VoyForums
[ Show ]
Support VoyForums
[ Shrink ]
VoyForums Announcement: Programming and providing support for this service has been a labor of love since 1997. We are one of the few services online who values our users' privacy, and have never sold your information. We have even fought hard to defend your privacy in legal cases; however, we've done it with almost no financial support -- paying out of pocket to continue providing the service. Due to the issues imposed on us by advertisers, we also stopped hosting most ads on the forums many years ago. We hope you appreciate our efforts.

Show your support by donating any amount. (Note: We are still technically a for-profit company, so your contribution is not tax-deductible.) PayPal Acct: Feedback:

Donate to VoyForums (PayPal):

[ Login ] [ Contact Forum Admin ] [ Main index ] [ Post a new message ] [ Search | Check update time | Archives: [1], 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 ]



[ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ]

Date Posted: 20:15:50 02/19/15 Thu
Author: Nettie
Subject: First Kiss/Last Breath Ch 4 (Lily Series)

AN: Sorry for the delay. Real life's a bit difficult of late.


Despite her original plan of taking Frankie with her, Mac arrived at the Roberts’ house alone midday on a wet and windy Monday. Grabbing her coat and bag from the trunk, she made her way towards the house and had just ascended the steps when the front door opened and hugs and greetings were exchanged.
“I see you’re alone,” Harriet said as she ushered Mac towards the kitchen.
“Yes,” she said, sliding into a chair. “Harm said that it wouldn’t really be fair on a little boy to be hanging around hospitals and Mrs Anderson has offered to have the boys each day. So, I’m all alone.”
“While Frankie would have been a good distraction today, Harm’s right,” Harriet said as she placed a steaming mug of coffee in front of her friend.
“Is there anything you need to do this afternoon?” Mac asked, savouring her first mouthful of coffee.
“No, not really,” she replied with a wave of her hand. “Dinner for the family but was going to do take out...I have my bag packed... things sorted for the kids during the week...frozen dinners for the next while...laundry done...”
“Very organised,” Mac said with a smile, though she wouldn’t have expected less.
“You’ll have AJ’s room, I gave it a spring clean this morning and ...” Harriet continued before Mac reached out and took her hand.
“Why don’t you sit down?” she said gently and Harriet did.
There was small talk for a while and when the coffee was finished and Mac had used the bathroom, she grabbed their coats from the rack.
“Well, there’s nothing for us to do here, I suggest we make the most of this time and go out,” she said putting on her coat. “We can do lunch, a movie, shopping ...anything you’d like.”

Harriet was going to object but then she realised it would be her last opportunity for a while to get out of the house and so she quickly followed suit.

By the time the women returned, the house was aglow with lights from various rooms but there was a distinct lack of noise.
“Hi, mom. Hi, Aunty Mac,” Jimmy greeted them as he opened the door and then took their coats before hugging Mac. The twins and Bud followed suit before ushering them into the living room.
“You’re just in time for the ‘what are we ordering for dinner’ debate,” he said as he took Harriet’s hand.
“I’m not hungry so...” she started and four sets of concerned eyes fell upon her.
“We had a late lunch at Simpson’s Seafood,” Mac offered by way of explanation. “And it was just as delicious as I remember. So, nothing for me either.”
The group nodded; if Mac was going without dinner then perhaps Harriet did have a good reason for not being hungry.

The evening proceeded in an awkward and restless manner. Everyone trying hard not to say or do the wrong thing whilst still being as supportive as they could, just made things more difficult. Deciding it was late enough to go to bed, Mac yawned before stretching.
“It’s a big day tomorrow so I might head up,” she said as she glanced around the room, her eyes landing on Harriet. “Is there anything you need before I go?”
“No, thanks, Mac,” she replied, standing to embrace her visitor. “I was thinking about bed myself.”
“What time do we have to be up in the morning?” Nikki asked.
“Same time as usual,” Harriet replied as she straightened the cushions. “School hours haven’t changed.”
“We’re not going to school!” Nikki and Michael said in unison.
“We’re going with you,” added Jimmy putting down his iPad.
“No,” Bud replied. “You’re going to school.”
“Do you really think we could concentrate?” Michael asked. “We want to be with you.”
“I appreciate that,” Harriet said tearfully, “I really do, but I don’t want you sitting around the hospital all day and...”

Mac stood back and watched the exchanged. She knew Harriet loved her kids and didn’t want to put them through the trauma of being at the hospital and seeing her go in and out of surgery. She also knew the kids were determined to be there.
“May I make a suggestion?” she interrupted and Harriet nodded. “Why don’t the kids and I spend some time together in the morning and we can come in when Bud calls? That way they don’t have to worry about concentrating in school and you don’t have to worry about them.”

