[Summer] Visiting in a London Hospital

[Prof Grace Marks]

((OOC: okay, at this point it is the Thursday before school starts again. Grace needs all the friends she can get at this point. So please, please join as you feel is necessary. Just join. Just say you were pointed in the right direction or you spoke to Maddisson Biggerstall, Jac's mum. But why am I telling you this, you're clever! Just please join!))

Grace and Jac walked arm-in-arm into the hospital with Maddisson walking in front of him. They walked through the shiny white corridors of the clean hospital in uncomfortable silence. Maddi looked back every now and then at the girls and smiled an encouraging smile.

Grace’s stomach was in her throat and her heart was in her head, echoing through the empty void. She was so nervous; it had been three long years since she had see her father and he had only heard things, never seen him. She wanted so much to turn and run out of the hospital and forget she ever had a father but Jac held her steady.

[Jac Shaw]

Maddisson leaned against the front desk and was laughing with the plump lady behind the desk. She picked up a few charts and waved good bye to the lady. She gestured to the two girls to follow her. She rounded a corner and went up a flight of stairs. She walked towards a door and held it open for the girls.

Jac held Grace’s arm tight so she wouldn’t get away. They followed her mum down the corridors and up the stairs. When they reached the door, Jac pushed Grace through it.

“Room fifteen,” Maddisson whispered to Jac, “at the end of the hall, to the left. Knock before you go in and press the ‘call’ button if anything happens.”

Jac nodded and smiled at her mother, “thanks mum!” Jac pulled Grace next to her again and pulled her towards the last door on the left.

[Girty Hubbles]

Girty hit her brother over the head.
"You idiot i told you not to stop to look at the bird in the tree but would you listen...oh no you would not listen." Girty mumbled to herself as she plodded along the pathway up to the hospital.
"You stay here, I'm going in to find Grace and Jac." She waved at her brother and walked off through the Hospital doors.

With a sigh she wondered off towards the desk.
"Hello erm....I'm looking for Mr Marks. I believe he is a patient here." One of the nurses turned around and smiled at Girty and mentioned something about Room 15. Girty looked around for a sign and started to walk quickly off in that direction. As she turned a corner she saw Grace and Jac. she broke out into a jog and taped them both on the shoulder.

[Prof Grace Marks]

Grace whirled around and squealed in delight. "Girty," she cried, flinging her arms around her dear friends neck, "how good of you to come." Grace released Girty's neck and smiled weakly at her, "I was beginning to worry you might not come."

Grace looked at Jac, then with a worried frown looked towards the end of the hall, to the last door. She turned back to her two friends and checked her watch. "11:05," she said, "we're early. Maybe we should wait a bit ... for me to have an anxiety attack before we go." Maybe that way I won't have to see him!? she thought dully.

[Girty Hubbles]

Girty laughed too and when Grace flung her arms at Girty she gave a small hug back.
"I would have been earlier if my brother thought it had not seen a rare bird up a tree." She gave a small giggle before noticing the look on Graces face. Girty manged to give a week smile to her, she looked at Jac then back at Grace again.
"We are here for you. I have come armed with paper bags for you to breath in just in-case you have a panic attack."

[Jac Shaw]

Jac smiled at Girty. "Hmm," she snorted, "and we can leave as soon as we've seen him." She grabbed Grace's arm and looked at Girty, asking her to take Grace's other arm. "We'll be quick, I promise!" she said, softly.

[Prof Grace Marks]

((Hope this makes sense))

Grace looked from Girty to Jac, then turned her attention to putting on foot in front of the other and getting to the door. On shaky legs she reached out for the door nob, then remembered Maddisson's works knock before you go in... She stopped mid-reach. She took a deep breath, then let it out quickly. You can do this Gracie, come on! It's a piece of cake!

