Tina's Story Chapter 40 Facing Death II

Story by Gray Muzzle on SoFurry

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#15 of Tinas Story


In Part I, Stan Russel had a massive heart atttack at work. he was revived, but is in the hospital in grave condition. Tina heard about her father while out shopping with Ray, and rushed to be with him. At the hospital, she encounters Dr. Goldstein, who looks after them, making sure he gets the best possible care.

Tina stumbles in at 3:00 A.M. the very first thing, she goes to check on Ray. She sees the bed slept in, but he is not there. She starts to walk the apartment. The first thing that she notices is a child gate across the kitchen doorway. Walking to the gate, she looks in. Laid out on the floor, wrapped in a comforter is Ray, a tiny white Poodle puppy asleep on his chest. Tina smiles, tears welling up in her eyes. She lifts a corner of the blanket, enough to get next to Ray. Tina puts her arms around Ray, falling asleep almost immediatly. Around 6:00, the puppy starts to move around, waking Ray. As he gets up, Tina, too is awakened.

"Hey, when did you get in?" Ray asks, gathering up the energetic pup.

"About 3, I guess"

"How'd you get home?"

"Your Dad drove me when he got off shift"

"That was nice" Ray observed

"It was. He gave Dad level one status, and he's doing everything he can to help"

Ray smiled. It warmed his heart to hear that his father took a personal interest in Stan, and Georgette and Tina.

"How's he doing?"

"Not much change. He's stabile enough to go upstairs. He's had a massive heart attack. He was clinically dead for some period of time. We just don't know."

Ray hugged Tina, then got up to bring the dog outside. Tina followed.

Once they got to the street, the puppy pee'd as soon as Ray put it down.

"Look at that!" Tina observed "They say that Poodles are the smartest of all dogs"

"A proposition with which I'd never argue" observed Ray.

A few minutes later, the puppy pooped, and they gathered her up, and took her upstairs.

"What now?" asked Ray

"I want to go to work" Tina replied "There's nothing I can do for either of them right now. It's all too much. I need a day of work."

"And your Mom?" Ray inquired

"There are things she has to work out for herself"

Morning came to the hospital, and Georgette was in the chapel. She had been there most of the night. She had dozed off at times, but she kept her vigil. A young priest came in, and sat down behind Georgette. He sat there for some time before he spoke.

"Dr. Goldstein told me I might find you here; I'm Father Tim...."

He smiled a warm and genuine smile. Georgette turned, and was drawn to the warmth of the young priest.

"I hear your husband is very ill..."

Georgette nodded.

"Can you pray for him, Father?" she asked, plaintffly

"Yes, of course."

The father moved up beside Georgette, and pulled down the kneeler. Georgette joined him, and Tin lead them in a series of prayers. Then, he stayed kneeling in reflective silence.

"Father, he's going to be allright, isn't he?" she asked,

"I don't know" The young priest answered truthfully

"But God answers prayers, doesn't he? The Bible says so! That's what we were taught.."

The priest did not answer immediately.

"God answers all prayers." the priest replied. He turned to Georgette "But our plan may not be God's plan..."

"What do you mean?" Georgette responded, her voice thick with desperation

"God" the priest began "Is responsible for all things. the big plan. He sees things that we don't see. that's why God's answer may not fit out wishes"

"What do you mean?" she asked, perplexed

"If you could talk to your husband, right now, what would you say?"

"I'd tell him how much I love him, how much I need him, how my life would be empty without him..."

"Did....you ever tell him that? In the way you just told me?"

Georgette looked down. She shook her head 'no"

"Why?"

She looked at the priest...

"I don't know. I figured that he knew. Pride, just petty things that came between us...."

"Like what?" Tim asked

"My daughter got pregnant, and married a human. He was happy for her. I couldn't...."

"Compared to what you're facing now, how important is that now?"

A sad smile crossed her face.

"Not really. It seemed that way...then."

"What would Stan want?" the priest pressed

"All he wanted was for me to be happy for her....."

"You can give that to him, even now...."

Georgette sat there, silently, for a long time. The priest just sat there with her.

"I love Tina."

"Who's Tina?"

"that's our daughter, our only child."

"She must have been the apple of your eye"

"We gave up everything for her. Stan worked two jobs, then we would help her with her lessons...we made sure she had everything she'd need to have a wonderful life..."

"And that life...does she have it?"

Georgette nodded

"She has a good job with the state. She just got married...to the son of the big doctor, here at the hospital. And she's having a baby...."

"Georgette how old were you when you had Tina?"

She did not answer immediately

"We were young.....younger than Tina...maybe, what, 15?" I told my parents that I'd been raped, so that they would't get mad at Stan. "

"Do you wish that it had been different?"

"Of course! I wouldn't wish what I went through on anyone..."

"Well" said Father Tim "We can't change that. But YOU can change it for your daughter"

Georgette put her head down, the priest's words hanging heavy on her conscios. When she looked up, the priest was gone. Frantic to hear more, Georgette looked around for the young priest. there was a nun, sitting in the back row. Georgette went up to her frantically.

"Where did the young priest go? I must speak to him!"

the nun shook her head

"I've seen no one here, I'm sorry...."

Just then, a nurse came for Georgette.

"Ms Russel? Please come with me......

The nurse lead Georgette up to the ICU

"Your husband's had a rough morning. You should be here....

Georgette went to Stan's bedside. There was no change. Just Stan, looking very small, and very ill, covered in tubes and medical devices. She kept her vigil, until she looked up, to find Stan's eyes meeting hers. Georgette jumped up. She held Stan's hands...

"Stan....can you hear me? It's me....."

Stan's eyes remained open. They seemed to follow her. She kept talking...something...anything to keep his attention. After a time, his eyes closed again. georgette ran to get a nurse..

"He opened his eyes! He looked at me! that has to be good, doesn't it?",