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Vera wrinkled her nose at the strong odor of antiseptic as she and her mother walked slowly down the hall towards her father's room. Bradford was lying supine in the hospital bed and Vera was startled to see how much thinner her father had grown since she'd last seen him. Marianne pulled Vera closer to her as they approached the bed where her husband lay.
“Brad? Darling?” Marianne crooned softly as she touched her fingertips to Bradford's cheek, “Look. Look who's here.”
Bradford's eyes fluttered open as they fell on where Vera stood and unbelievably, he started to smile at her and then caught himself. It was obvious that he thought she was Victoria, but she wasn’t and never would be.
“Vera....well, well, well.” he drawled as Marianne pressed the button on the remote control for the bed, and Bradford's bed inclined. “So, you finally decided to show up.”
“Hello, Father,” Vera said, in a somewhat robotic tone, hoping that she hadn't actually rolled her eyes. “How are you feeling?”
“I'll live,” he said, waving her away just as they heard a sound at the doorway announcing the arrival of Bradford’s nurse.
“Mr. Willis? It's time for your medication.” the pretty, young African-American woman said as she tapped her knuckles on the open door and then entered the room. “It won't take a minute.”
“Absolutely!” Bradford boomed, turning on all of the charms as he smiled at the nurse.
Vera did roll her eyes that time and she turned away to face the windows, which overlooked the hospital's entrance below. Marianne chatted with the nurse briefly about Bradford's care once he was allowed to come home. They were supposed to be releasing him sometime over the next day or two. Vera stood to the side as her father was being attended to by the nurse and she checked her watch, inconspicuously. It was going on six and she was worried about Lizzie. Excusing herself, she slipped out of the room and into a vacant one nearby for privacy. Closing the door, she called Lizzie.
“Hi.” Lizzie answered, “How are you? Is your father okay?”
“He'll be okay. Are you okay? I mean, did Aaron arrive yet?”
“Not yet, but I'm okay. He may not even show...”
“Well, do you think that he can help us?” Vera asked, keeping an ear out in case Marianne was looking for her.
“I hope so.” Lizzie said with a heavy sigh, “He was the only person I could think of to call with this. Aaron always knows exactly what to do, no matter what it is.”
Vera nodded, feeling stupid for doing so realizing that Lizzie could not actually see her so she vocally affirmed what her friend had said.
“I'm going to try and leave, now that I made a mandatory appearance here. I'll get a cab back there.”
“I'll order us some food, just let me know when you get over the bridge so I can call it in.” her friend offered, which made her smile heartily.
Vera smiled, so happy that she had found such a kindred spirit in Lizzie.
***
By the time Vera returned to the apartment at around nine, Aaron had come and gone already. Lizzie seemed happier though, now that he had stopped by.
“I'm not going into work on Monday.”
Vera nodded with complete understanding, so much that she offered to stay out too.
“No, no....don't get into trouble over me.” Lizzie pleaded with her, “I'll be fine. I just can't face him, not yet.”
“Fucking Hartwig....” Vera seethed as Lizzie took a swig of her preferred drink, bourbon on the rocks, and nodded in agreement.
“Fucking Hartwig.” she intoned.
They ended up talking half the night about how they could handle the Hartwig Situation.
“Aaron's working something out.” Lizzie promised, with a sly smile, “Come on, forget about that asshole Hartwig for now.”
They nestled down in Vera's bed, the television on low as they held each other. Before long the sounds of the television droning faded out and Vera fell asleep. When they woke late the next morning, there was a message on Vera's phone from Marianne saying that Bradford had taken a turn for the worse during the night.
“I've got to go out there.”
“Go.” Lizzie insisted as Vera dressed quickly. “I'm not going anywhere.”
***
By the time Vera got to the hospital Marianne was a hysterical mess as Bradford lay as if already at death's door. Her mother stood over him, Vera’s brother Hank with her with his arm around Marianne as she sobbed. As if he knew she was there, Hank suddenly turned around and did a double-take as he peered at her.
“Vera? Wow....hey...” Hank said, recovering as he hugged her to his side awkwardly when she joined them at the bedside. “Um....how have you been?”
“I'm okay.” She said, softly as her brother continued to stare at her, “How are Pauline and the kids?”
“Fine, uh....just fine. They're in the hospital cafeteria getting something to eat...” Hank said, his eyes traveling over the fashionable outfit she had on. By now, she was used to this response from people that hadn't seen her in a long time.
“Can he hear me?” Vera asked as Marianne finally spoke.
“Of course he can! He's not deaf!”
“Mom...." Hank said, taking Marianne's arm and then turning to Vera, “I'm gonna take Mom to get a coffee from the Nurse's station down the hall. Can you keep an eye on him for a minute?”