She knocked softly on the door. Then again. She waited for a response. None came. She looked at Girty, and frowned, her brow heavy with worry, while slowly pushing down the handle and opening the door. She looked away from Girty and into the room, slowly walking in. There was a single bed in the middle of the room. On either side of the bed there were two low cupboards with nothing on there tops. A light hung over the bed. A dark curtain was drawn over the windows, keeping the day light out.

Grace pushed the door open completely and looked behind her for Girty and Jac to come in. A coughing brought her attention to the occupant of the bed. A gaunt figure lay on the bed. His arms were thin and his skin, pale. Grace hardly recognised him, but as he opened his mouth and spoke, she knew it was him.

[glow=red,2,300]"I told you," the figure coughed, "that my door must be closed at all times." He turned and faced the small girl that had walked in. "What do you ..." Frank lost his train of thought as he recognised who the purple-hair, ratty faced snob was.[/glow]
The heart monitor began to beep more frequently as Grace walked closer to the bed, something was almost pushing her there. Say something!!! "Hello Father," Grace mumbled, dropping her gaze. Beep, beep, beep; it was racing.

[glow=red,2,300]"Why are you here!" he shouted. His almost white eyes were wide with anger. "What the f*** do you think you are doing here, s*** faced! And with hair like that!!"[/glow]

Grace gasped at the out burst and recoiled. Sobbing, she whimpered, "I'm sorry, Father! I was worried-"

[glow=red,2,300]"GET OUT! F*****! GET OU--"[/glow]
The heart monitor began to hum, 'beeeeeeeeeeeeep'. Grace looked at her frail father. His body was convulsing and writhing. His face was pulled tight with what looked like pain.

Nurses rushed in and pushed the girls aside. There was a strange machine that was rolled out of the corner. All seven of them were talking at the same time. One ripped open his shirt, another held a breathing apparatus to his mouth, and still another was rubbing two defibrillators together, and another ushered the girls out of the room and closed the door behind them.

"Recharge," came from behind the door. Grace looked at Jac and Girty. Her mouth was slightly open and her eyes wet with tears that had not fallen. What just happened in there?

[Jac Shaw]

Jac stood back as Grace walked in; she was not eager to go in. She looked at Girty, "after you," she giggled slowly, realising she had failed to be funny. She breathed in and looked seriously at Girty, "we said we'd be there for her, we should probably go in."

She slowly walked in as she heard coughing. The person in the bed could hardly be called a relative of Grace's. It was long and jangly and hardly looked really. It began to shout; Jac began to tippy-toe backwards.

There was a deafening screech and a rush of nurses pushed her back into the room. In the confusion she lost sight of Grace. "Grace," she called, trying to look over the heads in the small room. Then, someone pushed her out of the door and shut the door in her face.

"What's happening?" Jac asked the other two. Being a pureblood, she had no experience with hospitals and such emergencies.

[Girty Hubbles]

Girty looked around the room and slowly followed Jac in. She knew she told Grace she would be there for her but she found it hard as the action and machines in the room took her attention. When the machine started to bleep Girty knew they would have to clear out. she tired to reach for Graces hand but failed as they were pushed out the door.
Girty swallowed hard and looked at Grace,her face was full of worry and pain and when Jac asked Girty thought best to answer.

"Just a random guess but i think that Graces Dad could not stand the pressure of seeing Grace, and I'm guessing in his state seeing how pale and fragile he is it sent him over the top." Girty took hold of Graces hand hoping to give her come comfort. Then girty thought about Jac being a pure blood and thought may best to explain more.
"I'm not sure what other medication he is on but the beeping was to show is heart beat which i imagine you have worked out by know and the machine is a Defibrillator. It sends electric shocks to the persons heart to get it beating again."

She broke off and looked at both of them.
"What my dad works in a hospital and i love Hospital dramas on TV."

[Prof Grace Marks]

Grace squeezed Girty's hand and tried a smile. But she failed miserably. What have I done! she thought, and walked to a window, looking into the room. "I've killed him," she mumbled, "that's what I've done!" She stared blankly into the room and watched as the nurses and orderlies ran around frantically trying to ... bring him back.

'Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep,' the heart monitor sounded. Everyone inside stopped rushing. A young lady with wiry black hair looked at her watch and said something which Grace could not hear.

Grace gaped. A tear ran down her cheek and hung for dear life on the edge of her jaw, but fell miserably to the floor. She had killed him, Grace, I've killed him...

[Girty Hubbles]

Girty looked at Grace then around the room through the window. She wanted to rush in and do something. She pushed opened the door slowly looked in. She saw them remove wires and looking at his chart, making notes. Closing the door again she turned to Grace and sat down next to her and heard her mumblings.

"You did nothing to him. He did this to himself, brought it on himself. Any sensible person would not drink there liver into nothing and there only chance of living is off a machine. It was not just his heart that brought this on it was everything he did. If he was strong he could have pulled through it. And you are strong Grace and you can pull through this. You already have a heavy burden to bear do not bear the weight of the dead. It will not help yourself or anyone around you. It will take time to heal your wounds but just remember your not the only person in the world that this has happened to and what ever has happened to you I'm sure there is someone else worse off then you."

Girty stood up and looked around. She could not decide if she was any help so thought maybe she should leave the others alone.
"I'm going to get a cup of tea."

[Jac Shaw]

Jac moved behind Grace and listened to Girty's wise words. She felt so uncomfortable; she didn't know how to handle the situation. She didn't know how to relate; she didn't know anyone who had lost someone close them. And Grace had lost both her parents now.

Then Girty mention getting tea. Jac looked at Girty and shook her head, "I'll get the tea, she needs you more then she needs me at this point." She looked at Grace and smiled, "you're a better friend then I am." She looked back to Girty, "I'll get for all of us!"

She walked down the corridor and disappeared through the door. She found her mum and told her what had happened. Then she asked for tea. Having gotten the tea and spoken with her mother, Jac returned to Girty and Grace. "Mum says it's Chamomile, helps with the nerves."

[Girty Hubbles]

Girty nodded slowly at Jac not wishing to argue at this moment time. She took a deep breath and slid down by Grace. She sat silently unable to think of what to say.
"When they have cleaned him up and took all the wires out of him we will go in and see him. So you can say a final goodbye. It really does help trust me. To see them at peace it helps with your last memory of them. They look happy with the world." Girty fell silent again and smiled when Jac came back with the tea.

"Perfect." She took two off Jac and handed one to Grace. "If anything it will warm up you ice cold hands."

[Prof Grace Marks]

Grace had fallen into a seat and not even realized it. She felt paralyzed; unable to move by her self or show any emotion on her face. But she was thinking, thinking of the last time she had seen her father, the last time she had laughed with him, the last time she had seen Bog ... she missed him. He would not have hurt her like her father had ... he would have protected her. But he wasn't there; her father was. Ironic that in her hour of need and desperation the one person who had hurt her most was there and the one who she loved the most could not be ...

She cupped her cup of tea in her hand. It warmed her hands instantly. She sipped it lightly, the warmth spread threw her whole body. This was a sensation she had not felt for the longest time: warmth.

She thought about seeing her father for a final time. She did not want to walk away with this being the final chapter in there book. Closure, that was the word. She sipped the tea again, the warmth spreading to even her toes, and watched the door intently, waiting for something to happen.

[Girty Hubbles]

A small smile crept onto Girtys face as she watched Grace. She knew who she wanted and why and Girty wished she could help. Then she watched Grace look at the door.
"It will not open by its self." She said softly. Girty rose and walked toward the door and slipped inside. After a few minutes she came out again and moved toward Grace, she crouched down so she would be at eye level.
"The nurse said you can go in any time you wish and spend as much time as you need. They have put his possessions he had with him in a bag and said you may take them if you want."