On a day like any other , a man named Alexander Hamilton walked through the crowded streets of Manhattan with purpose in his stride. He was dressed casually for the occasion but still exuded an aura of authority and power. His face showed signs of tiredness yet he still held the air of a man who knew the importance of sleep and how to get it whenever the need arose. He had been working for over thirty four hours straight without pause and he felt every one of them burn like hot lead in his bones.
The sun shone warmly on his skin, providing the only comfort he had found during the last twelve hours. As a man with a love of sunshine and all things green, this particular day always brought him joy. In fact he couldn't remember a single other time when he had seen the sky so clear or the trees look like they were made of spun gold.
It was a nice sight. The sort that would have been worth stopping by the park in order to enjoy it better. However, there was something else which drew him away from that spot and toward another place instead. Something important.
After leaving a small boutique, Alexander turned onto a street lined with large apartment buildings that stood high above the ground. He passed by people of different races who all looked at him with curiosity as he walked past. Some whispered behind their hands as they watched him leave; others glared at him but remained silent. Most seemed content with not talking at all. It wasn't their business anyway.
Alexander had already lost count of how many times this morning he had been told this. Yet he continued forward nonetheless. For today was special, he was here because his mother was going through chemotherapy, he was going to visit her today after his meeting with his father.
There were two reasons for that. One, to support his mother. She had been diagnosed with cancer about a year ago and her treatment had been going rather well. Her doctors weren't sure if she would make it much longer so his father, John was taking it hard. He hadn't left the house in weeks, barely ate or slept. He just kept looking at his phone waiting for news of her health to change.
Two, he was here for himself. He didn't want her to spend any more time alone than necessary. While he wanted her to be able to see him again soon after receiving the devastating news, he also wished that he could be there for her while she was battling the worst disease known to mankind.
As he arrived at the building where the hospital resided, he took a deep breath before pushing open the door. His eyes scanned across the hall to the room that he knew belonged to his mother. On his way to her room, his gaze caught sight of his own reflection and he saw himself in the mirror. Not much had changed since the last time he had visited his mother. He didn't think his appearance was too drastic compared to what he usually wore, although he did notice a few new wrinkles near the corners of his eyes that no one really noticed unless you looked very closely.
Upon entering his mothers room, Alex saw her sitting upright on the bed and reading a book to herself. It was some mystery novel with a red cover. His mother liked mysteries; she loved mysteries as a child. It had been years since he had read the story but she had insisted that he take it as a gift when he moved out. Even though he lived in another city now and often worked long hours, he never forgot about her and her desire for him to follow her example. That is, if he ever got around to writing.
He approached the bed and kissed his mom gently on the cheek before sitting down next to her. "Hey mum." He said quietly.
She looked up from her book and smiled brightly, her eyes brightening almost instantly. "Alexander!" Her voice was scratchy and slightly hoarse but sounded happy nonetheless. "I thought I would never see you again! What are you doing here? You haven't visited me in a few weeks."
"I know, but I am sorry." He apologized softly, holding back tears at his mothers reaction. "Things have been crazy around here. Things are really tense now. I can't stay away anymore."
His mother nodded understandingly and placed her hand on top of his. "That makes sense sweetheart. But I'm glad you came. I missed you." She said smiling weakly, her expression showing the fatigue she must have experienced earlier. "How was work?"
Alex sighed, trying to hold back the tears that were threatening to spill. His heart hurt at the question. He missed his parents desperately but knew that it wasn't fair to ask them to come visit when they were dealing with everything. So instead, he chose to lie. "Oh same old same old. It doesn't matter anyways. All that matters is seeing you now." He gave her a smile and hoped it would help calm her down a little bit.
His mother returned his smile and placed her free hand over his own. "You're right Alexander. All that matters is that I'll finally see my baby boy again. And I know we don't talk much anymore but I hope you know that I love you so much."
For once in his life, Alexander's mind went blank. He felt like he should be saying something, anything to assure his mum that he loved her back. But his mouth was glued shut and he struggled to find words to say. Instead, he leaned closer and hugged his mother, resting his chin on the top of her head.
