The Tainted (An Original Story)

Death

Noun - Action or fact of dying or being killed; the end of the life of a person or organism; the state of being dead; the destruction or permanent end of something

February 2020

Lia's POV

I sat in the hospital room holding the hand of my father Bronwyn, he'd contracted the disease a few weeks ago, but he never showed signs of it until yesterday when he collapsed at home. I had been upstairs in my bedroom when I heard a crash and I quickly ran downstairs and found him on the kitchen floor, barely breathing. I called for an ambulance and it was a few minutes before they arrived. I was so scared. He smiled at me as they loaded him up on the stretcher, holding my hand and said, "My darling Lia, I'm alright." And then he was gone, being loaded into the ambulance and taken away from home. I ran to my car, a beat up and rusty Impala that he's given me to restore years ago. It had been neglected for so long and dad finally took it into his own hands and got it running again. It was road safe for now and was the only vehicle at my disposal.

I made my way out onto the road and sped away, catching up with the ambulance. I refused to let my father be too far from me, in fear that I would lose him at any time. We made it to the hospital two minutes later and I swiftly parked my car and ran into the emergency entrance to catch up with the paramedics, only to be stopped. I sighed; I knew I wasn't going to be able to be with him for awhile now and waiting was the last thing I wanted to do. I took a seat in a cramped, plastic chair and placed my head into my hands and shook my head. I knew I should call mom and my siblings, but I needed a moment to get my head straight. I'd had a headache all morning and all this rushing, just made it worse.

It was a while later; I felt a hand on my shoulder and looked up to a nurse with short blond hair. She smiled, "Are you Amalia?" she asked.

I nodded, "Is my dad alright?" I asked.

She nodded and smiled. "He's in a private room if you would like to sit with him." She said and motioned me to follow her.

We entered the forbidden doorway I had stopped up an hour or so ago. I was led down the boring, white corridor to room 14. Inside laid my dad. He looked so pale, so sick and I was worried that I was going to lose him.

"Dad?" I called out softly.

"My darling Lia. Come sit by your old man." He whispers as I take a seat next to his hospital bed.

Upon closer look, dad looks sick and very pale. His eyes are sunken and his skin is such an ugly gray color.

"Are you alright?" I asked, clearly not wanting an answer, but needed one nonetheless.

"I have the virus, my dear Lia. I don't know how I got it, they said it was probably from drinking out of a glass that wasn't cleaned well at that restaurant we had dinner at last night. They don't know. I'll be here for a few days, and then I'll be home. So no worries." He said and smiled.

That was my dad, the laughing, joking person he was. He could make the worst possible situation feel like it was nothing. This is what scared me the most. Was it possible that he was dying?

I sighed and dad took my hand and held it. "Have you talked to Mercy yet? You do have to get her book ready for publication, right?"

I'd forgotten about all of it. You see I worked for Harper Publishing in our little town of Lewiston in Pennsylvania. I was hired to edit books there two years ago. My boss Molly Harper was such a sweet person and when I applied to work there she took me under her wing. Mercy's book 'Slashed' was my first big job in the company and I wanted it to be the best. Last year alone, we had a preview book launch to see what publicity we could get and I was thrilled to note that everyone was interested in her new book.