Where Life Takes You

by Claudia Burgoa

  Curiosity struck me. For the last five days, Bryan had picked me up and dropped me at the main entrance of the building. Avoiding the parking lot at all times. When Nick opened my door, I checked the cars. There were a few missing. Only the Rover, the Aston, the motorcycle, and now the Lexus were the only cars on Dan’s garage floor. Where was my Subaru? The last time I saw it was Friday night, parked next to Dan’s priceless motorcycle. The spot was now empty.

  “Where’s my car?” I should’ve known they were cooking up something fishy. I’d told Dan I didn’t need a new car. “Where’s my Subaru, Nick?” I raised my voice and crossed my arms, waiting for a reasonable explanation.

  With wide eyes and a pale face, he shook his head. “Mr. Brightmore replaced it with the hybrid.” He pointed at the new Lexus. “It’s earth-friendly and possesses most of the gadgets you love.”

  I stared at him, mouth agape. “He made you memorize a speech?” When Nick looked sheepish, I shook my head, utterly exasperated. “Damn that man. He can’t do this. I bought that car with my savin—”

  “Your old car is at the shop being detailed. When they finish, we’ll send it to the garage for storage,” he stated matter-of-factly.

  My phone rang again, and Tyler’s number appeared for the second time. After the news about my car, my mood had definitely switched to bitch-mode. I chose to ignore the call and save him from my rage. The phone rang for the fourth time. Connor’s number. I clicked ignore, but by the third time Ty called, I gave up and answered.

  “Please estate the nature of your emergency.” I used my robotic tone, and then Nick’s phone rang. “If y—”

  “Becca, your mom is in the hospital.” Tyler’s urgent tone interrupted me. “Raj doesn’t think she’ll make it through the week.”

  “Wait! When he says week, does he mean until Saturday or Sunday?” I counted the days left, which weren’t many.

  “Becca, I need you to stay with me. Don’t start deviating what you hear, as a defense mechanism,” Tyler said, stopping me from going into my bubble.

  “She’s on the phone.” Nick’s loud voice startled me. “I’ll stay with her for the night, sir, but tomorrow morning Bryan should take over.”

  “Bex, honey, are you listening?”

  “Yeah. Mom, hospital, week, got it. I need to, you know, check on her. Say hi to Ash and…I’ll call you later.”

  I pushed the end button.

  Nick and I walked silently all the way to the apartment. I needed to change before going to the hospital to check on Mom. As I retired to my room, he reminded me to call Dan before leaving the apartment. My heart palpitated fast, to counteract the slow motion movements I followed to get ready before heading to the hospital. I slipped into a pair of yoga pants, a t-shirt, and grabbed one of Dan’s pullover sweaters. Thankfully it still had some of his scent left. Where are you, Danny?

  Nick and Mary waited for me in the living room. She handed me a to-go mug with her miraculous tea.

  “How are you doing, dear?” She hugged me. “I worry about you.”

  She grabbed my shoulders and scanned me from head-to-toe. “Wait here.” She shook her head. “I’ll bring you a pair of sneakers. The floors at the hospital aren’t warm enough to walk barefooted,” Mary pointed out, I imagined as a way to tell me that I forgot my shoes.

  I smiled at her when she brought over a pair of socks and my black Converse. She then gave Nick a tote bag with snacks for both of us. “Take good care of her.”

  On the way to the hospital, I called Steve, giving him a heads up about the following day. Ty called me with his flight details, but I didn’t let him fly to Boston. He had a family back in California who needed him.

  “Mom’s the one dying, not me. If things…. I’ll call you then. Not now.”

  After I won the argument, I phoned Dan, who answered at once. “I’m on my way, princess. We’re finalizing the travel arrangements and canceling my meetings.”

  We argued for a few minutes, with me repeating the phrase stay where you are, I’m fine, until I sounded like a stuck record. Though part of me wanted him by my side.

  “Can you do me a huge a favor, please?” I interrupted his ‘you need me there’ speech. “Mom might make it through the weekend, and…. Well, remember Tara, my roommate back in college? Her aunt died of cancer. She mentioned something about making her as comfortable as possible during her last days. So… can we move her to my apartment? It’ll be easier to care for her there.”

