Blink

Chapter 34: Echoes and Healing.

"I can't do this, I can't see her like this," Gabrielle cried, her voice trembling with anguish, as Beckett drove her away from home to the hospital.

"Stop being selfish and listen to yourself, Gabby!" Beckett shot back, his tone firm. "You already rushed back from another continent to see her, so what's stopping you now?"

"It's not like that, and you know it!" she screamed, her emotions raw and unfiltered.

"Actions are all that matter to me; words are crap," Beckett hissed, his frustration palpable. "If you cannot show it's not like that, then it's exactly like that."

Tears streamed down Gabrielle's cheeks as she struggled to articulate her deepest fears. "It's just that... I don't want to watch another family member die, Beckett. It's terrifying," she confessed, her voice breaking. "I was there when my father gasped for breath, like he was drowning, until he finally passed away. And I witnessed my brother's tears until he had none left. I can't bear to see Mom go through that pain again."

"I know how you feel," Beckett said softly, his voice gentle with understanding. "But the least you can do for her now is to be there by her side."

"Okay," Gabrielle whispered, her resolve firming.

"Go on. This is something you must do alone. I'll be waiting here for you," Beckett assured her.

Entering her mother's room, Gabrielle's heart sank at the sight before her. Her mother, once vibrant and full of life, now appeared as a mere shadow of her former self – frail and weakened by illness.

"Hey, Gabrielle," her mother greeted weakly, a faint smile gracing her lips as she spotted her daughter at the doorway. "I see you made it in time."

"Mom!" Gabrielle's voice cracked with emotion as she rushed to her mother's side. "I'm sorry I was such a coward, not being here earlier."

"It's okay, baby. You take after me for that," her mother replied, her laughter tinged with sadness. "I would have done the same thing."

"It's okay, baby. You take after me for that," her mother replied, her laughter tinged with sadness. "I would have done the same thing."

"How did the exam go?" her mother inquired, shifting the conversation.

"Don't worry about that, Ma," Gabrielle deflected.

"Please, let me worry about how my daughter is doing," her mother insisted gently.

"I passed. All that's left is the practical exam," Gabrielle admitted, a hint of pride in her voice.

"Well done. I'll give you my secret cake recipe," her mother offered, trying to lighten the mood.

"Don't give it to me, Mom. Bake it for me instead," Gabrielle pleaded, her voice thick with emotion.

"I don't think I'll ever bake again, Gabrielle. The Ops have gotten me," her mother chuckled weakly.

"Don't talk like that, Ma," Gabrielle implored.

"You gotta admit, that was a good one," her mother remarked, with a hint of pride

"It was, Ma," Gabrielle agreed, a small smile tugging at her lips.

"I know, right? A nurse taught me how to use the word a while ago, and I haven't stopped since then," her mother confessed proudly.

"Gabrielle, please take the MP3 player on the table beside me," her mother instructed, changing the subject.

"What is that?" Gabrielle examined the gray, plastic rectangle with curiosity.

"It's ancient Earth technology, also a family heirloom. My father gave it to me, and his father gave it to him. You have to select the file with my name, forget the other 4 names there, and it will play what's recorded in it. Listen with the earpiece," her mother explained.