a decent lunch and relax before the evening visiting hour at the hospital.

I decided to go watch a movie after I left the hospital to try and take my mind off my current situation. It did little to dull my senses but it took the edge off a bit.

I grabbed a quick bite at the drive through fast food place and headed home.

I found Tubby asleep on the couch when I got back. I was relieved to see that he was home and in one piece. He stretched and padded towards me, weaving through my legs and meowing. I went and got him a kitty treat and settled on the couch for a few minutes before heading to bed. I closed my eyes and sighed. I was beginning to imagine the worst might happen. Nana had still not woken up and time was running out. I got up and headed to bed.