  “Bex, sweetie, don’t—”

  “Please. I don’t want to stay at the Sudbury house with them.” I closed my eyes hoping he’d agree with me. “Also, we need to hire more nurses, and arrange the bathroom and my bedroom… maybe buy a hospital bed. Do you think Raj will do home visits?”

  The line went silent. Eventually, I glanced at my phone to verify that the call hadn’t dropped. After forever and a few more minutes, he sighed and broke the silence. “I might agree, with a few conditions. First, you’ll work from home. Second, you’ll delegate to Steve, which takes me to third: you’ll allow us to hire someone to help Steve. And fourth, let me come home.”

  “Hmm, I’ll take delegation, new hire, and part-time from home. I need outside contact.”

  “Promise me you’ll work from home the days you stay up all night.” He was tough. No wonder he had a successful business.

  “Fine. I’ve got to go. We’re at the hospital. I’ll call you whenever I can.”

  * * * * *

  Raj waited for me at the nurse’s station. He explained that Mom’s cancer had metastasized. In human terms it had taken over her other organs. They had tried radiation to stop the growth, but she didn’t respond. Now her organs were beginning to shut down.

  “We’re giving her pain medication,” Raj told me. “She’s in and out of consciousness. According to the nurses, she’s refused to eat for the last couple of days, and she spit out her medicine yesterday. Today she became dehydrated. She’s not in good condition. I just talked to Dan. I’ll allow you to take her home. We can’t do much for her here anyway.”

  I understood, and asked him to continue making the necessary arrangements to move her. The time she had left didn’t matter, a day or a month. She’d be more comfortable at home. No one liked hospitals. The nurses at the station gave me a few forms to sign, and told me they’d move her by mid-afternoon tomorrow. Raj had ordered the medical equipment that would be needed. The installation should be finished by morning.

  “Miss Trent.” McDreamy from Aspen extended his hand. “I see the leg healed.”

  “Hi, Doctor McDreamy, I didn’t know you were in town.” I needed to learn his name. “How long will you be around Boston? You’ll be perfect for my friend Ava.”

  “McDreamy, huh? Original, Becca.” Raj chuckled.

  “Don’t judge.” I blushed, but thankfully no one noticed. “No one told me his name.”

  “Uh huh. Anyway, I doubt Dr. Charles and Ava would make a good match.”

  “Why, what’s wrong with Ava? It’ll be fine, for a weekend. It’s not like he’s—” It dawned on me after Raj smiled sheepishly.

  “Aw, I— Really, Dan promised to... help him after my accident. Did he play match maker? Gosh, my freaking filters are failing.”

  “Don’t stop. What were you about to say? It’s highly entertaining when your filters break down.” Raj said, I didn’t understand if he was serious or mocking me.

  “It happens when I’m extremely nervous or freaking out, you should know it by now.” I tried to defend myself, or the least explain myself. “Or… something like that.”

  “Like when you called my nurses names,” Dr. Charles pointed out. “Like wench, sadist, and ignorant bitch.”

  My blood froze. When had I said such things? I’d thought them, but never.... “No, no…. Did I?” I shook my head and wanted to be swallowed whole. “See? I hate when that happens.”

  Both laughed, making fun of my filters. Raj was in the middle of a batch of funny stories a
bout me when Connor and Izzy Patrick came into view. I cleared my throat and walked over to them. Introducing Raj and Dr. Charles—Drew—to the Patricks.

  Raj gave them a small update on Mom’s health, when Izzy interrupted him to ask about Mom’s relocation to my apartment. “Are you sure you she’ll be fine with Rebecca?” she glanced to both doctors.

  “Yes,” Raj responded, uncomfortably looking from me to Drew, who took over the conversation.

  “We found three excellent nurses that’ll care for her. And Dr. Vadapalli and I will visit her daily.” Drew checked on his watch, took a deep breath, and continued after Raj nodded in approval. The exchange of glances told me they had been together longer than I thought, a week. “A change of scenery might help her. Mrs. Sanders might surprise everyone.”

  “Will you let me come and visit her?” Mrs. Patrick faced me for the first time.

  I shrugged, and nodded. Why wouldn’t I?

