The van jumped the curb when Sam overshot the driveway. The vehicle had barely come to a stop when he slammed into Park and opened the door. He ran up the sidewalk of the tired looking Cape Cod and turned the key in the knob. “Mom, Mom.”
Sam ripped off his jacket. He tossed the keys on the coffee table and ran down the hall. Lying on the floor alongside her bed, Adeline was nearly unconscious. He checked her pulse—slow but constant.
“I’ll be right back.” Sam raced to the kitchen and pulled open the refrigerator door. He grabbed a single-serving box of orange juice, punched the straw through the hole, and ran back to the bedroom. With the juice box on the floor next to him, Sam carefully lifted his mom to a sitting position. “Mom, can you hear me?” He put his ear close to her face.
A barely coherent voice, almost a whisper, responded, “Sam, is that you?”
“It’s me. Try to drink this orange juice. You need more sugar in your system. Here, I’ll help you hold it.” Sam noticed how weak his mother looked. Her hand shook as she held the juice box. Her skin appeared grayish and bruised from all the transfusions. Her veins were flat and nearly invisible. “You aren’t getting enough liquids.”
“Just let me die. It’ll be easier on you. The cancer will have its way. It’ll kill me no matter what. You’re only prolonging the inevitable.”
“Don’t even say that. I promised to take care of you when Dad walked out on us. I’m not going back on my word. I’ll get you through this.” He steadied her against the bed and stood. “I’ll be back in a second.”
Sam disappeared down the hallway. Minutes later he returned with a warm, damp washcloth cupped in his hand. He folded it twice lengthwise. “Here, let me put this cloth on your forehead. It’ll feel good.” He placed the cloth above her brows and pressed it against her skin.
A brief smile crossed her lips. “Thank you, honey. You try really hard.”
“I need to help you into bed.”
A slurping sound indicated that Adeline had finished her juice. “I’m afraid I wet the floor. I’m so sorry, Sam. Cleaning up after me isn’t your job.”
He waved away her comment. “I’ll get you a dry nightgown. Don’t worry about it.”
Once Adeline was changed and lying in bed, Sam took the empty juice box and got her another. He punched the straw into the hole and set the juice on the roller table. He took a seat in the chair next to her. “Has the dizziness gone away?”
“It’s better, but lying here helps. So does the juice. Thank you, honey.”
“No worries. I’m going to make you dinner. How about a bowl of chicken noodle soup?”
“That sounds good.”
“Okay, you rest, and I’ll be back soon.” Sam closed the bedroom door and checked the blood supply in the refrigerator. Four bags remained in the door, and two were earmarked to sell. He was already a month behind with the electric bill, among others. If he didn’t catch up, the power would be turned off at the next billing cycle, and the blood supply, if there was any, would be ruined. After dinner and another blood draw from each girl, Sam would scour the local vampire rave sites on his own computer. He couldn’t risk leaving Adeline home alone again in her weakened condition.