Snapshots of Time II
Simon’s Gift
Brian Borgford
Published by Brian Borgford at Smashwords
Copyright © 2012 by Brian Borgford
Smashwords Edition, License Notes
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Although not essential to the enjoyment of this story, you may want to read the short story “Snapshots of Time”, available free of charge, before reading this story.
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“Mommy, am I dying?” Amy’s weak voice almost squeaked as she stared at her mother.
“No, darling,” A tear rolled from Debbie’s eye, as her voice quivered, while she told a deliberate lie to her nine year old daughter.
“When will I be better? When can I go back to school?”
“Soon, just be patient, soon.”
The oncology ward had the odour of death throughout it. Debbie had to concentrate to keep from throwing up. In spite of the constant cleaning with strong disinfectant, death was always in the air.
Other than short bathroom breaks, Debbie hadn’t left her daughter’s side since she was admitted three weeks earlier. Simon spent as much time as he could at the hospital, but he was in charge of Andrew, Amy’s twin brother, and still had to tend to the business. Since leaving his job as a bank vice president, his investment business had grown beyond his wildest dreams.
The only time Debbie allowed herself to cry was when Amy fell asleep. Then she would eject a river of tears from her eyes, often requiring a tissue to wipe the floor. Her beet red eyes would finally close, and she would nod off in the chair. But the slightest movement from Amy awoke her, just like when the twins were babies, sleeping in the same room as Simon and Debbie. She should have been an actress, because she would always put on a convincing happy face for Amy to see when she awoke. Amy was sleeping more and more every day, allowing more time for Debbie to let her emotions flow.
“Daddy and Andrew should be here any minute now. What book do you want to read this time?”
“Can I have one of those Nancy Drew books? I know you said I had to wait until I was a teenager, but I’m old enough.”
“We can try a couple chapters and see if you can follow it. If not, we can try something else.” Debbie couldn’t deny anything to her precious girl, knowing that there would never be a tomorrow for her.
“Hi Princess, guess what I brought you?” Simon barged into the private room with a booming happy voice that caused Amy to beam from ear to ear.
“What is it, daddy?”
“No, you have to guess,” Simon wanted to keep Amy’s mind active.
“Oh, daddy. What is it? A Barbie?”
“Why can I never surprise you? You always guess right.”
“Daddy, you told me yesterday you would bring me a new Barbie.”
“No wonder I can never surprise you, I can’t keep my mouth shut.”
“Hi Amy, how are you feeling today?” Andrew slinked in behind his dad. He loved his twin sister, but the hospital environment scared him. He sensed doom.
“I’m OK. How’s school? Did you get in trouble today?”
“No, I didn’t. I haven’t been in trouble all week. And if you’re OK, why don’t you come home? I hate coming to this place.” Showing love to his sister was harder than feeling it.
“Why don’t you two compare notes for a couple minutes? I have to talk some business with your mom. Debbie?” Simon motioned for Debbie to come out to the hallway. Debbie hated to leave Amy’s side, but conceded when she saw Amy and Andrew starting to conduct a civil exchange.
“Did you talk to the doctor today?” Simon quizzed.
“Yes, and each time the news gets worse,” Debbie started to shake and tears rolled down her face in a torrent. “He’s saying we are down to weeks, maybe even days.” Her sobbing was out of control now.
“Debbie, this just can’t be. This can’t be happening. You’ve seen the pictures. Both of our children grow up to graduate. Neither one of them die.” Simon was moving into the angry stage. His rage was growing.