"Lex wake up." I just groaned and rolled over almost falling out of the car in the process, my eyes flew open trying to catch myself before I made contact with the concrete parking lot. Arms snaked around me catching my falling body and sitting me upright in the car. "I got you, I wouldn't let you fall Lex."
"Gerard?" I asked groggily still not completely awake from the nap I don't remember taking.
"Right here, come on we're here." He grabbed my bag from the floor helping me out of the car and into the hospital that held my dying grandmother. I felt uneasy, I've never liked hospitals, cemeteries now those are my places; but hospitals smelled too clean. They're too bright, the white of the walls, floors, and ceilings create a blinding element, too much white I would much rather hospitals hold all black. They hold dying and suffering people so why try to trick us into thinking everything is okay?
Gerard had slung his arm around my shoulder sensing my unease and the hesitant steps I was taking. We neared the nurses station and by then I had gone silent, the nurse looked up from her paperwork and smiled at the two of us.
"How may I help you?" She asked sweetly.
Gee looked over at me and back to the nurse sensing I was in no mood to talk, "We're looking for Ellen Jacobs' room."
"Ah so you must be the Lex Ellen has told me so much about, I'll take you to her." She stood up from her desk grabbing the medical file she was looking at and motioning us to follow her. Gerard took my hand and led me through the corridor, I was in a daze and he sensed that. The nurse stopped in front of room 140 smiling at us and trying to reassure me it's okay. "Ellen your granddaughter is here to see you."
"Oh bring her in Mary!"
I took a deep breathe and hesitantly went into the room Gerard following me, I took one look at the women in the bed and knew immediately that this was something really serious. She's always been thin, but now she just looks so frail and skeleton looking. "Grandma." I breathed out, she smiled at me and motioned for me to move closer.
I took a seat beside the bed she was laying in, Gerard sat next to me. "Well isn't this a pleasant surprise. It's nice to see you Gerard."
"You too ma'am."
"Grandma what's going on? You looked fine on my birthday."
"That's because I was fine, I have cancer sweetie, an aggressive one too I'm old and I've lived a good life I've refused treatment."
"What? Why?"
"Lex, you know I love you so much but when something like cancer happens at my age your a goner and I just think why stall the inevitable?"
"But I don't want you to go."
"I know honey but it's going to happen one day and that day is coming soon, I need you to stay so strong for me okay?"
I nodded with tears streaming down my face. "Baby don't cry, Mary could you talk her down to the cafeteria I need to talk to Gerard for a bit."
Mary looked up from her file and smiled at me, "Of course Ellen, come on Lex I'll take you down." She led me out of the room and back down the same corridor that we'd just left and into the blindingly white cafeteria I couldn't help but wander what my grandma needed to talk to Gerard about.
*Gerard's POV*
I watched Mary lead Lex out of the room and then turned back to Lex's grandmother. "I just wanted to ask you to take care of her when I'm gone, please take care of her Gerard. She needs to be taken care of and god knows her mother and father don't, Lacey and Dave try their best but they don't understand everything that goes on in her head, I don't even understand it. Just promise to watch out for her."
"I promise I'll look out for her."
"Thank you Gerard your an angel."
Lex came back in just at that moment and sat down beside me again, "Ellen visiting hours are almost over." Mary said from the doorway.
"We'll be back tomorrow grandma I promise." Lex leaned down to hug her and then kissed her on the cheek. "I love you."
"I love you too sweetie. Goodbye."
"Bye." She said from the doorway she took one last look at her grandmother who had already shut her eyes and turned back down the hallway and outside. Trevor had left his car here for us saying that he would just call a friend of his to come pick him up, I unlocked the driver door and then the rest of the car opening the door for Lex and shutting it behind her when she was in her seat. I got in the drivers' seat knowing Lex was in absolutely no condition to be driving us but she did pipe up every once in a while to give me directions since I had no idea where we were going.
After about 15 minutes we pulled up in front of an apartment complex in what looked like a nice side of town but then again everywhere looked like a nice side of town compared to Belleville. Lex was out of the car and up the stairs before I even parked the car completely, after I was stopped and the car was locked I ran after her. I found her outside what I assumed to be Trevor's apartment and I sat down beside her, she just started cry leaning against me I pulled her into me and let her cry I didn't shush her and I didn't talk I rubbed her back and held her close, I know that's what she needed to do, she needed to cry and just have someone hold her. When she was finished I lifted her up and noticed just how light she is almost feather light. Come to think of it she doesn't really ever eat all that much, she smokes, drinks coffee, and alcohol but never really eats, when we get inside I'm making her something to eat. The door was unlocked and I carried her into the living room sitting her on the couch.
"I'm going to make you something to eat." I went into the kitchen going through the cabinets and the fridge when I found some left over pizza I was sure Trevor wouldn't mind as he's told us to help ourselves to whatever. The pizza was almost all the way warmed up when the phone rang, I went to pick it up but Lex had beat me to it.
*Lex's POV*
I could hear the phone ringing from the living room so I got up and went to get it.
"Hello?"
"Is this a relative of Ellen Jacobs?"
"Yes ma'am this is Lex her granddaughter. Is she alright?"
"I regret to inform you Lex that your grandmother has passed away."
The news hit me like a ton of bricks I felt my legs give out from beneath me and I just collapsed on Trevor's kitchen floor. Gerard rushed over and took the phone from me. "Hello?"
I heard a muffled voice on the receiver, "I see, yes I'll tell him yeah you have a nice night as well. Goodnight." He hung up and pulled me towards him, I wasn't crying I actually couldn't feel a thing at the moment everything was so numb. The door to the apartment opened and Trevor came into the kitchen.
"What's going on here?" He said with a grin then he looked at my face and his just completely fell, "No, oh God no." He dropped the bags in his hands and crumpled on the floor sobbing into his hands. I pushed Gee off me and ran over to him pulling him close to my body. His head fell on my shoulder and the two of us cried on the floor, mourning over the loss of the greatest women that's ever lived.