14

Chapter 14.
The hospital room was bathed in the faint light of the evening sun that seeps through the blinds of the large window, casting long, slanted shadows across the walls. The hum of machines fills the air, and the occasional beep of monitors breaks the silence.
In the center of the room lies a hospital bed, and in it rests Adrianne, connected to an IV drip. Her face is peaceful, the soft rise and fall of her chest indicating that she is still asleep. Her chestnut hair spills across the pillow in a tangled mass, and her slender fingers clutch the edges of the blanket.
Her breathing is slow and measured, like the gentle waves of the ocean lapping against the shore. The steady rhythm of the machines is almost soothing, like a lullaby that sings her deeper into sleep. The only other sound in the room is the quiet murmur of the nurses as they move about, checking her vitals and adjusting the machines.
The room is sparsely decorated, with only a small bedside table and a chair tucked in the corner. A vase of flowers rests on the table, adding a pop of color to the sterile surroundings. The walls are bare, painted in a pale shade of blue, adding a serene touch to the atmosphere.
As Adraianne sleeps, her dreams carry her to a place far away from this room. The sounds of the hospital fade into the background, and she is transported to a world where the worries of the present melt away. Her face contorts slightly, as if caught in a moment of turmoil, but then it smoothes out again and she is once more at peace.
The minutes tick by, and the evening slowly turns into night. The machines continue their steady hum, and the nurses quietly move in and out of the room. Adraianne remains deep in sleep, her chest rising and falling with the rhythm of the machines. It is a quiet moment, a moment of respite from the chaos of the world outside, a moment of calm before the storm.
Adrianne’s eyes fluttered open, the soft beep of the machines bringing her back to the present. For a moment, she lay there, dazed and disoriented, her mind struggling to make sense of the foggy memories that lingered in her head. But then, like a bolt of lightning, the truth hit her with full force, and she sat up, her eyes wide with disbelief.
Her mom, the woman who had always been there for her, who had loved her unconditionally, was gone. The reality of it hit her like a punch to the gut, and tears welled up in her eyes, blurring her vision. She clutched at the blankets, as if they were the only thing keeping her anchored to the world.
The memories flooded in, vivid and painful. The sound of her mom’s voice, the way she used to laugh, the smell of her perfume… all of it was gone, leaving a gaping hole in Adrianne’s heart. She cried and cried, her sobs wracking her body, until she was hoarse and exhausted.
She couldn’t believe it. Her mom had been her rock, her confidante, her everything. She had been the one to wipe away her tears when she scraped her knee, the one to cheer her on at her ballet recitals, the one to hold her close when her heart was broken. And now… now she was gone, leaving Adrianne to face the world alone.
The machines beeped on, a steady reminder of the world outside. But in that moment, Adrianne was lost in her own world of grief, drowning in the pain and sadness that threatened to consume her. She cried until there were no more tears left, until she was drained of every last emotion.
The room was silent, save for the sound of her sobs, until finally, she found the strength to speak. “Mom,” she whispered, her voice thick with emotion. “I can’t believe you’re gone.” Her words hung in the air, a haunting echo of the emptiness she felt inside.
For a moment, there was no answer, and Adrianne’s heart sank. But then, a memory drifted into her mind, a fragment of a conversation they had had long ago. “I’ll always be with you, no matter what,” her mom had said, and Adrianne clung to those words like a lifeline.
In that moment, she knew that her mom was still with her, in every beat of her heart, in every breath she took. And even though the pain of her loss would never truly go away, she knew that she would carry her mom’s love with her always, a flame that would never be extinguished.
Adrianne woke up the next morning, her mind still foggy with grief. The soft light of dawn filtered through the window, casting a pale glow over the sterile hospital room. For a moment, she lay there, dazed and disoriented, trying to piece together the events of the previous day.
But then, the reality hit her like a ton of bricks. Her mom was gone, and she was never coming back. The tears welled up in her eyes once again, and she let out a deep, shuddering breath.
The nurses came in, their gentle voices cutting through the silence. They removed the IV from her hand, and advised her to take it easy, to get plenty of rest. But how could she rest, when her heart was in tatters, when her whole world had been turned upside down?
As the nurses helped Adrianne to get dressed and prepared for discharge, one of them, a kind-looking woman with a warm smile, approached her. “I’m so sorry for your loss,” she said, placing a gentle hand on Adrianne’s shoulder.
Adrianne could feel the tears welling up in her eyes again, and she nodded, unable to find the words to express her gratitude.
“You take care of yourself, now,” the nurse said, as she helped Adrianne into a wheelchair. “And if you need anything, don’t hesitate to call.”
Adrianne nodded, her heart heavy with grief. She didn’t want to leave the hospital, didn’t want to face the outside world. But she knew that she had to, for her mom’s sake.
Outside, the sun was just beginning to rise, casting a warm glow over the city. But Adrianne could barely register it, her mind consumed with thoughts of her mom. She wondered what it would be like to go on without her, to face a world that no longer held the person she loved most.