Payback Pt. 08

"That's okay Danno because I wouldn't feel it," she chuckled "Good night kids, I love you both."

"I love you too Mom," said a teary Alicia as she kissed her.

"And I love you too Caroline," I said as I kissed her too.

We took a cab back to Alicia's house and raided the drinks cabinet for both of us. We sat on the couch and I skyped Maddy and gave her an update and then we disconnected and watched mindless TV and sipped our drinks for an hour.

We prepared for bed and lay in each other's arms in her bed and cried for a while, then made quiet, gentle love, cleaned up and went to sleep. It was Wednesday 31st and we were back in the hospital by eight am, Caroline was awake but still looking tired but happy to see us.

"Ahh, the rabbits have returned," she laughed.

"It was only once Mom and very gentle," Alicia said quietly.

"I did raid your drinks cabinet for something to aid sleep, while we updated Maddy," I said.

"That's okay Danno, help yourself, I don't need it anymore," she replied sadly.

We talked, then she hit the Morphine once and slept for an hour, she woke, we talked some more and she hit it again and slept some more. The next time she sent us for lunch and she was still asleep when we got back having eaten quickly.

After she had been changed again, we were sent home again, and followed the same procedure as the night before and were back by her side by eight am again the following morning.

This time Alicia had brought a couple of the family photograph albums and we slowly went through them with her. There were a lot of the pictures that she didn't recognise and she hit the Morphine more often and tired quicker than before.

At three pm she hit the button again and dozed off and we looked at the albums, talking quietly so as not to disturb her. I looked up and immediately stepped to the bed and checked her wrist, there was no pulse, no rise and fall of her chest. I turned to a stunned Alicia and shook my head and said quietly,

"She's gone Ali."

"No Danno! She's just sleeping... she can't be gone... I didn't say goodbye!" she wailed as she came to me and I held her tight. A nurse came in to see what the noise was about and did the same checks and went for the doctor, he came in a minute or so later and confirmed that Caroline was dead.

"But she was just having a nap," Alicia cried, "She hit the button as usual and went to sleep."

"I'm sorry but she was in a lot of pain and now she isn't anymore," he said quietly and left to report the death.

"Come on Alicia, it's time to say goodbye," I said and walked over to Caroline and kissed her gently and said "Goodbye Caroline, I love you," and I stepped back and her daughter came in and hugged her and kissed her and cried,

"I love you Mommy." I let her stay with her Mother for a while until the nurses came in to remove the drips, then I gently helped her up and walked her out of the room to the desk and asked what we had to do next. The nurse told me the procedures and I walked Alicia who was still in shock down to the main reception and sat her in a chair.

I contacted the funeral director that Caroline wanted to use (the same one who had buried her husband and granddaughter) and instructed him to start things for the funeral as soon as possible. I then called her lawyer to explain that she had died and Alicia would be moving to Orlando straight after the funeral and I gave him Duncellin as her new address.

He recommended a good real estate agent and gave me their number and also a reputable house clearance company, I thanked him and hung up and went back to Alicia who was just staring ahead.

"Let's go home," I said and pulled her to her feet, she was still clutching the photo albums, and I led her to the taxi rank and we went home.

End of Part Four.

Part Five begins at Chapter Seventy-Two.