Opals & a Nimbus by NANDER

Author:NANDER
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9798988735816
Publisher: Tammi Enander

Chapter

Twenty

O’DOHERTY: THE GHOST SHE SAW BESIDE ME

“Nana never liked the ‘all black at a funeral’ tradition,” Fabian said as I helped him with his coral tie.

“Well, it’s a good thing we aren’t having a funeral.”

“Yeah, this celebration of life thing should be nice.” Tears were threatening to fall from his eyes, and his shaky voice cracked. “She would have loved that dress, honey. You look beautiful.” He kissed my forehead, and we left for her celebration.

Everyone gathered in clothes of Nana's favorite color—coral—and ate her favorite food—chicken pesto—and played her favorite games—cribbage and charades. It was a fun time, although bittersweet.

Her health had been declining since the stroke she suffered the night of our first date. She decided to not only opt out of the medication trial but discontinue any treatments and call on hospice. They didn't think she qualified at the time, but soon enough, it was clear she had much less than six months left. She went peacefully in her sleep a few days after the BBQ.

I heard Fabian's room-lifting laugh for the first time in days as he won a game of cribbage without even knowing exactly what he had done to win it. Fabian often excelled at new things. He stood from the table, excusing himself from some of Nana's old friends, and walked over to his sister, Melly, and me. It was Melly who was there with her when she passed. Fabian wrapped his arms around my waist, kissed me through my hair, and gave his sister a simple, “How are you holding up?” Finally, Melly spoke more than I had ever heard her.

“You know, before Nana died, she kept telling me about her dreams. She said ever since the night of the storm she had a dream about the same thing. She said there was a man making tornadoes in the sky and that he was very handsome and never wore a shirt.” She laughed as a salty tear fell from her cheek and into her lemonade. “She said he just floats there, ‘looking like a sour puss and whipping up destruction.’”

We laughed about it then, but I wasn't laughing today. Today I was shaking. Nana was not the only patient who passed this week, nor the last one to share that they had experienced the same vivid dreams.

I went to the hospital early this morning to visit the few patients who were still hospitalized and in my trial. I had trouble finding a nurse at first, but my luck changed drastically when I spotted a group of them huddled in the supply room. I crept in, hearing the tail end of a conversation about unionizing that broke off when the door startled them.

“I'm a friendly, no worries.” Some of them looked skeptical, but Jesula vouched for me. Much like many nurses here, she knew very well that Daphne and I were best friends. She pulled me into the room and helped the door to shut. “How’s the, uh, organizing going?” I asked.

“It’s going,” one of them said dryly.

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