Chapter Eighty Five

Morning could not come soon enough for Jenny. She had tossed and turned most of the night. Shortly after three a.m. she finally drifted off into a light sleep. Around six a.m., about the same time as the day before, Jenny got up. She just had to phone and see how James was doing and if he would be well enough to come home for at least part of Christmas Day.

“Ward C, Nurse Rushmer speaking.”

“Hi, Nurse Rushmer…this is Mrs. Hamilton. Can you please tell me how my husband is doing?”

There was a long silence on the phone.

“I am so sorry to let you know…Mr. Hamilton passed away moments ago. He was still in his sleep when he expired. We were checking on him every 10 – 15 minutes and he was breathing restfully. For most of the night, however, he seemed to be dreaming—”

“Is he still in his room?”

“Yes, he will be moved shortly.”

“Would you please leave him in his room until I get there? I will be there as quick as I can.”

“Well… yes, Mrs. Hamilton, I will see that they don’t move him until you get here. His son called just before you and requested that we leave Mr. Hamilton here, as well.”

“Thank you.”

Jenny quickly got dressed and made it downstairs. Matti has just come in from the guest home.

“Jenny, you be up early…”

“Oh, Matti, James passed away,” Jenny cried. “I am going up to the hospital to see him before they move him. I should be home around noon.”

“Do you be wantin’ Thomas or me to go with you?”

“No, no, I will be fine…” Just as Jenny turned to leave, the phone rang. It was J.J.

Matti looked at Jenny, “It’s your son. He wants to let you know his daddy passed away.”

“Tell him I’m on my way to the hospital.”

Jenny raced to her car and sped out of the estate.

More than an hour had elapsed since she spoke with Nurse Rushmer.

I hope she was able to keep him in the room.

She dreaded to go to the morgue.

She took a deep breath as the elevator came to a stop on the fourth floor. She turned right and walked rapidly to James’ room. A nurse saw her and was about to holler out but caught herself as soon as she recognized Mr. Hamilton’s wife.

The door to James’ room was ajar; Jenny slowly pushed it open.

The sheet had been drawn up over James’ face. Tears surfaced instantly. Her heart went out to him.

“Oh, James…my dear, James.”

She walked slowly over to the bedside and stood beside him. She took a deep breath and slowly pulled the sheet down, exposing his face. She didn’t know what to expect. His eyes were closed and he looked peacefully at rest.

She hadn’t noticed the other day how frail and sunken his features looked. Perhaps, when one is alive and talking one doesn’t notice that death is just a breath away.

Yes, his time had come.

James had had a hard life. To many people, he may have had the world by the tail, but Jenny knew it was not all what people thought. As soon as Nancy had shared James’ background, she loved him all the more because that was what he needed. James had lacked love in his life. That was always Jenny’s main goal regardless of their relationship: James needed love.

Jenny placed her hand over James’. It was still warm. She bent over and kissed his forehead. “Good bye, James… I love you. I know you are here in the room. I was up there where you are now. Floating around, ready to meet your guardian angel. Perhaps you already have and your angel is ready to escort you to your Maker.” Jenny gazed up and turned thinking that she might see James. “Someday we will meet again. Thank you for sharing your life with me…”

Nurse Rushmer walked into the room. “Is everything okay, Mrs. Hamilton?” she asked compassionately.

Jenny nodded, “Yes. Thank you for keeping him here until I came.”

The nurse came up to Jenny and placed her hand on her shoulder, “I came in at twelve o’clock, the midnight shift. I think I mentioned that he was dreaming quite a bit.”

“Yes, you did say that earlier when I called…”

“He kept saying how happy he was to give the gift of freedom to Marjorie… that it would be the only meaningful gift he could give to return the love he had received… Do you know who she is, Mrs. Hamilton? Is that you…?”

Jenny didn’t answer…her heart was too touched for words.

“It almost seemed as if he wanted to die today. He kept asking the nurses and doctors how long it takes after the IV is removed for a body to exist without the nutrients…”

Nurse Rushmer shook her head and stared at the body. “His wish to pass away on Christmas day came true.”

“Didn’t he have life support planned?” Jenny wanted to know.

“Oh no, he signed off on that a week ago and his son also canceled some contract he had with the Cryonics company.”

The nurse shook her head once more and added, “He knew he was going, Mrs. Hamilton, and he planned as best he could, how he would leave and when. All I can say is that he accomplished his goal, but at the expense of considerable pain.”

“Oh, James, my dear James…”

Suddenly, J.J. came bursting through the door, startling Jenny and Nurse Rushmer. J.J.’s eyes were red and filled with tears. He stared at his father lying there and made his way slowly to him. He never took his gaze off James; it was as if no-one was in the room. Jenny and the Nurse stepped back and allowed J.J. to get nearer. He looked down and began to openly weep. “Oh, Dad, what will I do without you…?”

He threw himself across James’ chest and continued to cry.

Jenny drew near her son and placed her arm over J.J.’s shoulder.

Nurse Rushmer, with tears in her eyes, quietly withdrew from the room and closed the door.