Evelyn’s nerves stiffened when the phone rang. George was already fifteen minutes late to get home from work. Was he going to stay away another couple hours? She hoped not. The sun was already setting.
She picked up the phone. “Hello?”
“Yes, is this Mrs. Evelyn Mullner, wife of Mr. George Mullner?” A voice that did not belong to her husband asked. Her heart missed a beat.
“This is she.” She barely spoke above a whisper.
“This is Mr. Harris, George Mullner’s manager at the coal mining company. I’m sorry to say that there has been an accident, and George was crushed under some rubble. He’s just been air-lifted to the hospital in Zuzu City.”
The handset fell from her hand, and its coiled cord pulled the rest of the phone from the table, it all clattering onto the floor into a loud heap. Evelyn still felt as if she were in a daze when she leaned over to pick the phone back up.
“Are you still there, Mrs. Mullner?”
“Yes, I am.”
“In a few days I’ll make arrangements for you to receive the worker’s compensation pay. In the meantime, you’re welcome to visit your husband and pray for his recovery.”
“Thank you, Mr. Harris.”
She hung up the phone.
“Mom?” Clara, barely a teenager, called from her room. She wore pajamas and her chestnut brown hair was done up in blue ribbons.
“What happened? Is Dad coming home?”
“Not tonight, sweetie.” Evelyn muttered. “Just a little trouble with work. Go to bed. You have school in the morning.”
“Okay. Good night.” Evelyn could sense the disappointment in her daughter’s voice, but now wasn’t the time to address it. She grabbed her purse and hopped into her car, and made her journey to Zuzu City.
It did not seem like long before she made it to the hospital. Quickly she made her way to the front desk.
“Excuse me,” she addressed the secretary. “My husband just got admitted into this hospital. Would you be so kind as to tell where his room is?”
“Sure thing, ma’am. What is his name?”
“Mullner. George Mullner.”
“George Mullner… and what is your name and relation to him?”
“My name is Evelyn Mullner, and I’m his wife.”
The secretary nodded as she typed into the computer. The next couple minutes felt arduous to endure. Finally, the secretary addressed her again.
“Ah, here he is.” She said almost triumphantly. Then her face fell. “Oh.”
“Oh?”
“Recorded time of death: 10:07 PM.”
That was only four minutes ago. Evelyn’s heart sank and her eyes began to water. “No, no…” This couldn’t be happening. Not now. No.
Suddenly, her eyes flew open.
She was laying in her own bed, thirty years after George’s accident. Her husband lay beside her, sleeping soundly, an occasional snore breaking the silence.
Of course, it meant he was still alive. Still with her.
Evelyn breathed a deep sigh of relief. Not that nightmare again. At least it wasn’t the version where she drives to the hospital but instead arrives at a funeral home, George’s body already prepared in its casket.
Much of the events surrounding the accident happened as it appeared in the first half of the nightmare. There was much concern among the doctors that George wouldn’t make it. But weeks later, George left the hospital alive, the only permanent damage inflicted on him was his inability to walk again. Even so, Evelyn considered her husband’s survival a miracle, even if he found it more difficult to be optimistic about it. He kept blaming himself for the accident, which did a worse number on him.
She rested her hand on George’s free hand. Even in his sleep, he would give her hand a squeeze. She squeezed back and smiled some, the memory of the dream nearly faded away. For another ten minutes, she watched her dear husband sleep, the steady rise and fall of his chest as he breathed comfortably. Sometimes, she could forget just how irreparably the accident damaged him as he lay asleep beside her.
Clara was no longer with them, unfortunately. Clara’s son Alex, however, was with them now. He took what used to be his mother’s room next door, and he too was sound asleep. Evelyn listened to the sound of George’s breathing as she slowly drifted to sleep once more. Her family was as together as Yoba could make so at this time and place, and that was enough for her.
And maybe, she thought sleepily, if she was lucky tonight, Yoba would make it up to her with a pleasant dream of the four of them together: George standing, running and playing gridball with Alex, the dog Dusty barking and running excitedly around them, Clara humming beside her as they worked in their flower garden. Evelyn could almost imagine the scent of baking cookies wafting through the air, and the smiles and laughter of that world she always longed for.
Hi hi ! Sorry about no headcanons, but I have art :’)
I gave Alex a mullet cause I thought it would be hot ,, and I was right ! Also he’s trans.
I posted this on my main account @spookytenko too! It’ll be on my Instagram later, which is just @/emeroonie :) !
Anyways I should have something out within the week! My last week of school is about halfway over and then it’s winter break so I’ll have plenty of time.
