Josie was looking out over the water again as the waves were lapping the edge of the golden sand. She sat by the water and continued to let the sun warm her face. She was again thinking about everything that she had heard and seen over the last few hours. Well, it felt like hours anyway. Ricky was right about the concept of time being hard to figure out here. She wasn’t sure if she had been here for a day or a week. It wasn’t like there was a sunrise and then a sunset to let her know when the day had started and when it was going to end. She was getting a taste of what her afterlife was going to be like. Spending all her time at the beach would definitely not be a bad thing.
The sun was shining high above the shore and Josie could see the sandy beach for miles in both directions. Seagulls and sandpipers were running as the waves chased them up the sand. A very slight breeze was blowing the salt air around and making the flags on the lifeguard stands sway. It was a perfect day to be sitting on the beach. But Josie had a feeling that here, every day was a perfect day. As she looked around her, she wondered if those who ended up here ever got sick of this being their view all the time. She imagined not, but couldn’t help wondering about it. She would ask others here for their opinion on this based on their own stay.
Josie dug her toes into the sand and thought about the visions she had. She started with the accident and seeing herself arrive at the ER. Then thought about seeing Ginny’s mom at the hospital. Josie knew it would take a bit for her to get used to seeing situations from this perspective. She was glad that she was able to have them though so that she could see how things were after her death. It was better to know what was going on even if the visions showed her things that were hard to see.
Josie remembered Mrs. Williams looking so sad and concerned by Ginny’s bedside. She began to wonder where her own parents were and how they were coping. As she thought about them, she could see them sitting in what appeared to be a private waiting room. There were a few chairs and one small table with magazines on it in the little room. The bright green paint on the walls seemed out of place making the room cheerier than the actual mood in it. The monotone gray carpet on the floor seemed more fitting to the mood at the moment. Neither of her parents were saying a word, both were staring straight ahead at the wall across the room. Each looked more scared and nervous than she ever remembered seeing them. She thought her parents had always looked young for their age. They were in their early 70s and had her later in their life. Seeing them in this room, they looked as though they had aged years since their visit to her house only last month. Their faces looked very tired and worried as they sat here in this cheery colored room.
A man walked through the only door into the room dressed in light blue scrubs. She figured he must have been the doctor who cared for her in the ER. He sat down next to Josie’s mom with a very somber look on his face. “I am so sorry you have been waiting here so long. I thought you would be more comfortable in here than watching what was going on out there.” Oh my, Josie thought, they had been out in the emergency room. She prayed they hadn’t seen her up close after the accident. She was in pretty bad shape when the EMTs brought her in. Josie knew she was seeing her parents about to get the worst news of their lives. This doctor was going to tell them that he was not able to save the life of their only daughter. As he delivered the news to her parents, her mother crumpled to the floor. Her father and the doctor tried to catch her as she slid out of her chair.
The doctor helped Mr. Montgomery get her mom back into the chair. He went to the water cooler in the room where he grabbed a cup from the holder and filled it with water. He handed it to Mrs. Montgomery and had her take small sips until color began to come back to her face. When he felt comfortable that she was ok and would stay upright, he excused himself. He said, “I will give you a few minutes and will be back very soon to check on you.” He turned toward the door and walked out. Josie looked after him as she thought about her past experiences in this situation. She had seen families receive news like this more than once while working in the ER. It had to be one of the hardest parts of being in the medical profession. She felt bad for the doctor having to deliver this news to her own parents. No one wants to give that news to anyone. She understood that in some cases, it was impossible to save a life and the staff had to move on to try to save others.
Josie turned her thoughts back to her parents. It crushed her to see them so upset. She couldn’t even fathom how they felt after finding out that their only child was gone. She opened her eyes for a few seconds, needing to take a break from the pain in their faces in her vision. She looked out over the crashing waves and took a deep breath. As she closed her eyes again, she saw the doctor returning to check on them. He began to tell them that she was being brought into a surgery that would prepare her organs for donation. “We have confirmed the paperwork that Josie is definitely an organ donor. We are going to make sure her donations help as many people as possible." Josie felt relieved to know that her body was able to move on in the organ donation process.
Her mom wiped her eyes and finally spoke. “That is what she wanted to have happen. She is always helping people anyway she can. That’s the type of person Josie is. I mean was.” Tears started streaming down her face again and she looked down at the floor, saying nothing more. What more could she say? Josie’s heart was breaking and she wished she could reach out to touch her mom.
Her dad reached out and placed his arm across her mom’s shoulders. He spoke to her in a very soft voice saying, “Dear, it’s time for us to go along as there isn’t much else for us to do here. The doctors and hospital will take care of Josie for us." Josie could tell he was trying to fight back tears and knew he had a huge lump in his throat. It was unbearable to see her parents so grief stricken, and there was nothing she could do but watch. Her dad began to speak to her mom again. “We need to go pick Chloe up from her kennel. She will be wondering where her mom is.” Josie was so touched that her dad thought of Chloe at a time like this but was thankful he had. It would give them something else to focus on for a little while.
They both rose from their chairs and shook the doctor’s hand. Her mom looked up at both of them with tears brimming in her eyes. “We need to bring our grand dog home with us. Thank you for your kindness, doctor.” With that, her parents turned and walked out of the waiting room.
