CHAPTER ONE

Arthur entered the hospital room with the standard bouquet of flowers and a few balloons, all of which read GET WELL SOON in varying fonts. He hated getting things like this, but he knew it was expected of him in moments like these, moments when his one and only mother was laid up in a hospital bed, her mouth slightly open because the right side of her face was now useless. She'd had a stroke, and she expected her only son to be there.

"Hey, Arthur, how goes it?" David asked almost too cheerfully, pulling his son into a hug. Ever since Arthur left for college, he and his family rarely saw each other. Arthur got his degree in political science, then moved out of state to take a job with a magazine's politics department. He was also working on a Master's degree while he was there. All of this left him too busy to come home, something he now regretted as he eyed his older father, who was grey around the edges, and his mother, whose contorted face looked unnatural.

"Wow, I thought she was better than this," Arthur muttered, eying his mother carefully. Drool puddled out of her mouth and landed on a white rag that had been placed on her shoulder. Her hair was a mess and her glassy eyes seemed fixed on something no one else could see.

David sighed and retook his chair by the window. He let Arthur put down his gifts on the table with the others before filling him in, "She wasn't found for almost four hours. I'd gone to work for a little while to help oversee some wedding," he said, stopping to smile, "I still don't remember the couple," he grinned, shaking his head before continuing, "and I came home to find her in the middle of the kitchen unconscious. I could tell right away it was a stroke. Her face just looked wrong, and I knew then what happened."

"What do the doctors say?" Arthur asked, adding frantically, "There must be a way to fix her!"

"I'm afraid not, Arthur. They went in and removed the clot that started the problem, then they put her on blood thinners after getting rid of a few more blockages. They knew that would prevent future strokes, that and this little anti-clotting device in one of the arteries leading up. I don't know what all the say," David said with a hint of anger, "but they promised us she could fight this and make some rebounds, maybe learn to communicate again."

"But they wouldn't say 'talk,' 'walk,' or 'be independent,' would they?" Arthur questioned fiercely. David solemnly shook his head. Arthur sighed, "I knew that would happen. Buster called me a few weeks ago to say his aunt had a stroke, his father's sister. She was laid up just like Mom. Then she had another stroke a week later. They couldn't bring her back," Arthur whispered, his eyes falling on his mother, who looked so fragile in that hospital bed.

David put his hand on his son's forearm, "Listen, they're doing all they can. I've looked into it, and there's this lovely facility by the house. College students come through quite a bit, some as volunteers but others learning their crafts, and it seemed like a nice place."

Arthur stared at him, "The same place you put Grandma Thora?"

"Look I had no choice in the matter," David said, his voice a hiss because he'd tried to whisper too hard. "Listen, my siblings insisted she stay around here so her friends could visit, not that she knew any of them. I had no choice, and they did everything they could for her. She died in her sleep. I had an autopsy done and they proved it," he said quickly.

Arthur was still skeptical. His grandmother had lived a solid eighty-four years, much longer than many of the grandmothers and grandfathers his classmates and friends had. The only downside was her dementia, which onset a few months after her diabetes diagnosis. Her sugars went haywire, then her brain, and they had no choice, or so everyone said. All Arthur knew was that his grandmother went into that facility when he was a freshman in college. She was gone just six months later, and he still wondered what he could've done to save her.

David exhaled heavily, "Kate wanted me to ask you if you minded coming by the house. She's been working on a school project like mad, so please go over there. Maybe you can tell me what she's actually working on. She needs help but she refuses to ask me for anything," David said, looking up as some nurses ran past. "Hmm, they must be getting in someone else. I'm going to get some coffee and take a peek at them. Do you mind sitting with your mother?" he asked, not even waiting for a response before ducking into the hallway.

Arthur sat in silence, listening to some neighbor's television as he wondered what his family had done to deserve this. Jane had been so healthy, and now that Kate was about to graduate high school, she was starting to find new ways to fill her time. She'd work in the mornings from home, but in the afternoons she was always doing something.

Now she wasn't able to do anything. She couldn't even keep her mouth closed because her face was paralyzed, and Arthur doubted she'd do much more.

David came in and sat down with a cup of coffee, his eyes glued to the floor. After a few minutes of very awkward silence, he finally looked up, "You won't believe who they just brought in here."

"Dad, I understand you're bored to tears, but spying on other hospital patients is a little cold, don't you think?" Arthur asked.

"You'd hear about it anyway. Ed Crosswire just came in. He was elected to city council a few terms ago, but now he's in here too. He's just like your mom, and word is Millicent had a stroke two months ago. That's so strange," he said, his words trailing off.

Arthur stood up, "Well, if Mom wakes up, tell her I said hello. I think I'll go over and see Kate now."

"Alright," David muttered without even looking up.