Vera nodded as she watched her brother and mother leave her alone in the room with Bradford. Vera walked to the bed where her father lay, his eyes closed as his chest rose fell, and shuddered.
“I know you can hear me.” She said, softly and after a moment Bradford's eyes slowly opened and rolled her way.
“I want you to know something, so listen carefully,” Vera began, moving closer so that he was sure to hear every last word. “I hate you. I hate the way you make me feel. I hate that you have never loved me as much as you loved her, no matter how hard I tried. I hate that you still blame me for everything even though it wasn't my fault. The police told you again and again that it wasn't my fault, but it was still easier for you to hate me.”
Bradford gasped and began to moan as tears filled his eyes. Vera saw him reaching for the call button and swiftly moved it from his reach, behind her back as she leaned closer to his face.
She needed this.
She needed him to know.
“I hate how you and your wife treat me like garbage, never giving a fuck about any feelings I might have. All you had to do was just love me, that's all. Tell me, does she know about you? Huh? About what you did?”
Bradford gasped as his eyes widened, a sound from one of the many machines attached to him chiming an alert.
“I saw you. I saw what you did to her, you fucking pervert. She was going to tell. We were going to tell everyone.”
Bradford groaned and shook his head weakly as if trying to deny what was all too true.
“When you die, and very soon by the looks of it, I hope you rot in hell. I hope you never find peace, not ever. I hate you.” Vera growled.
“....h-help......” Bradford said in a near-whisper as his hand moved slightly from his side.
“Do you hear me, Father? I. Hate. You. I hate you!”
Bradford gasped, his hand reaching up towards her slowly and then falling back against his chest as his body shuddered.
“I HATE YOU!” Vera screamed as Bradford seemed to lose consciousness and fall slack. She let out an anguished scream as more of the machines began to chime and beep before there was a prolonged, single beeping noise.
“Code blue, code blue! Cardiothoracic Unit! Code blue!” A voice crackled over the intercom and the door to the room flew open as a slew of doctors and nurses were instantly in the suddenly small space, shoving her out of the way. Marianne screamed as she hurried into the room, Hank at her side, she hollered at them now to do something as they were all ushered out of the room and the door was closed in their faces. But it was only minutes later that the door opened and the grim-faced doctor came out.
“Oh, God.....oh....no....no...no....” Marianne whimpered and then she completely broke down. Hank tried to get her up from the floor just as Pauline and the kids showed up. Hank looked at his wife over his shoulder, his eyes filled with tears as he shook his head. Then Pauline started to cry, which made the kids start crying because they didn't understand what was going on. Vera was silent, though. She didn't shed a single tear or say a single word as she turned and walked away.
***
Vera got home to find Lizzie waiting up for her, her arms open as Vera nestled against her on the couch.
“Are you okay?” She asked as Vera shrugged.
She felt conflicted because part of her truly did hate him but that tiny bit of her still loved her father and wanted his approval, despite what he had done. Vera began to cry and Lizzie held her tight and let her.
“I'm sorry,” she said, as Vera sniffled. “Let me know if there's anything I can do.”
Vera nodded, looking at the clock to see that it was nearly three in the morning. There was no way she could handle work today, and before she could forget she sent an email to Asshole telling him that she had a family emergency and would not be in. Vera slept for hours after that, Bradford's death bringing a strange relief to her. Of course, her phone had rung at some point in the morning, in which normally she would have been awake, but she ignored it.
Couldn't deal with her mother right now, anyway.
Lizzie had slept soundly last night and Vera was glad to have her best friend with her. She rolled over in bed to see it empty and she sighed, swinging her legs around to sit up. She could smell food, and when she went out to the living room Vera saw Lizzie opening up a large brown paper bag. She lifted a few containers out of it as well as a few Styrofoam coffee cups with lids.
“You read my mind,” Vera said as Lizzie came to hug her.
“Well, you have to keep your strength up.” She lectured as Vera nodded and obediently sat on the couch. Lizzie sat next to her a moment later as they ate their breakfast in silence.
“Are you going to at least take the week?” Lizzie asked as Vera shook her head.
“What for? He's gone now.” Vera reasoned as Lizzie nodded.
They spent the rest of the day talking in which Vera briefly outlined the terrible relationship that she'd had with her father. She told Lizzie about Victoria and what had happened all those years ago. How her parents were content to blame her for it all.
“That's awful. Did they not understand what the police said about the accident?”
Vera nodded.
“Sure they did.” Vera scoffed, her lips tightening as she thought back to that terrible time, “They just wish it had been me instead of her.”
“Wow....” Lizzie said, shaking her head.
“Whatever. I'm done talking about him now.” Vera said, getting up and leaving the room before Lizzie could see the tears in her eyes.
