TM 326: "Mourning is just extended self-pity."
Those gathered at the funeral - there was, in fact, a respectable amount of attendees, if just barely, a testament to the respect if not regard, that Nathaniel Crane and his daughter had inspired in their neighbors and co-workers - agreed that the remaining family members were holding up well. Not that anyone expected hysterics, as the Cranes tended towards reserve. Ilse Crane had been a widow for nearly ten years, and had now outlived her stepdaughter as well as her husband. She stood, dry-eyed, at the graveside, next to the dead woman's son. There were no tears from the boy, either; Jonathan Crane, seventeen and already in medical school, watched impassively as his mother's casket descend into the earth.
The pair of them waited next to each other as if they observed an uninteresting play worth little note, accepting condolences muttered afterward with nothing more effusive than a silent nod. They left just as quietly.
For someone who'd just buried his mother, Jonathan seemed relatively undisturbed. For someone who'd just euthanized his mother, he was quite calm. Her condition had deteriorated to an unacceptable level - soon enough, her care would have interfered with his schoolwork. Had she been rational, she'd have agreed with the diagnosis - but her insanity was exactly the reason for the decision. She was no more than a shrieking, incoherent thing, in a constant state of panic, terrified of everything around her. It was no longer enough to sedate her or leave her in restraints, tied to her bed. Honestly, he hadn't had much use for her when she was well, so sentiment played no part in his decision. It was simply time, and it never occurred to him to waste extra effort feeling sorry for her or for himself.
The pair of them waited next to each other as if they observed an uninteresting play worth little note, accepting condolences muttered afterward with nothing more effusive than a silent nod. They left just as quietly.
For someone who'd just buried his mother, Jonathan seemed relatively undisturbed. For someone who'd just euthanized his mother, he was quite calm. Her condition had deteriorated to an unacceptable level - soon enough, her care would have interfered with his schoolwork. Had she been rational, she'd have agreed with the diagnosis - but her insanity was exactly the reason for the decision. She was no more than a shrieking, incoherent thing, in a constant state of panic, terrified of everything around her. It was no longer enough to sedate her or leave her in restraints, tied to her bed. Honestly, he hadn't had much use for her when she was well, so sentiment played no part in his decision. It was simply time, and it never occurred to him to waste extra effort feeling sorry for her or for himself.