That was the plan.

Not long after, Mac slipped into bed with her cell in her hand. She knew that all her children should be asleep by now and she felt bad she hadn’t called them to say goodnight. Not wanting to wake them with a ringing phone, Mac sent a text.
“Everything okay there?”

The response was an almost immediate ringing of her phone.
“How are things there?” Harm asked quietly.
“Oh well, just as you’d expect,” Mac replied with a sigh. “There?”
“Aside from a chorus of ‘mommy’s spaghetti is better’ at dinner and ‘I miss mommy’ at bed time, things are fine,” he answered honestly.

For the next ten minutes they spoke quietly about the day and the week ahead until Mac yawned for a second time and the call soon ended with ‘I love you’.

Wednesday morning dawned as dull and dreary on the farm as it was at Bethesda. While Harriet faced her surgery and those around her tried to focus on the positives, Harm was faced with his own set of difficulties. Aidan and Mattie were both feeling quite sick and Colin had sent them back to bed before bringing Kenz to Harm and heading off to a seminar 50 miles away.

He had offered to stay but Harm had waved off the gesture, he was sure he could manage. After all, he was a highly trained professional and there were only six children and it would only be for an hour before school. Only six children indeed, those were famous last words. By the time he had fed the group, wiped up various spills, ensured all school children were dressed appropriately, changed diapers, cleaned up some more spills, packed lunch boxes into bags, then repacked them when he realised the pile of sandwiches was still on the bench and done Jessie’s exercises, the school bus had already been and gone and he still had all six children with him.

“Mom never makes us miss the bus,” said Harry as the bus’ tail lights disappeared from view.
“Well, mom has help,” Harm retorted, though he knew she often did it all by herself.
“So, are you driving us, dad?” asked Jessie.
“Guess I am,” he said, pulling out his phone. Within a couple of minutes he’d organised for Mrs Anderson to have Frankie and Kenzie early and had put back his first client.
Five minutes into their journey and Harm turned the vehicle around and headed back home.
“Why didn’t you remind me about the walker, Jessie?” he said sternly.
“I did, dad,” she replied. “I even left it by the trunk like you told me too.”
Harm shook his head and took a deep breath. “Yes, you did. Sorry, Jess.”
“Are you alright, daddy?” asked Lily, it wasn’t like her father to be forgetful.
“Yes, sweetheart,” he replied pulling back up at the house. “Just a lot on my mind.”

Rather than being on morning routines, Harm’s mind was firmly focused on Harriet and what she was about to undergo. It was also on Bud and he’d already sent a couple of supportive texts to him that morning. His mind was also on his wife; he’d visited her in hospital plenty in the past decade or so but, Frankie’s birth aside, it was usually for something amazing or mundane. He just couldn’t fathom what he would do if it was ever her in Harriet’s position; it just didn’t bear thinking about and yet, he couldn’t help it.

It was the screeching of brakes and the blast of a horn which brought him out of his thoughts and back to the fact he had driven through a stop sign.
“Shit!” he exclaimed to the alarm of his children who had never heard him swear.
“Oh, daddy,” was all Rosie could manage which was two words more than Harry.
“Sorry,” he said, glancing in the rear view mirror. “Everyone okay?”
“Yes, dad,” came a subdued chorus. “Are you sure you’re alright, dad?” Lily asked again.
“Yes, honey,” he said, with a quick shake of the head. “I’m okay.”

While Harm was able to maintain his attention for the rest of the journey and was able to deliver the children safely to school on time, his distractibility continued throughout the day.

For Mac’s part she was having difficulties of her own. Harriet and Bud had left the house an hour earlier than anticipated; only waking Mac to let her know they were going. It was then left to her to explain to three upset teens that their mother loved them but was just too emotional to see them that morning. Driving into the Bethesda car park a little before 1:00 PM, Mac pulled the car into a just vacated bay and parked the car. No one moved.
“Your dad said everything went well and the surgeon was quite happy,” Mac reminded them as she removed her seatbelt. There was no response. “You’re not still upset about your mom leaving earlier, are you?” she questioned, turning to look at the trio.
“No, Aunty Mac,” Jimmy finally said. “We didn’t like it this morning but we get why she did it.”
“And we know this is about what mom needs and wants and not us...” added Nikki.
“It’s just now we’re here it’s real...” Michael said. “Mom has cancer...she’s had a mastectomy...she’ll have chemo or radiation...it’s real...so very real.” He swiped at his eyes to hide the tears but Mac saw them anyway.
“It is real,” Mac agreed. “And you’re right, it is about her and I am very proud of the three of you for realising that. Now, I don’t have a magic wand to make it all better, I wish I did, but we’ll work together and make things as easy as possible for her so she just has to concentrate on getting better and nothing else.”

