The Darkness of Forever

Chapter 4

“What? How? I mean, why? She was…. She was perfectly healthy! I know that for sure!” I yelled, tears streaming down my cheeks. I was shaking so much, anything I tried to hold fell out of my grasp. Annie grabbed me in a hug, and walked me downstairs. “How daddy? What happened?” I whispered, my voice slightly trembling. My dad looked down, as if to cover the expression on his face. But I saw it, and the expression was full of sadness. 

“I don’t know honey. I- I just… don’t know. One minute we’re in the kitchen waiting for you two, and the next… You’re mom has a heart attack and falls... Hitting her head really hard on the counter.” He looked away, but not before I saw a tear fall down his face. 

“Daddy… Can we go to the hospital now…” I asked, trying to smile. He nodded and I took his hand. 

“Is it okay if I come too?” Annie asked. I jumped, having forgotten she was there, but then nodded and took her hand in mine.

“Hey Charlotte.” My dad said tiredly to the lady, at the front desk of the hospital. “We’d like to see my wife.” She nodded and let us go through to her room. We all walked slowly to my mom’s hospital room, fearing what she’d look like. When we got to her room, my mom was sitting up with a bandage wrapped around her head and a smile on her face. 

“Hey honey!” she exclaimed happily to my dad. He looked surprised, as if he expected her to be in terrible pain and miserable, not... happy. 

“Hey hon.” He replied, sighing like the world was once again in place. Unfortunately he sighed too soon. She pulled him into her bed, and snuggled her head into his lap. Her breathing slowed, and after a while, one of the doctors came in. 

“Hello Dave. I see you’ve come back with your daughter, and her friend.” The doctor said, with a slight smile on his face. “I’ve got good news… and bad news. Which would you like first?” My dad thought a moment, then seeing me and Annie, said good. “Alright… the good news is that she’s fine. Her heart attack, luckily, was not that bad.” I looked at him happily, my smile bright. But then it dimmed when I saw remembered there was bad news. 

“But?” I asked, and that seemed to bring everyone back down to earth. 

“But… That hit on the head was really bad. Your mother has… amnesia.” My dad’s eyes started to tear up, so I quickly butted in. 

“I’m sorry sir. But that can’t be possible! She knows my dad!” I spoke loudly, but not loud enough to wake my mother. The doctor looked down sadly.  

“Wake her up and ask her a question. Any question.” I gently shook her awake, then looked at my dad. So did my mom. 

“Hey babe. What’s the matter?” she asked, yawning slightly. My dad sighed, than looked up and asked her the year. “Why silly! It’s 2006! May, I think. Yes, that sounds about right.” She answered, looking at my dad questionably. He looked down sadly, and told my mom to go back to sleep. 

“That was the year, we had a death in our family.” I said, lowering my eyes slightly. “My mom… she was devastated. May 2nd, 2006… 4:03 pm exactly. That was when he died.” My dad looked at me, sorrow showing on his face. 

“How do you remember all that?” he asked, voice cracking. My shoulders dropped, and I looked down at the sparkling green floors. 

“Because… that was the worst day of my life too.” I whispered, tears pooling up in my eyes. Annie, who I’d forgotten was with us, grabbed me in a tight hug that would’ve taken my breath away if I’d had any. My dad joined in on the hug, and when we finally let go, wiped away my tears. 

“Sweetie, I wish it hadn’t happened either.” He said. I buried my face in his arms, then hugged him again. 

“What… I mean how, did this person die?” the doctor asked. My dad stood in front of me, and told how it happened.