Writerverse Phase 7- Challenge #15: Different Realities
Title: Different Realities
Word Count: 1096
Rating: PG-13
Original/Fandom: Original
Pairings (if any): none
Warnings (Non-Con/Dub-Con etc): Angst
Summary: Sammy's grandmother has got dementia. As her caregiver, Sammy finds it hard to navigate through this new situation and tries to keep her grandmother tethered to here and now. On the other hand, her grandmother, Ethel isn’t really convinced that what Sammy says is true.
Sammy
Make Gran's tea- check
Make Gran's breakfast- check
Choose a suitable channel with a show that doesn't have triggers- check
Okay, I've done pretty much everything. I think to myself. I then go and make my own breakfast and head to sit down on the couch next to my grandmother who is watching TV.
"Hey Gran, how is your breakfast?"
My grandmother, Ethel, turns to me smiling, "It is good, Sammy. What are you having?"
I smile back and reply, "I'm having eggs on toast. It's nice."
Granny Ethel nods, "That is good."
For the next twenty minutes we eat together in silence. Periodically, Gran makes a remark about the TV show we are watching together ("This is just rubbish", "turn down the volume-- it is too loud!").
Until there is complete silence other than the chatting of the talk show on the TV. I glance over to my gran and I see her fast asleep even if it is eight in the morning and she has only woken up. She is holding her tea mug in her hand as she sleeps.
That reminds me that I forgot to give her her morning pills. I get up leaving her still asleep and go and get them.
Ethel
I am so utterly tired. I just want to keep sleeping....
And I do until I hear a voice yelling at me.
"Gran! Wake up! You will spill your tea!"
I jump awake and open my eyes to see a young girl I recognize-- her name escapes me for a minute before it comes to me, "Sammy. Don't worry, I won't spill my tea. I'll put it on the table."
Her big brown eyes stare at me waiting for me to do something. I don't know what.
She says, "Gran, you're still holding your cup of tea in your hands. Please put it on the table so that you don't spill it on yourself."
I nod and reply, “That does sound like a good idea.” so I put the teacup on the side table next to me.
My eyes shutter close. I am so tired.
"Granny!"
I jerk awake once again. Sammy is standing in front of me holding out her hand to me and in the other, she is holding my cup of tea.
"You didn't take your pills yet, Gran. Here they are." She tells me and hands me the pills and tea.
I shake my head, "These aren’t my pills. I have already taken my morning pills." I know that I took them earlier. Just before I left to come to here-wherever here is--which reminds me I need to get back home because my mother and father are waiting for me.
I say so to Sammy who frowns with concern.
“Granny, you ARE home. This is your house, see?” She points to all the family pictures which hang on the walls and stand on the tables around the room.
I nod in agreement with her. "Yes but they are the ones that the people of this hotel put so that the place is familiar to the residents. But it isn’t where I live-- I live in Smith Avenue. Can you take me there or I can call a taxi. It is fine by me."
Sammy takes a breath and replies, "No, Granny. You don’t live in Smith Avenue anymore. You live here in Apple Grove 22, next door to us and Aunt Rose."
I shake my head, "No. I don’t live here. I live in Smith Avenue and I need to get back there because my parents are waiting for me."
With a sad wistful smile, Sammy just calmly repeats what she has said before.
Now I’m getting angry. Who is she to say that I don’t know where I live? I KNOW that I don’t live here!
I start to get up off the couch, painful as it is with my bad knee not wanting to bend like it is supposed to. The operation that I had a few years ago had been the worst decision I had ever made-it never made my knee better, it is in more pain than ever. I’m definitely not going to do another one to try and fix my knee again.
Two hands grab my sides, giving me much needed support so that I can straighten out. “Here Gran. Lemme help you.” Sammy says as she supports me.
"Where do you want to go?" She continues to ask.
"I'm going to get dressed and call a taxi if you don't want to take me back home." I promptly reply.
Her face pales but she calmly says, "Alright but how about you have a bit of a wash first?"
I shake my head, "I had a wash this morning. I am going to go and dress right now and LEAVE."
She stands there stunned before rushing out and saying, "Mom will be here in ten minutes and she will drive you there alright?"
I nod, "That is fine." I slowly make my way to a bedroom that is vaguely familiar to me with all of my furniture, clothes, and toiletries. Sammy had to show them to me and honestly I am surprised that the hotel has all my things.
Sammy
I give up! Gran just doesn't want to wash and it is getting frustrating trying to convince her of the fact that she has NOT done it no matter what she claims. But she is dressed through and not in her nightclothes so at least that is something.
"When is your mom coming?"
I turn to see my gran sitting on the couch all dressed with some of her belongings packed in a bag. I sigh and say, "She is coming in a few minutes. Gran, why did you pack those things? You are at HOME and you don't need to take them with you."
She replies crossly, "Sammy, don't tell me what to do! You're my granddaughter and not the boss of me!
I bite my lip and don't say anything else. Thank god, I had managed to sneak a phone call to my mother when my gran was busy getting dressed and she will be here in just a few minutes to help me deal with gran's confusion.
This entry was originally posted at http://pinkphoenix1985.dreamwidth.org/948661.html. Please comment there using OpenID.
