Adieu

GEM and Henry passed away within a month's interval. Gavin and Naomi tentatively moved to the family house to help prevent Shannel and Greg from feeling lonely. Everybody has been granted leave from their respective jobs. The whole house reeks of anguish. 

"Look at Naomi," Shannel wails. "She's six months gone. Henry planned to take care of our grandchild with me. Now, he's gone. He's left me to suffer Gem's absence alone. That's so selfish of him. I kept on telling him not to allow his health to deteriorate."

"Mummy, everything will be okay. God's got us. We will be fine." Naomi responds as she rests her head on Shannel's shoulder.

"No, we won't be. Henry promised me forever. We didn't agree on parting ways." Shannel heaves a sigh of relief. "This was not our agreement, Henry." Shannel sobs. 

Shannel barely speaks since Henry's death. She sighs and shakes her head frequently. The only statement she chants is "Your father left me alone in this world. That wasn't our agreement."

She blurts that statement daily and says no other word. Gem, Greg, and Naomi try their best to console Shannel, but she's too devastated. They are also broken. 

"Mum hasn't come out of her room today. It's already noon. I'm worried." Greg complains.

"It's been two weeks since Dad's death. They say time heals but it seems she misses him more as the days go by. Her sadness knows no bounds." Gavin laments.

"Maybe she's crying his picture a river again. Let us check her room." Naomi suggests. 

They walk to her room and knock on the door. There's no response. No sound from within. They barge into the room and to their surprise, Shannel is still asleep. 

"Has she been sleeping since last night?" Greg asks rhetorically. 

"Mum, we know you are still mourning but you have to eat something. We made breakfast. Matter-of-fact, it's almost lunchtime." Gavin enunciates. 

Shannel doesn't move or talk. 

"Mum," Gavin taps her legs. "You have to get up. Come on."

"Mum?" Gavin taps her hands after a pause. Gavin moves closer to Shannel's face. He places two fingers across the opening of her nose. "She's not breathing!"

Gavin glances through the room with his eyes. "She didn't drink poison, right? Why isn't she responding?!"

"Let us transport her to the hospital." Greg moves closer to Shannel. "Naomi, please get the car key and open the car door before we get there."

"I'm on it!" Naomi dashes out of the room. 

Gavin and Greg, both panicking, carry Shannel to the car. They turn on the emergency lights and race the car to the hospital.

"Nurse! We need a nurse, please!" Naomi shouts as the car reaches the hospital entrance. 

Two nurses run out with a stretcher, onto which Shannel is placed. 

"Please, just attend to her immediately." Gavin pleads. 

"I want to be there with her." Greg demands.

"We are sorry, but that's against hospital policy. The doctor will attend to you when she's been properly checked." A nurse protests. 

"Swiftly. I beg of you."

A doctor appears after some minutes.

"Doc, how's she?" Gavin asks. 

"How come it took you so long to bring her here?" The doctor asks.

"We thought she was asleep. She rarely sleeps since Dad's demise. I presumed she has a sleep disorder." Greg responds. 

"I'm sorry to say…before you brought her here, she was already lifeless. Her soul slipped from her body in her sleep." The doctor proclaims.

"Doc, she wasn't ill." Naomi protests.

"Not in the least. But when some people lose a loved one, especially a significant other, their body systems stop functioning properly. They tend to be completely disconnected from life until they eventually give in. Your father and mother had an inseparable bond. I'm deeply sorry about your losses. Please, take heart." The doctor persuades. 

"We are now orphans and without a sister. It's not even two months since Gem's death." Greg sobs. 

"I can't fathom any of these." Gavin cries. 

"I'm so sorry, guys. Everything happens for a reason." Naomi consoles. 

"It's our marriage." Gavin blurts.

"Pardon?" Naomi responds.

"Ever since we got married, problems have been offsetting. Gem's cancer—her death, dad's demise, mum's now. I brought this ill luck upon us. I shouldn't have gotten married yet. I shouldn't have moved out of the house. I caused all these."

"Don't blame yourself. Self-pity won't bring them back. You couldn't have possibly withheld fate, could you?" Naomi scolds.