Josie couldn’t watch any more. She opened her eyes and was back on the beach. Tears were streaming down her cheeks as she thought about the pain her parents were feeling. She never could have imagined in a million years that her life would take a turn like this. Who could imagine anything like it, why would they want to? She was trying to figure out why she was even thinking about these questions. What good did it do? She decided she couldn’t help it. She was only human after all.
There were two good things that came out of that vision. She knew that Chloe would be ok and that some of her organs would be able to help people. Josie had always been a strong supporter of organ donation. She had seen firsthand how it helped the lives of many people. Now she would support the donation process by being a donor herself. She hoped the people who received her organs would live a long life. It would mean the world to her to be able to make this contribution. Helping anyone in any way possible was how Josie lived her life. She was glad to continue to do so after her death.
The worst part of the vision was seeing her parents receive the news of her death. Her heart broke into a million pieces for them. She couldn't comprehend the pain they were feeling from the loss of their only child. She needed to focus on something else and was trying to figure out what she should do next. She felt the need to see her best friend again. Josie wondered if she could find out how Ginny was doing. Something positive could make her feel better after seeing the pain of her parents. It wasn't easy for her to see Ginny lying in the bed hooked up to machines. Being able to confirm that Ginny would make a full recovery would be a blessing for sure.
Josie closed her eyes and thought about Ginny. She immediately could see Ginny was alone in her room and she appeared to be sleeping. Josie approached the bed and stood beside Ginny. This was the first time she had come this close to someone still living. With her other visions, she was seeing the people and situation from the outside looking in. Now she was standing next to her best friend, watching her sleep. Josie reached out to touch Ginny’s hand, knowing she couldn’t ever touch her again, but she couldn’t help herself. She imagined resting her hand on Ginny’s and imagined feeling her strong pulse. This proved to Josie that Ginny was alive and breathing. It was the reassurance she needed that Ginny was going to be all right.
She began thinking about how much fun they were planning on having at the beach. Both of them had been so excited about the getaway and it all changed in a blink of an eye. As she stood there thinking about the trip and Ginny, a nurse with Ginny’s mom walked into the room. The nurse was telling Mrs. Williams about Ginny’s recovery which Josie wanted to hear about. She stepped back from the bed and listened to their conversation.
“Don't get me wrong. Ginny will be facing some major challenges in the coming months. Her doctor believes she will be able to return almost to normal with an intense rehab program. She will have to be in a wheelchair to start with, but if all goes well, she should be able to walk on her own in the future.” The nurse gave Ginny’s mom a reassuring smile, hoping to let her know she believed what the doctors were saying. She was sure it was hard for Mrs. Williams to believe any of it looking at Ginny now. The doctor and nurses had seen similar situations and knew it would all work out for Ginny.
Mrs. Williams walked over to the bed and looked at her daughter with tears streaming down her cheeks. “I appreciate everything you all are doing for her. You have an amazing staff here and I am so glad you believe she will make a full recovery. I am so thankful that she is still alive and that her legs will heal. It’s more of a relief to hear than you can know.” She turned to look at the nurse. Josie could see pure sadness in Mrs. Williams’ eyes. She wondered what could be wrong if the prognosis was so good. Mrs. Williams continued on and said, “I still haven’t been able to tell her that Josie didn’t make it. I have no idea how to go about doing that.”
Josie and the nurse both understood what Mrs. Williams was talking about. They had both been in the position to break bad news to family and friends. Josie had watched her own parents receive the news of her death only minutes ago. She knew what a terrible position Mrs. Williams was in. It was beyond heartbreaking for a doctor or nurse to deliver the news without personal ties. A mother delivering the news of a friend’s death to her daughter would be beyond crushing.
“I can tell her for you or come be with you when you are ready to speak to her. As a nurse, I have delivered similar news before. As a mother, I can only imagine what you are feeling.” The nurse had tears streaming down her cheeks. Her usual rule was to try to keep her emotions in check when it came to patients. This particular situation was tugging at her heart strings. She had a daughter of her own about Ginny’s age and couldn't imagine telling her anything like this. She prayed they never had to experience this type of situation in their own lives.
“Oh, thank you so much for your offer. It’s very, very sweet of you, but it’s something I need to do for her. Her dad should be back soon, so he can be here with me when she wakes, whenever that may be.” Her mom looked towards the door like she was hoping for him to walk in at that second.
“If you change your mind, please don’t hesitate to come get me or have someone find me if I am off the floor. I will be here for you if you need me.” She was standing next to Ginny’s mom and placed her hand on Mrs. Williams’ arm, giving it a little squeeze. With that, she left the room, closing the door behind her.
Josie was now alone in the room with Ginny and Mrs. Williams. Josie was thinking how happy she was Ginny would be ok. She felt horrible for Mrs. Williams because she was so upset over telling Ginny about Josie’s passing. She wished there was some way to help but she had no idea how she could do anything or what she would do. Her not being able to interact with the living was another thing Josie would have to get used to. She regretted she wasn’t any longer in a position to help people.
There wasn’t much more for her here at the moment since she got the update on Ginny. Josie was ready to return to the beach. She walked over to the bed and leaned over Ginny, giving her a light kiss on her forehead. “Are you on your way out? You aren’t leaving on my account, are you?” Josie jumped at hearing the familiar voice coming from behind her. She turned around and Ginny was standing there smiling at her!