Don't Answer The Door - Ch. 33

1

Fredrick Bailey was sitting in the waiting room of Liberty Hospital with a pale face and bloodshot eyes. His lips quivered as he tried to ignore the lump that began to form in his throat. Fred tried to blink back tears unsuccessfully, and finally gave up. He put his elbows on his knees and covered his face with his hands as he released his tears, forming pools of misery in his palms.2

He felt a looming shadow overtake him, and he suddenly looked up. His face had an expression of fear and hope which showed through the rivers of tears flowing down from his red-ish eyes, his pupils oddly larger than the norm. As he looked up at the doctor, the expression of hope on his face quickly began to vanish.3

"Yes doctor? Fred asked, broodingly. he stood up and put out his right hand which already began to turn numb.4

Dr. Chelsva shook Fred's hand hesitantly. The expression of sadness was obvious to Fred, as he felt the doctors trembling hand.5

"He's not..." Dr. Chelsva's voice became weak. She put her hand near her mouth and made a fist as she coughed, clearing her throat.6

Fred sat down as if the bad news had all ready been delivered. Dr. Chelsva put  her hand on Fred's, which was clenched around the armrest to keep from trembling severely.7

"He's not going to make it... I'm sorry, Mr. Bailey." She said in a voice that began to squeak.8

Fred covered his face again, sitting in the same position as he was before the bearer of bad news strolled in. He stood up suddenly and began to walk away from the doctor, and out of the waiting room filled with others who would soon feel the same way he did.9

"Wait!" Dr. Chelsva yelled. The people around her stopped what they were doing. It seemed as if everyone but Fred, the person she really needed to talk to, were listening to her. 10

She held onto her stethoscope and ran out of the waiting room, running towards Fred.11

"Wait!" She screamed again, but it was all ready too late. Fred was gone, disappeared behind the front doors of the hospital.12

She stood there looking at the white doors which closed in her face. There was only a five inch wide piece of glass on each door which led to the outside life, the life of happiness, away from all the death.13

"But he's STILL alive! He wants to tell you goodbye for one last time!" She screamed at the doors. 14

Dr. Chelsva knew it was no good, she knew that Fred would not be able to hear her, but she didn't care. She had to get that out of her or she would feel as if she didn't do what she was suppose to. Deep inside she knew she still felt guilty, as if it were her fault Fred had left. Dr. Chelsva stood there for a moment longer, her head lowered and her shoulders slumped down low. Releasing a deep sigh, she slapped her hand over her mouth as she realized what she was forced to do next.15

"Oh.. man.." The doctor sighed as she began to walk down the corridor, heading towards Mr. Simon Bailey's room. 16

She had to tell him his son left the hospital. She had to stand there near the dying man's bed and watch the expression on his face after hearing the news. She had to put up with seeing Simon's sorrow as he realizes he won't get a chance to see his son, or tell him goodbye for the last time.17

Dr. Chelsva stood at the door staring at the sleeping man. She took a step into the room and began to walk towards his bed. She was prepared to sit next to him and wait till he woke up so she could tell him the bad news. 18

Dr. Chelsva tried to push back guilt and took a step into reality. She began to hear a droning sound, a loud, high pitched beep. 19

BEEEEEEEEEEP!20

She knew what it was, and where it was coming from, but she looked around, dumbfounded. Her eyes fell on the monitor, the source of the loud noise that was beginning to become annoying.21

"Oh no!" She screamed while shaking her head left to right, her hands pressed against her cheeks. She began to cry, tears of guilt, as she turned her head back to the dead body of Simon Smith, the father of a son who began to grieve a moment too early.22

Behind her, she heard the door open and she turned around. She watched the other doctor, her husband, Dr. Chelsva, walk up to the machine and turn it off. 23

She stared at him with pools of deep sadness.24

"C'mon, Charlotte. There is no point in sitting here next to him, watching him sleep forever. It won't bring him back you know..." Randy said.25

Charlotte stood up and ran to him, wrapping her arms around her husbands shoulders and she began to bawl, burring her face into his neck. He held her there for a moment, then began to lead her out of the room. They began to walk down the dead halls of the hospital, no one around, as if all the workers took a day off, and all the patients all died out. 26

"But he never got to say goodbye got to his son!" Charlotte screamed loudly as she cried.27

"I know, I know..." Randy said, as he kissed his wife's forehead, not knowing what he could say to make everything seem better.28

Back in the room, Simon's eyes opened suddenly and he began gasping. He called out his sons name, but it only came out as a hoarse whisper, a whisper that no one could hear, not even himself because his eyes suddenly turned cold and dead, and so did he...29