The small blue phone rumbled loudly against the dresser. Charlotte snatched it quickly to her ear and was sat upright straight away. She had been expecting news.
"Hello, is that Mrs. Thompson?"
"Speaking."
"Err, hello Mrs. Thompson this is Nurse Bayliss from the hospital. . ." Silence filled the room. fter a long pause Charlotte spoke again with a shaken cracked voice.
"What's happened?"
"The. The doctor says the medication has been rejected and hav-"
"For the love of god what's happened!" she had cut her off mid flow.
". . .She's been given an hour or two to live Mrs. Thompson."
"I'll be there in half an hour." She slammed the phone down on to the dresser and leapt out of bed.
The drive to the hospital was the longest it had ever been. The suphuric streetlights danced with the rain drops on the window causing a nostalgic aura. Charlotte stared ahead, watching her world pass her. She shakily moved her hand to the radio for a distraction. Katy, her beautiful daughter's Cd was in. Taylor Swift, The Best Day came singing out of the radio. Charlotte turned it off within seconds. Her fingers gripped tightly against the wheel, her knuckles whitening from the pressure. A sign for the Northern General hospital was up ahead. It was nearly time.
Charlotte was sprinting to the ward, up the three flights of stairs and to the nurses station. The nurse noted that she'd arrived and gestured her to her mothers bed.
"Hey mum."
"Hey baby girl." Charlotte looked upon the withered old woman and recalled a much happier time, when she had long red hair which she was adament was strawberry blonde. To when she used to run every other day. The woman she now saw was dancing with death, and the song was nearly over.
"How is Dannyl?"
Oh he's fine mum."
"Katy, Cleo and Zac?"
"Yes mum, they're all great and all wishing you well."
"Good. Good." She coughed horribly spluttering blood onto the hospital sheets. Charlottes face became damp with tears.
"Nothing to worry about sweet." Her mothers smile had remained the same. Kind and welcoming.
"Charlotte, can you remember when you were eleven years old and you were about to start secondary school?"
"Yes, of course I can mum." She was now truly crying, tears slid down her white face and dripped into her lap.
"And what did I tell you on the first day?"
"That what will happen, will happen and there's no point fretting over it."
"that's right. Remember that baby girl. Remember that."She lifted her right hand and offered it to charlotte. She cupped it and lowered it to the bed, holding it tight.
"I love you Char."
"I love you to mummy."
"You only ever called me mummy when you wanted something. What d'ya want?"
"For you not to go."
"Sorry my sweet little baby." She slowly lifted Charlottes hands to her lips and gave her the last kiss. She put their hands back and slowly closed her eyes.
"No. No mum don't!" She implored. But it was too late; she was dead.