Word Count: 1096
Rating: PG-13
Original/Fandom: Original
Pairings (if any): none
Warnings (Non-Con/Dub-Con etc): Angst
Summary: Sammy's grandmother has got dementia. As her caregiver, Sammy finds it hard to navigate through this new situation and tries to keep her grandmother tethered to here and now. On the other hand, her grandmother, Ethel isn’t really convinced that what Sammy says is true.
Sammy
Make Gran's tea- check
Make Gran's breakfast- check
Choose a suitable channel with a show that doesn't have triggers- check
Okay, I've done pretty much everything. I think to myself. I then go and make my own breakfast and head to sit down on the couch next to my grandmother who is watching TV.
"Hey Gran, how is your breakfast?"
My grandmother, Ethel, turns to me smiling, "It is good, Sammy. What are you having?"
I smile back and reply, "I'm having eggs on toast. It's nice."
Granny Ethel nods, "That is good."
For the next twenty minutes we eat together in silence. Periodically, Gran makes a remark about the TV show we are watching together ("This is just rubbish", "turn down the volume-- it is too loud!").
Until there is complete silence other than the chatting of the talk show on the TV. I glance over to my gran and I see her fast asleep even if it is eight in the morning and she has only woken up. She is holding her tea mug in her hand as she sleeps.
That reminds me that I forgot to give her her morning pills. I get up leaving her still asleep and go and get them.
Ethel
I am so utterly tired. I just want to keep sleeping....
And I do until I hear a voice yelling at me.
"Gran! Wake up! You will spill your tea!"
I jump awake and open my eyes to see a young girl I recognize-- her name escapes me for a minute before it comes to me, "Sammy. Don't worry, I won't spill my tea. I'll put it on the table."
Her big brown eyes stare at me waiting for me to do something. I don't know what.
She says, "Gran, you're still holding your cup of tea in your hands. Please put it on the table so that you don't spill it on yourself."
I nod and reply, “That does sound like a good idea.” so I put the teacup on the side table next to me.
My eyes shutter close. I am so tired.
"Granny!"
I jerk awake once again. Sammy is standing in front of me holding out her hand to me and in the other, she is holding my cup of tea.
"You didn't take your pills yet, Gran. Here they are." She tells me and hands me the pills and tea.
I shake my head, "These aren’t my pills. I have already taken my morning pills." I know that I took them earlier. Just before I left to come to here-wherever here is--which reminds me I need to get back home because my mother and father are waiting for me.
I say so to Sammy who frowns with concern.
“Granny, you ARE home. This is your house, see?” She points to all the family pictures which hang on the walls and stand on the tables around the room.
I nod in agreement with her. "Yes but they are the ones that the people of this hotel put so that the place is familiar to the residents. But it isn’t where I live-- I live in Smith Avenue. Can you take me there or I can call a taxi. It is fine by me."
Sammy takes a breath and replies, "No, Granny. You don’t live in Smith Avenue anymore. You live here in Apple Grove 22, next door to us and Aunt Rose."
I shake my head, "No. I don’t live here. I live in Smith Avenue and I need to get back there because my parents are waiting for me."
With a sad wistful smile, Sammy just calmly repeats what she has said before.
Now I’m getting angry. Who is she to say that I don’t know where I live? I KNOW that I don’t live here!
I start to get up off the couch, painful as it is with my bad knee not wanting to bend like it is supposed to. The operation that I had a few years ago had been the worst decision I had ever made-it never made my knee better, it is in more pain than ever. I’m definitely not going to do another one to try and fix my knee again.
Two hands grab my sides, giving me much needed support so that I can straighten out. “Here Gran. Lemme help you.” Sammy says as she supports me.
"Where do you want to go?" She continues to ask.
"I'm going to get dressed and call a taxi if you don't want to take me back home." I promptly reply.
Her face pales but she calmly says, "Alright but how about you have a bit of a wash first?"
I shake my head, "I had a wash this morning. I am going to go and dress right now and LEAVE."
She stands there stunned before rushing out and saying, "Mom will be here in ten minutes and she will drive you there alright?"
I nod, "That is fine." I slowly make my way to a bedroom that is vaguely familiar to me with all of my furniture, clothes, and toiletries. Sammy had to show them to me and honestly I am surprised that the hotel has all my things.
Sammy
I give up! Gran just doesn't want to wash and it is getting frustrating trying to convince her of the fact that she has NOT done it no matter what she claims. But she is dressed through and not in her nightclothes so at least that is something.
"When is your mom coming?"
I turn to see my gran sitting on the couch all dressed with some of her belongings packed in a bag. I sigh and say, "She is coming in a few minutes. Gran, why did you pack those things? You are at HOME and you don't need to take them with you."
She replies crossly, "Sammy, don't tell me what to do! You're my granddaughter and not the boss of me!
I bite my lip and don't say anything else. Thank god, I had managed to sneak a phone call to my mother when my gran was busy getting dressed and she will be here in just a few minutes to help me deal with gran's confusion.
This entry was originally posted at http://pinkphoenix1985.dreamwidth.org/948661.html. Please comment there using OpenID.