Mothers Eyes

Fading Spark

The Lawrins's were an ordinary family renting a small farm in Ohio. They had twin children: a boy named Ryder and a girl named Remi, both aged fourteen. Theo, their mother, worked part-time as a nurse, while Tate, their father, was a traveling technician for industrial robotics and was often on the road for weeks at a time.

On December twenty-eighth, twenty twenty-four, everything changed when Theo was jolted awake by a thunderous knocking at the front door that echoed throughout the house. She jumped as if struck by lightning, her heart sinking into her stomach as she braced for another knock, hoping this was just a horrible nightmare. Each subsequent thud made her chest churn.

Gathering her courage, she headed for the door before the noise woke the children. Through the front windows, she could see the flashing red and blue lights of a police car and the silhouette of an officer. Holding her breath and clutching her robe, she opened the door. Frozen like a statue and horrified to her core, she stood, waiting for the officer to deliver news that she feared would be bad.

"Good evening, ma'am. I'm sorry for waking you like this," the officer said. Theo's eyes began to fill with tears as she anticipated the next words. "There's been an accident." A lump formed in her throat, preventing her from swallowing or even drawing a breath. Behind her, she heard the stairs creak, alerting her to Ryder and Remi’s presence. She struggled to find the strength to tell them to go back to their rooms, not wanting them to hear what was about to be said.

The officer, oblivious to the children, continued, "Your husband, Tate Lawrins, has been in an accident. I'm going to need you to come with me as soon as possible." With a strained voice, Theo asked, "Is he alright? Is my husband okay?" At this point, tears were falling down her face uncontrollably. The twins stood frozen, worry overwhelming them.

The officer let out a heavy sigh. "He is in the ICU. We need to head to the hospital." Theo nodded, stumbling over her words. She looked back at the twins and said, "I'll have Jewels come over to stay with you two, and I'll call as soon as I find out what's going on." Quickly, she rushed around, throwing on some clothes and calling Jewels, trying to keep her mind level. She kissed both kids on the heads while gathering her keys, coat, phone, and coffee.

As she headed out the door, Jewels was rushing up the porch. They exchanged a quick, somber look and a hurried hug before Theo was off. On the way to the car, the officer urged Theo to ride with him, explaining that she shouldn't drive while upset. He added that they would use the lights and sirens to get to the airport, where a helicopter awaited to take them to the hospital.

During the drive, Theo's mind raced. What could have happened? How bad is it? I've never flown before, and are the twins digesting this news alright? Before she even realized it, the car had stopped, and the officer was opening her door and helping her out. He escorted her to the helicopter and assisted her in boarding. Strapping in, she could hear the pilot speaking to her, but she understood nothing; her thoughts and worries overwhelmed her senses. It felt like a motocross race was taking place in her head, with each thought fighting to be heard over the others. As the helicopter took off, Theo felt sick and lightheaded before everything just went black.

Theo woke on a hospital bed surrounded by nurses and mumbled, "What happened?" A man’s voice replied, “You fainted on the helicopter ride here. This happens quite often with first-time fliers. How do you feel?" All she could manage was a weak "Okay," rubbing her face as she regained her strength and consciousness. As her memories returned quickly, she sprang up, "Where is my husband?"

The doctor jumped, cautiously helping her out of bed. "I'll take you to him; I'm his doctor as well." They briskly walked down the silent hallway toward Tate's room. With each step, Theo's thoughts darkened, plunging her into horrifying visions of Tate with tubes, machines, and IV bags.

Finally, they arrived at Tate's door. Slowly, the doctor opened it. Theo stepped inside to find Tate lying in bed, seemingly just asleep, with nothing hooked up to him—no tubes, machines, or IVs. There was only a pulse and blood pressure cuff hooked to him. Confused, she turned to the doctor, "What's going on?"

The doctor took her hands and gently sat her in the chair beside the bed. "We aren't sure what happened, honestly. He came in with a puncture wound to the abdomen. It should have been a quick recovery; the wound was clear of debris, and we dressed and closed it up in no time. However, his organs are deteriorating as if they're not functioning properly. Despite conducting every possible test, we haven't been able to find the cause. I'm afraid he doesn't have much time left."

Theo let out a sob, "That's just not possible! There has to be more tests you can run, more you can do!"