Last Sunrise | The Empty World Sequence

Amanda's Room

Steven entered his mother's hospice suite. It was much like Joey's, in that it offered cheery wall color and homey furnishings, along with state of the art medical equipment. Here, instead of a boom box and music collection, there was a make-up case and stack of books and magazines. Just as the patients had different rooms within the hospice, they showed different symptoms of the same syndrome. Amanda displayed no lesions or great difficulty in breathing, but she was disturbingly thin, like famine victims in a charity single music video. Her only nourishment was intravenous and her internal organs were, pretty much, all in line to fail.

Amanda still smiled, when Steven sat down, in his usual chair beside her bed. "You look good today," he told her. The wig was a little redder than her natural color had been and the pastel skirt suit in which she had been dressed looked even more over-sized than was fashionable. "New suit?"

"Perry Ellis. They said they did not have the time to get it tailored. The girl Bibi sent over was very apologetic. Find me my lipstick, Dear." Amanda continued, as Steven rose, walked around the bed and looked through the small chest of drawers, "You remember what to have them put me in?"

"Yes, I know – coral?" Steven handed the small cylinder to his mother.

"Thank you, Sweetie."

"The Halston, which I've already moved into my closet, with your tailor's card safety-pinned to the hanger. No bunching or bagging, even if the mortician has to use staples and glue." Steven recited in imitation the morbid yet crass tone with which his mother expressed acceptance of her mortality.

"We can talk about something else." Amanda lifted her mirrored compact from the top of the roll-away. "Have you spoken to your father?"

"I don't want to talk about Dad." Steven sank back into the chair.

"He was here."

Steven leaned toward the bed. "Here?"

"He came along with Richard."

"They didn't have you sign anything?"

"There were just a few papers."

"Because, I'm sure the pain medication counts! If you signed anything under the influence–"

"Steven."

"I'm sorry." Maybe this was how Daniel felt seeing the other person more OK.

Amanda was smiling the peculiar smile she smiled when covering pain. "It is only right my affairs be put in order. It was just a matter of some joint holdings. I do not want you to worry over it, Dear. It has been hard for everyone."

"But, I don't want people worrying you with–"

"Honey," she reached for his hand. Steven took her small hand in his. Someone had even done her nails, for today. "I need you to look after each other."

Steven shook his head.

"The things that were always mine, they go to you or charity. He has never contested that. There is no reason to break ties with him; your his only son."

"I don't want his company and money and assets. I mean, I'd rather just have my family back."

"I want to see you OK." Her voice sounded strained.

"Sorry."

"Tell me you will make an effort to patch things up with him. I do not like to think you are not speaking to him over me."

Steven drew his hands in toward his body. "He's separated from you, because–"

"I know."

"I'll be OK." Steven sucked in a breath. "I'll see him at the office; I'll talk to him." He tugged at the left sleeve of his jacket to look at his watch. It was a cheap gimmicky thing: digital, with a calculator, but his favorite one. He had already picked up the tickets, and there was some time before they had to leave. Steven straightened, searching for a new topic of conversation. "Still reading the book?"

Amanda glanced to the thick, white hardcover, without its dust jacket, atop the roll-away. "Lestat gave Gabrielle the Dark Gift."

Steven nearly choked on the words, "Turned his own mother into a vampire?"

Amanda nodded slowly, expression seeming distant.

Steven said nothing.

Amanda spoke softly, "Are you ready to go?"

Steven gave a start and then stood from his chair.

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Edit 3/19/2016 I split some of the scenes into separate chapters. I still plan to add new chapters, but those aren't written, yet.