He stayed like that for several minutes until both his arms grew numb. He released his hug and took a seat beside his mum on the bed. He reached out and brushed a loose strand of hair away from her face. "Mum, you've been doing so well. Your chemo hasn't been too bad has it? Do your exercises everyday." He asked anxiously.
"Of course. They are the best thing about getting sick." His mother smiled reassuringly at him. "You wouldn't believe the amount of progress I've made. If it weren't for your visits I doubt I would have made it at all!"
"Well you're making incredible progress." Alexander smiled back. "And now I know you can survive even when I'm not here."
They shared a laugh together before his mother sighed and spoke again. "Alexander…" She began hesitantly. "I have something for you."
Alex furrowed his brows in confusion. "For me? Why? What's the occasion?"
"No reason." His mum replied, shaking her head. "I just thought you might enjoy it. I don't want you to feel sad if I suddenly pass away ."
Alexander swallowed thickly and opened his mouth to protest but closed it again. "Okay." He agreed reluctantly. "But you have to promise me you won't do anything stupid okay?"
"I promise." His mother smiled again and gave him a wink before turning back to her book.
Alex watched his mother for a moment before leaning back and closing his eyes. His chest was starting to ache again, the pain of sadness overwhelming him. He took a deep breath, willing himself to stop the tears before they started flowing freely. He couldn't afford to break down now. He had to keep the strength within him for his mother's sake. He needed to be strong for her. He needed to make sure she could continue on as she normally does.
~~~~~~
A few days later Alexander was seated in his office, staring out the window in thought. After an exhausting week of meetings, he finally had a minute to rest.
It was early evening and he was exhausted. As much as he hated to admit it, he knew he had become incredibly stressed lately. There had been so many things happening that had taken up most of his attention.
Today though, he had been able to catch an hour of sleep. He was broken from his musings by a phone call .
"Hello?" He answered tiredly.
"Dr. Hamilton, hello. This is Doctor Jameson." The man spoke sadly, clearly concerned. "It's about your mother. She collapsed during her chemotherapy session today."
He clenched his jaw and sat up straight in his chair. "What happened? How bad was it?"
The doctor hesitated for a moment before answering. "It was pretty bad." He paused again. "The prognosis isn't good. In fact she may not make it through the night. We need to get you home soon."
Alex felt the air leaving his lungs and he gripped the side of the desk tightly. "Why didn't anybody call me sooner?" He muttered angrily.
"Because we didn't expect this to happen so quickly. We tried calling you numerous times." Jameson explained.
"I'll be there immediately. I'll leave now. I'm already packed. Where is she?"
"We sent her back to her room so that she could be monitored. but we don't know how much longer she has."
"Thank you. I'll see you soon." He hung up without waiting for a reply.
He turned around and began collecting his stuff. He grabbed his keys and headed towards his car, throwing everything into a single bag. He jumped in the drivers seat and drove as fast as he could towards the hospital the next town over.
~~~~~
By the time Alex pulled into the parking lot of the hospital, the sun was setting and the sky was painted a beautiful orange hue. He parked his car close to the entrance and hurried inside the building as fast as he could, his breathing heavy and his legs unable to carry his weight. His heart pounded hard against his ribcage and he struggled to catch his breath while walking through the hallway. He finally arrived at the elevator and pressed the button to go up. His stomach felt uneasy as the floor descended slowly until the doors slid open and he stepped out onto the floor where the hospital's patient rooms were located.
He walked quickly toward his mom's room and pushed open the door. The room was dark and quiet. He saw a figure lying on the bed and his heart stopped beating completely. He rushed forward and fell to his knees by his moms bedside, his hands reaching out to lay upon hers. His eyes searched hers frantically searching for any sign of consciousness. There was none. He held her cold hand between both of his, stroking it gently as tears started streaming down his cheeks, his voice breaking slightly. "Please wake up. Please tell me what happened? Are you alright? Tell me what to do."
~~~~
It's been almost six months since his mother passed away. Six long, painful months that have been full of grief and pain. He had no idea what he did wrong or how to fix everything that had gone wrong.
Alex hadn't gotten a wink of sleep. He spent more time sitting on his bed than actually sleeping. He kept waking up from nightmares where he saw his mother dying in front of him. Everytime he woke up he was filled with anxiety for the future and fear of the past.
It hurt.