  While she continued interrogating Raj, Dr. Charles and I walked to Mom’s room, with Connor following behind me. Nick guarded Mom’s room and gave him a deep glare. It seemed as if Dan had tagged him as a non-grata persona. The man needed to lay off his controlling side. There was nothing wrong with Connor, and he was harmless—unlike his brother.

  The spacious private room was not much different from any other hospital room, white sterile walls, white linens covering the bulky bed, and two blue plastic chairs next to it. On the other hand, there was a leather couch and flat screen on the other side of the bedroom. But let’s get real, who’d be watching television while their loved one is lying on the bed dying? Like Donna Sanders, who had disappeared, and in her place was a frail woman hooked to a heart monitor, an IV, and had an oxygen mask covering most of her face.

  She slept, while Greg sat quietly on one of those blue plastic chairs while pretending to read the e-book he held with his hands. Though, someone should tell him that the screen was off. Obviously he wasn’t taking Mom’s condition well.

  His gaze moved towards me after I cleared my throat. “Becca, I hear Brightmore is planning on moving your Mom. Will you let me join her, or—”

  I didn’t like his bitter tone. It wasn’t my fault that he splurged his money and had to depend on me—well Dan—to cover most his expenses. Hence, we had more saying into what happened to Donna than him. “Oh, Greg, don’t start. Not tonight. Obviously, you’ll join her—she’s your wife. There’s plenty of room at my apartment for both of you. I’ll be across the hall, and she’ll have the best care.”

  “Maybe tomorrow I’ll drive home, pack a bag for us, and close the place down.”

  “Why don’t you go tonight?” I said, standing on the other side of her bed. “I’ll stay.” I looked at the couch, but seemed too far away from the bed where Mom rested. The blue chair for one night would have to do. I turned back at him. “You must be tired. Get some sleep. Tomorrow morning, you can pack, and join us at my house in the afternoon.” I handed him Nick’s business card, so he could arrange his entrance to the building.

  “I’ll contact him tomorrow in the morning.” Greg placed the card inside his wallet. “Call me if there’s any change, or—”

  “I will, try to rest.” There was no point in continuing the conversation.

  Everyone left around midnight. Someone found a comfortable chair for me, not that I asked for it, but I was grateful. I sat next to her and opened my iPad. I wasn’t sleepy, and there were plenty of emails I could respond to before morning. Anything to take my mind off the person in front of me, and what she represented―a childhood full of bitter moments, and an adolescence full of pain. Ordering a new computer for the shelter in downtown was simpler than reflecting on how many wrongs a baby could’ve done to be hated by her own mother. I tried hard to please her, and learned from grandma all the things Mom liked and disliked, anything to see her smile at me once, but it never happened.

  Adoption would’ve been better than the life I endured next to her. Yet in some sick way, or perhaps because of my genetic coding, I was conditioned to love her—and I still did.

  Mom began moaning around two in the morning.

  I grabbed her hand and talked to her about work and the Gala Dinner. “You’d love the event. All the guests dress up. Actors and famous people are invited. Get better, and I’ll make sure you sit next to Clooney—he’s one of our biggest benefactors.”

  She never answered, or opened her eyes. An hour later, her groans became frequent and louder. I called the nurse, who injected a solution into her IV. She calmed and her breathing became even.

  “Yell at me, please.” My sight blurred, and a few tears leaked out. I rested my head over her stomach and placed her hand on top of my head. For a minute, I imagined she tried to hug me, and broke down completely. As hard as I tried, my eyes wouldn’t hold in the tears anymore. “Tell me how awful I am,” I sobbed. “I ruined your life, remember? Talk to me. Don’t die yet. Like me, for once, please.”

  Chapter 14

  By eight in the morning, a nurse arrived to check Mom’s vitals, she informed me that the doctor should arrive around nine to update me. Mom was lying unconscious on the bed. She still didn’t like me, and I doubted the status would change. Minutes after the nurse left the room, Bryan arrived with a tea latte and the egg sandwich Mary sent. Mom chose that moment to wake up, and at first her eyes looked disoriented, but once she recognized me, Donna kindly moved her gaze towards the IV. A better view, I assumed, anything was better for her than me. I refrained from talking to her; my vulnerability was at its max. She could bruise me easily.

