M1911A1 - Aftermath Pt. 02

"I'll manage," I said, punctuating my statement with a sketchy smile.

We finished our breakfast and I helped Janice clear the table. Richard dug into his pocket and handed me the key to their cabin. I had been there many times and knew the way.

"Enjoy your stay," Richard said with a smile.

"Thank you both. For everything," I said, hugging each of them.

"It's our pleasure," Janice said. "And call if you need anything."

After we said our goodbyes, I packed my things and left. I thought about going to the house to grab a few more things but chose not to. After yesterday, I had no desire to step foot in that place ever again. I stopped at a Walmart and grabbed a few things to hold me over, then got back on the road.

I was on the two-lane blacktop outside town, my windows down and the radio blaring. The wind blowing my hair kept me awake and I was looking forward to a few days of peace and tranquility. I was only a half-hour away from the lake when it happened.

"Nice day for a drive, isn't it?" I heard from the passenger seat.

Stunned, I looked and saw Terry sitting there, glancing out the side window. I had a clear view of the exit wound in his head, and I could see sunlight through the remains of his skull.

"What are you doing here?" I nearly screamed.

"You fell asleep at the wheel. Not very safe," Terry said as he looked at me. "In fact, you might want to keep your eyes on the road before you come to the intersect..."

Suddenly, my whole world flew apart as a massive 18-wheeler slammed into my door. The force of the collision caused the car to spin around, and I was struck a second time by a truck in the opposite lane. My car ended up in a ditch, upside-down, and I was trapped between the airbags that had deployed.

"See ya later," Terry said before I blacked out.

...

Epilogue (25 years later):

"Hello, Mrs. Hopkins," the cheerful receptionist said as Janice signed the guest book.

"Hello, Amy," Janice replied. "How is Ms. Baker today?" she asked April Callahan, the head nurse in Helen's ward, who showed up at the desk. Janice had made this trip every week for the last 25 years, and the nurse knew she was coming.

"The same. She just sits in her wheelchair watching television or looking out the window. Nights still seem to be the worst for her, though. She insists she sees her dead husband in her dreams," April said sadly.

Janice knew about that, but she also knew that Helen had managed to make her peace with it over the years, and Terry's nightly visits didn't fill her with the dread they once did.

"There is one odd thing that happened the other day, though," April added as they walked down the corridor to Helen's room.

"What's that?" Janice asked.

"If I hadn't seen it for myself, I never would've believed it," April began. "You know that picture she has of her and her husband that's on the credenza in her room?"

"Yes, I know the picture. That was taken the day they were married," Janice said with a touch of nostalgic sadness.

"I was in her room, feeding her lunch when the picture suddenly fell forward, face down. And it just didn't fall over. It was slammed down with enough force to break the glass," April said. "I almost jumped out of my skin when that happened."

"Maybe there was a draft," Janice suggested cautiously, feeling a cold prickling on her skin.

"No, all of the windows were closed, and none of the fans were running," April replied definitely.

"That is odd," Janice said noncommittally. She recalled the day Helen said the same thing happened in her house. That was the day before the accident that left her in a coma. She recovered from that, but the damage she suffered in the accident left her quadriplegic. There was no way Helen could have done it, and April was with her when it happened.

"She's complained several times about things moving in her room, but I always thought it was someone on staff moving things while cleaning. I've never witnessed it for myself. But the strangest thing was Helen's reaction," April continued.

"Oh?" Janice asked.

"Yes. She just smiled, looked at me, and said, 'he's still pissed off at me.' Does that make any sense to you?" April asked.

"Strangely enough, it does," Janice said with a fleeting, sad smile. "I'll tell you about it one of these days."

"I can't wait to hear that story," April replied. "Anyway, I have rounds to make, but I know the front office wants to see you about her benefits before you leave. I'll talk to you later."

"Okay," Janice said. She got to her sister's room and looked at the frail 71-year-old woman sitting in her wheelchair gazing out the window. She remembered the day of the accident like it was yesterday.

Helen was on her way to the lake cabin when she was struck by an 18-wheeler, and then another truck going in the opposite direction. According to the police report, Helen must've fallen asleep at the wheel and drove through a red light.

Officers said Helen had to be extracted from her car using a "Jaws of Life" and was lucky to be alive, as the cab had been slowly filling with water from the blocked ditch, and the unconscious Helen had just avoided drowning. She and Richard had blamed themselves for a long time; knowing she was that tired they should have driven her to the cabin.

The police report clearly said it was her fault for failing to stop at the light, so the trucking company was off the hook. Fortunately, she was still on her law firm's medical plan, which covered her hospital expenses.

The benefits she had didn't cover all of her long-term care, and Janice, now acting with Helen's power of attorney, ended up using all of her sister's funds, including her 401K and Terry's 401K, along with the insurance Helen got from Terry's firm.

Janice also sold Helen's house after the mortgage was paid and used most of the proceeds from that sale to cover her sister's medical and final expenses. Helen was now covered by Medicare but still had to pay for things like prescriptions. The medical expenses from the last 25 years had almost eaten up what was left of Helen's funds. She was aware that if her sister lived much longer, she would probably be headed for a less personal nursing home.

"Look what I brought for you," Janice said, pulling a new afghan from her large bag. "I just finished it yesterday."

"That looks so nice," Helen squeaked. "Thank you."

"I thought it would help keep you warm at night."

"I'm sure it will," Helen said before looking back out the window. "Can you keep a secret?" she asked.

"Of course," Janice replied.

"That weekend I spent with Ray... I haven't even told Terry yet, but I've come to the conclusion that it wasn't worth what it cost," Helen said as a single, silvery tear slid down her face.

The temperature in the room dropped a few degrees and the heavy hospital bed rattled gently. Janice looked at the bed, startled, then back to her sister.

"I think he already knows, dear," Janice said quietly.

...

Fade to black...