There were tears and quiet words of reassurance when mother and children were reunited in a small room on the fourth floor. Hands were held and faces caressed as Mac stood back and checked in with Bud.
“Surgeon said it was a text book case, nothing exciting and that physical recovery should be smooth sailing,” he said in hushed tones.
“And psychological recovery?” Mac asked in a whisper.
“Not his area apparently,” he said, his eyes never once leaving his wife.
“And how are you doing?” she asked, rubbing his arm.
“Okay,” he said. “Feeling a bit numb but glad the surgery’s done and it went well.”

Within ten minutes Harriet was asleep again and Bud took the opportunity to take the kids to the cafeteria while Mac stayed in the room. When Harriet’s eyes struggled open again, they focussed a little blurrily on Mac.
“Does it look bad?” she asked glancing at her chest.
“Can’t tell with the dressings and bandages,” Mac said honestly as she took her hand.
“You think Bud will think I’m not a woman...you know...” she said as tears ran down her cheek.
“Bud loves you so very much and this will not change that,” she reassured her. “If anything he will probably love you more.”
“How’d you know?” she cried softly, her eyes closing with fatigue.
“Because when I had hysterectomy and Bud came to visit, I asked him if Harm would love me less. He said no, and added and I quote, ‘I know there is nothing that could happen to Harriet to make me love her less. Our love is beyond physical appearance – it has to be for someone that beautiful to fall in love with me in the first place and then stay when I lost my leg’.”
“Oh my,” Harriet whispered as sleep claimed her once more.

Later that afternoon, while Bud and the kids sat with Harriet and the hospital chaplain, Mac took the opportunity to head outside. She hoped the cold February air would relieve the mounting tension headache she was experiencing. Entering into the elevator, she hit the down button and then as the doors closed, so did her eyes.
“Colonel MacKenzie,” came a voice and her eyes opened once more.
“Mrs Webb,” she replied, without greeting.
“My son has been expecting you,” she said, her voice monotone. “Did you go to the wrong floor?”
“No, it wasn’t my intention to see him,” she replied, “I’m here on another matter.”
“What matter could be more important than granting a dying man’s wish?” she asked, her manner still devoid of emotion.
“The purpose for my visit is no business of yours,” she replied curtly. “Given our history and your son’s habit of playing hard and fast with the concept of death and dying, you’ll appreciate that I have given up trying to work out the truth and...”
“This is the truth,” Porter interrupted. “They are saying days, rather than weeks or months.”
“We said all that needed to be said a long time ago,” Mac replied, turning her back on the woman. “There is nothing to add.”

The doors slid open and Mac walked into the lobby, more desperate for that fresh air than ever before.
“Please, Colonel...” Porter said, the first sign of emotion in her voice. “Having you visit is the last thing I can do for my son.”
Mac swallowed hard. “It’s Mrs MacKenzie-Rabb,” she corrected.
“I apologise,” she replied. “In current circumstances I failed to recall your married name. Please reconsider.”
Mac nodded. “I’ll think out it,” she said before walking outside and pulling out her cell.

[ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ]



Replies:

[> Another great chapter Netti. Thank you. -- MAG, 06:57:15 02/20/15 Fri [1]


[ Edit | View ]
[> Wonderful Nettie. Very emotional. Patiently waiting for more. -- Beth, 08:19:26 02/20/15 Fri [1]


[ Edit | View ]
[> Hope all is ok with you Nettie i loved the chapter do not worry you post more when you have the time we will be hear waiting when you can post them -- Bev uk, 10:47:06 02/20/15 Fri [1]


[ Edit | View ]
[> Your stories are spellbinding...love them. -- FJN, 15:15:20 02/21/15 Sat [1]


[ Edit | View ]
[> Another great chapter, as said, very emotional, at your convenience await next chapter. Coming up on 10 yrs gone, still stories to tell. Thank you, and all the authors, we will be here to read, gratefully! -- JoyZ, 08:39:06 02/22/15 Sun [1]


[ Edit | View ]



[ Contact Forum Admin ]

Forum timezone: GMT-5
VF Version: 3.00b, ConfDB:
Before posting please read our privacy policy.
VoyForums(tm) is a Free Service from Voyager Info-Systems.
Copyright © 1998-2019 Voyager Info-Systems. All Rights Reserved.