  “I’ll be outside.” Bryan left a tote bag that seemed to harbor snacks for the entire hospital. “Call me if you need anything.”

  “Why don’t you sit on the couch?” I asked him. No point to be outside when there was plenty of room.

  “Guarding you while watching television wouldn’t be appreciated by Mr. Brightmore, Miss Trent, but thank you.”

  Guarding? What was there to protect? Not much. I needed to have a talk with Dan, if he ever appeared back into my life—like today. Bryan stepped outside, and Drew came in. Was it coincidence, or Dan orchestrating my life? Yesterday during our conversation he mentioned something about me being alone; how much he hated it. Knowing him, I didn’t doubt he tried to bully everyone he knew to come and sit next to me.

  His dark hair looked different than yesterday, or the time I met him in Aspen. It was casual, just like the jeans and t-shirt he wore. “Hi, Becca” He greeted me as if we had known each other for a while. “I just left Raj at Brightmore’s place. He’s finishing up with the new set up for your mom’s transfer.” He yawned. “Sorry. Long night. After we left you, we went to Dan’s place to begin the arrangements. Dan works everyone hard, doesn’t he?”

  “I wouldn’t know.” I answered honestly, because, sadly, Dan put everyone to work hard for me, and it made me feel uncomfortable. Attention was my enemy, and he always put me on the spot. Before we got into technicalities about my friendship and other related subjects, I changed the conversation. “How long will you be in town, or did you move from Colorado?”

  “A few more weeks than I planned. With your mom like this, I doubt we’ll be able to work on our project.” I arched an eyebrow. “The at home care.” He responded to my questioning look.

  “No one told me you’re involved in the project.” I opened Mary’s magical bag to look for water. “I’m glad. It’ll be fun getting to know you during the process. Do you want something to eat?” After he nodded, I gave him a juice box, a granola bar, and dried fruit.

  “Thank you, I’ve been running on coffee since eight o’clock last night. Mary told us to stay for breakfast, but I wanted to catch up with you.”

  Drew gave me a little run down about the arrangements. The contractors had dropped in around six in the morning to adapt the place. The movers arrived shortly before he left to pack up all my things. Mary oversaw the process, keeping the few items she thought I’d need aside.

  �
�Brightmore would do anything for you, wouldn’t he?” Drew asked between bites. Damn, he didn’t let it go, and didn’t wait for a response either. “Dan… he moves heaven and earth for you.”

  “Yeah, he does. He’s Dan.” I waved my hands toward the sky. “He’ll do anything for his friends. So don’t take advantage of him. I don’t like it when he does things like this….” I pointed toward Mom, the room, and my leg. “But he’s determined, and he takes care of his own.”

  Drew stayed with me until the EMTs picked Mom up and took her to the apartment. Bryan drove me back home, and stayed behind the ambulance like I asked. Crazy, but I felt the need to escort her.

  The ride in the elevator was quiet, and the contrast against the full house I encountered when the door of it opened to our floor made me want to close it and hide in the garage. Everyone was there—Estella, Barb, Joy, Pamela, and the guys were eating and helping. As I walked towards the apartment, I noticed Mary had set out a lunch buffet for everyone. Danny, where are you? I took a deep breath before talking to them. I needed some sleep.

  “We heard about your mom and wanted to help.” Estella gently bounced a sleepy Paige. “Ash called me last night. I tried your phone, sweetie, but it was off. Gosh, you look hyper-tired. Go to bed, we’ll keep an eye on her.”

  I nodded, but instead I followed the EMT’s who transported Mom on a stretcher. They switched her to the hospital bed installed in my old room. The IV bag was on her left side, the heart monitor on the right, and the oxygen behind the headboard. Raj and Drew made sure everything had been connected properly. Then I began to cover Mom with blankets and pillows.

  “She’s comfortable, Becca. Stop with the cushions.” Raj grabbed the three pillows I held. I ran out of space. “Go take a nap. You need to rest. You look tired.”

  Try exhausted.

  “Becca.” Raj shook me gently, since I didn’t move. “Baby girl, you’re falling asleep on your feet. I’m taking you to bed. Greg will stay with your mom. You look like a zombie.”