Lauren Ash || A Tig Trager Love Story

5

Over the next few weeks, Alex and I tried to see as much of each other as possible. Between my work and caring for Ma and his prospecting, there wasn't a ton of free time. We made the best of the time we could get though.

Alex and I had been dating about a month when my mother's health took a nose dive. I had gone to check on her before having to be at work for the opening shift. She was barely responsive. I immediately called 911. I'd deal with the medical bills somehow. She needed a doctor.

The ambulance came and picked her up and took the both of us to the hospital where I spent the morning filling in the ER doctors on her case. Her specialist was luckily working so he was there too. I finally got to catch my breath and had to call the diner and beg for them to not fire me. Luckily Pat adores me and gave me a few days off to be with my mother.

I was sitting in the bright white waiting room, trying to keep from crying, when the doctors came to fill me in.

"Your mother's health is rapidly deteriorating. We've got her sedated for today to help ease her pain. We don't think she has long to live. A week at most," her specialist said. I nodded as my eyes watered.

From the time we moved to Charming it's always just been my mom and I.

"Momma," I said, holding her hand as she led me into the diner. I was about six.

"Yes baby?" She asked.

"Why did we have to come here?"

"Cause we need to be safe," she said.

I shook my head at the news and the memories.

"Can I see her?" I asked softly.

"She's been sedated. You can for a few minutes," her specialist said. He led me back to her room and I started crying before I got into the room.

"Is there someone I can call to come get you?"

"Alex Trager. He works at Teller Morrow now," I said softly. He nodded and they left me alone with my mother. I went and sat by her bed.

"Momma," I said softly. "If you can hear me, I love you. You don't need to hold on for me. I'll take care of myself. I want you to be pain free."

She didn't stir which saddened me despite the fact that I knew she was sedated. I just spoke to her in long strings of thoughts until Alex was standing outside the door in his prospect kutte. He was talking to Ma's specialist about something. We made eye contact and even through the door I could tell he was in pain watching me lose my mother.

He came into the room and stood near me.

"I've got our girl Linda," Alex said. "I'll take care of her."

We sat in silence for a while before my mother's heart rate slowed down. Her doctors ran in and they were going to try to save her.

"She doesn't want that," I said to her specialist. He was the only one to ever pay attention to me or my mother in these situations.

"She has a DNR," he said loudly, gaining the attention of the doctors who back away from the bed. I fell to my knees next to the bed and told her I loved her before sobbing into the mattress. Her heart monitor flatlined a few minutes later and Alex let me cry another ten minutes before picking me up and carrying me out of the hospital. We headed straight for the Teller Morrow lot.

"I wanna go home," I said.

"Not tonight babe," he said. "You'll destroy things of hers that you'll hate yourself over."

I shoved him and headed inside. JT and Piney were sitting at the bar talking when I walked in with Alex not far behind.

"Darling you look like hell," JT said.

"Ma died," I said.