Shell's journey.
Created | Updated Jan 12, 2009
She sat hunched over, the blanket slipping from around her skinny legs. 'Not much further now' he said, pushing the wheelchair slowly.
'Greg, I'm freezing' she replied in a thin raspy voice. He picked the blanket from her knees and tucked it up under her chin, made sure her hat was sitting comfortably on her bald head and kissed her.
'I'm going to miss you Shell.' Tears appeared at the corners of his eyes, he hung his head to hide them from her.
'I'm not leaving yet Greg' her thin voice cracking with emotion, she feebly extracted her arm from beneath the blanket and placed it round his shoulder, carefully he embraced her, taking care not to further damage her frail body.
They had been through so much together during the last few months, the diagnosis, the chemotherapy, the radiotherapy, the surgery, every time the cancer had come back stronger and harder to fight, Shell had been so brave through it all, but now the fight was over, the nurses had explained how she could be made comfortable and how Greg could be there every waking hour if he wanted. Today she was being transferred to the hospice. She and Greg both knew that this would likely be her last journey.
After what seemed like hours they finally broke the embrace, Greg stood up and tucked her arm back inside the blanket, They set off again along the corridor. The room when they reached it was bright and airy, there were paintings of fields full of butterflies and of bright blue oceans, the medical aspects of the room ere cleverly concealed, the only piece of furniture that looked slightly out of place was the IV stand from which anything that needed to go into Shell's body would hang.
a female member of staff with a kind face came into the room to help Shell into the bed. 'I'm Angela' the woman informed them, 'here on the bed is a buzzer, if you need anything, you can simply press this and either myself or another member of staff will come and help you. I will let you get comfortable, and then i will come and talk with you both about what will happen here, is that ok?' Angela smiled at Greg and Shell. They both nodded in agreement and Angela left the room.
'Shell, I'm not going to leave you whilst your here, i will be here right until the very end, i will hold your hand when your in pain, i will dry your tears and comfort you. I love you Shell.' fat hot tears seeped from the corners of his eyes, they traced rivulets down his face. Shell began to cry too, but her sobs soon turned to coughs as she struggled for breath, 'NURSE! Nurse!' Greg shouted, Angela and another woman rushed into the room with a crash trolley between them. Angels lay Shell down and put an oxygen mask over her face, this didn't seem to help, Shells lips were turning blue, Greg held her hand and sobbed, barely noticing the nurses rushing around with various pieces of medical equipment. The skin on her hand grew colder and he realised that the nurses had stopped bustling, he had the room to himself. He say frozen in place for what seemed like an eternity.
'Shell, Shell please come back, Shell, I-I-I l-love l-ove y-y-you.'he stuttered between sobs that shook his body, and hot, fat tears streamed down the rivulets on his face.
Angela came into the room and placed a hand on Greg's shoulder, he noticed the touch and turned to look at her. 'Did it hurt her, at the end?' his green flecked brown eyes pleading with her to give him the answer he wanted. Angela sat on the chair next to him and took his hand in hers 'No, she went peacefully when the time came, she wasn't in pain' Greg breathed a sigh of relief, the tears still ran down his face, but he knew that Shell had gone to a place where there was no more pain, and wherever that was, she would wait there for him. He accepted a tissue from Angela and he dried his eyes. He looked lovingly at Shell and noticed how peaceful she looked, He leaned over and kissed her softly on the lips. 'Wait for me Shell, promise me you will wait there for me.'
'Greg, I'm freezing' she replied in a thin raspy voice. He picked the blanket from her knees and tucked it up under her chin, made sure her hat was sitting comfortably on her bald head and kissed her.
'I'm going to miss you Shell.' Tears appeared at the corners of his eyes, he hung his head to hide them from her.
'I'm not leaving yet Greg' her thin voice cracking with emotion, she feebly extracted her arm from beneath the blanket and placed it round his shoulder, carefully he embraced her, taking care not to further damage her frail body.
They had been through so much together during the last few months, the diagnosis, the chemotherapy, the radiotherapy, the surgery, every time the cancer had come back stronger and harder to fight, Shell had been so brave through it all, but now the fight was over, the nurses had explained how she could be made comfortable and how Greg could be there every waking hour if he wanted. Today she was being transferred to the hospice. She and Greg both knew that this would likely be her last journey.
After what seemed like hours they finally broke the embrace, Greg stood up and tucked her arm back inside the blanket, They set off again along the corridor. The room when they reached it was bright and airy, there were paintings of fields full of butterflies and of bright blue oceans, the medical aspects of the room ere cleverly concealed, the only piece of furniture that looked slightly out of place was the IV stand from which anything that needed to go into Shell's body would hang.
a female member of staff with a kind face came into the room to help Shell into the bed. 'I'm Angela' the woman informed them, 'here on the bed is a buzzer, if you need anything, you can simply press this and either myself or another member of staff will come and help you. I will let you get comfortable, and then i will come and talk with you both about what will happen here, is that ok?' Angela smiled at Greg and Shell. They both nodded in agreement and Angela left the room.
'Shell, I'm not going to leave you whilst your here, i will be here right until the very end, i will hold your hand when your in pain, i will dry your tears and comfort you. I love you Shell.' fat hot tears seeped from the corners of his eyes, they traced rivulets down his face. Shell began to cry too, but her sobs soon turned to coughs as she struggled for breath, 'NURSE! Nurse!' Greg shouted, Angela and another woman rushed into the room with a crash trolley between them. Angels lay Shell down and put an oxygen mask over her face, this didn't seem to help, Shells lips were turning blue, Greg held her hand and sobbed, barely noticing the nurses rushing around with various pieces of medical equipment. The skin on her hand grew colder and he realised that the nurses had stopped bustling, he had the room to himself. He say frozen in place for what seemed like an eternity.
'Shell, Shell please come back, Shell, I-I-I l-love l-ove y-y-you.'he stuttered between sobs that shook his body, and hot, fat tears streamed down the rivulets on his face.
Angela came into the room and placed a hand on Greg's shoulder, he noticed the touch and turned to look at her. 'Did it hurt her, at the end?' his green flecked brown eyes pleading with her to give him the answer he wanted. Angela sat on the chair next to him and took his hand in hers 'No, she went peacefully when the time came, she wasn't in pain' Greg breathed a sigh of relief, the tears still ran down his face, but he knew that Shell had gone to a place where there was no more pain, and wherever that was, she would wait there for him. He accepted a tissue from Angela and he dried his eyes. He looked lovingly at Shell and noticed how peaceful she looked, He leaned over and kissed her softly on the lips. 'Wait for me Shell, promise me you will wait there for me.'
