For English in this unit we were assigned to write various stories each with a particular emphasis (i.e. character, location, relationship etc). After we had finished all these stories we had a peer review them and help you decide the best one. once we decided, we were given a month to revise, review and lengthen the stories. This was the best one. It is not remotely true, so you needn't worry...

 

The lady sat in the hospital room staring at her father in law, hatred in her eyes. She had been sitting there for a half an hour, not saying anything, just listening to him talk. In a deep and gravely voice typical of old men he said

“I tried my best to do right by him, teach him values” She did not say anything.

“Why don’t you talk to me?” He paused “I admit that my method of teaching might not be expectable by your standards, but it worked. You love him don’t you?”

“Course” she snapped back, the ‘of’ that she would of normally put there had been caught in her throat from not speaking for so long. There was silence. Finally she began to speak.

“You can’t honestly believe that your ‘lessons’ taught him anything other than what not to do.”

“With my liver the way it is, I don’t have time to dwell on the past.”

“Denial won’t get you what you want you do realize that, don’t you?”

“Can’t a dying man have a little bliss every once in a while? Even if it is an ignorant one?”
She shook her head “You’re not going to die; you’re just going to take more life from him.”

“Giving half of his liver to his dad is certainly not going to kill him.”

“It was better when you were gone, not forcing him to remember all of the terrible things” She said, a tremor in her voice.

“Your pathetic he said in a way that reeked of carelessness.

She looked around the room. It was small, and bleak. No cards, no flowers, just machines. The heart monitor was no longer chirping, he couldn’t stand listening to that thing while he watched his bass fishing. To depressing he said, so they turned the volume off.

“You’re not worth his help.”

“I believe we’ve already established that” he snapped back. There was silence.

“What could you possibly have to live for? We’re never going to let you see the grandchildren. And you obviously don’t have any body that cares that you’re here.”

“I have hope, that someday that will change. ”

“From what I can tell, thus far nothing has ever changed for you, what makes you think it will now?”

“When his mother died, I got angry, I drank. Than I drank some more, I blamed
him for her death. Then I stopped drinking and got sick. All his life I’ve either been drunk or sick, when I get this liver I’ll be healthy’.”

"What makes you so certain?” she snapped “You remove the cause of the current problem you’ll realize that you have more problems. Angry over his mothers death, upset because you beat him. The fact that you won’t think about the past means that it’ll keep coming back to haunt you. You will die angry and alone! And no one will care. No one!”

“You want me to die here don’t you?”

“No.”

“Want me dead though” Silence. “Do you want to kill me? Remove this stench from the earth! C’mon do it! Just grab the pillow and do it! Smother this pain off this earth! Nobody will wonder why a sick old man died in a hospital! Just a poor old man who will never got to see his grandchildren” His aged ‘voice cracked on grandchildren making a raspy squeal of weakness.

“Maybe that’s the worst thing for you than” she said “Maybe you care enough so that that would be a fate worse than death, but I doubt it.”

“You don’t honestly believe you’re in a rational state of mind right now. You’re going to do what ever your gut tells you” She remained silent.
A nurse walked in looking concerned. The man was listed as 63 however with out the chart she would have assumed the man to be nearly 80. She didn’t think it was a good idea for this mans relatives to be getting into a shouting match with each other. The man had come in for a new liver, but the machines were silently showing her a very weak heart. She wondered why this mans children would be so cruel to him, the donor, his son had requested to stay in a separate room. Most people who know their donors want to stay with them. This family on the other hand...

“Can I get you anything sir?” The nurse asked.

“I’m fine, thank you for asking young lady, you’re very sweet to ask”

The nurse was always liked elderly patients, they were always so courteous. You do from time to time get the ones who are senile, sexist or racist.., she didn’t like them so much; they made a good laugh though. She would have liked to stay and talk with the man; however his daughter-in-law was looking irritated by her presence so she left.

“If you need anything, just press the blue button.” The nurse left. When she was out of ear shot, the man began to talk.

“I do love him you know. I want to be with him. That’s why I want to live. I do believe I have a chance at seeing him again. And I know were never going to have a perfect relationship but at least we’ll have one.”

“You’re not emotionally balanced.” she said “Three minutes ago you were asking for me to smother you.”

“Do what you like, but until then I’m going to try and have a relationship with my son.”

“In your theory you seem to believe that you’d live long enough to do that.”

“That’s true” he said. There was a long period of silence.

She began to think. Two weeks ago, when they agreed to see him, it was not that complicated. Giving his father the liver would provide a sort of closure. He wouldn’t feel like he’s left his father to rot. He would help him. Remind that despicable old bastard what good people do. Then they could walk away guilt free. He had no reason to stay around; neither she nor his son wanted to see him. But now, with a baby on the way, he has a reason to haunt them. He wants to watch his grandchildren grow up. She had one hope for a terribly short time that he would never find out. But that disgusting old drunk knew the minute she walked in the door. She had to move on from the fact that he was one of those people who just ‘know’. She had to make a plan. There was no way he could ever meet a child of hers. None! She could just get up and leave, take his son and his liver with him. It was obviously the easiest solution. But ultimately would he do it? Would he leave his father to die? She married him because he is a good man. Good men don’t leave there fathers to die. And if he did leave would he still be a good man? The man she had married, the man she loved? The decrepit filth of his father had made a good point. Who would investigate the death of some sick old man? Old men die, that’s what they do, especially ones that need major organs. All she needed to do was close his door, grab the pillow and hold. An internal battle raged in her mind. She could take her husband and leave. Close that door and never look back. Or close the door for a mere minute, and end his pathetic existence. Finally after hours of internal debating she decided. She stood up.

“I will not be able to protect my child from all the monsters in this world, however I must try.” The door was closed with a soft click.