The Other Side Ch 2

When Natasha opened her eyes she took in the hospital room.  She had been awakened by a Nurse changing her IV bag.  When he noticed that she was awake he smiled. “You’re going to be fine.”

“What about my baby,” she asked as she nervously ran her hand over her stomach.

“He’s fine too.”

“Is my husband out side?” The nervous look the nurse gave her sent dread flooding though her she felt like she had missed a step.  Then she remembered the smoking plane on TV.  “My husband was in a plane crash do you know if he is ok?” 

The nurse just looked at her but; it was another voice that answered her.  It was a voice that had always brought her comfort but now it brought her confusion and dread.  “Nat my Dear Matt is on the other side.”  A little gray haired lady was standing in the door way.  She was in a denim skirt that reached her knees and a brown coat just like she had every time Natasha had gotten off of the bus when she was a kid. 

Tears filled her eyes as that truth of the matter hit her.  She was immediately back to being that little kid that just wanted a hug from the old lady.  “Oh Auntie Irene,” she reached for her aunt as Irene put her purse down and sat down on the bed.  Irene pulled Natasha in to a hug that was stronger then what you would think a little old lady could do.  “But, how?”

“I knew you would need me now.  The rest we will get to later.”

***

Matt opened his eyes and looked around the airport lounge that they had taken all the passengers from flight 3726.  Over the hours the room had cleared as the others had gotten new flights.  His brother Mike walked across the room with a somber expression on his face.  “Why do you and Natasha always say I’ll see you on the other side?”

“Because even death can’t separate us we’ll see each other on the other side of the gate.  Why?”

“How do you know which side of the gate you are on?”

“You have to die to be on the other side.  That’s how you know which side you’re on. Why?”  Matt was getting annoyed by his little brother.

“Well, Matt I have some bad news for you.  One of you is one each side of the gate.  Care to pick which side you’re on?”

The other side. Ch 1

I have desided to name ther story I put up eariler The Other Side.  I made some changes to CH 1 so I am going to repost it. The changes were needed becase I was half asleep when I wrote it and I left out a key point.  I realy hope some one is reading this and likes it.

If she had known this was the last time she would ever see him.  She would have dragged him back to bed and made passionate love one last time.  On second thought she would have just chained him to the bed and saved them both form the pain ahead.  But, she didn't know that so she just looked at her husband, though the mirror, in his dress slacks and buttoned-down shirt.  His shirt had the top three buttons still unbuttoned and his tie was just hanging lose.  The fabric in the sleeves strained against his bunching muscles as he finished buttoning his shirt.  His electric blue eyes locked with hers in the mirror. 

“I though you were getting ready?” 

“I was but I got distracted by something.”

In a just few strides his long legs carried him across the room he crouched behind her and pulled her into his arms as he rested his chin on her shoulder with their eyes still locked in the mirror.  “Well we don’t have time for your “distracted by something” I need to get to the airport.  You’ll just have to hold on to that thought for the next few days.”

She put the final pin into the scarf covering her hair before putting her hands on his muscled arms. 

Matt smiled sadly knowing that the head scarf meant she was off to see her Muslim friends the Ammars even though she wasn’t Muslim herself she respected their traditions when she visited them.  “There’s nothing I can say to get you to give this up, is there?”

“No.  But, I promise this is the last time until after the baby comes.”  His hand moved down to her still flat stomach.  “The only way we are going to end all the hate that was born on Nine Eleven, is to understand the difference between normal Muslims and the ones who twist religion.  My documentary is already done I just wanted to spend one last day with the Ammars they have helped me in the Muslim community so much.”

“I know, just be safe.” He loosened his grip as she turned on the stool to face him.

“I love you.”

“I love you too.”  When his lips touched hers they both felt the heat and electricity that surge though their bodies.  He slid his arms under her knees as she wraps her arms around his shoulders and neck.  His picked her up and held her close he loved his job as a sports broadcaster but, he hated that it took him away from her.  He gently put her down on her own two feet.  “I am going to stop by your parent’s house while I am in Green Bay.”

“Ok. What is your flight number again?”

“3726”

“You got your good luck charm?”

Matt held up his wrist showing off a bracelet of her braided hair, just like you have yours.  She shook her wrist that had his hair braided on it. 

“Call me when you land.”  She was stroking his long blond hair.  They both didn’t want to leave but they also knew it was time to go.

“Always.  I’ll see you on the other side of it.”  It was their unspoken rule that they never said goodbye.  He gave her a quick kiss and then let go and grabbed his overnight bag and walked to the door before he decided to just stay.

*3 hours latter*

Natasha walked and laughed with Abir and her daughter Rasha as they walked back to the store that the Ammars owned.  When Natasha noticed the TV was off she pointed it out to Naji.  “Come on Naji we always watch the noon news together.  She went behind the counter and moved the chair over so she could stand on it to reach the TV.  As the screened flickered on her heart stopped.

There was a plane on a tarmac with dark billowing smoke coming form it.  The ticker at the bottom of the screen was scrolling “American Airlines flight 3726 crashes in Detroit.  Several presumed Dead.” Tears instantly welled up in her eyes and her hand covered her mouth and pain erupted though her body she fell as an overwhelming feeling of dread consumed her she fell back and hit her head on the colored tiles and for a long time that is all she knew.  

A long day.

When you work third shift you have to sleep during the day.  It sounds like common sence but not all people get it.  My husband is one of them.  I settled in to go to sleep and he has to ask me a question every five minuets for two hours.  After he left I got one hour of sleep before I was awaken by our black cat, Panther.
In her mouth was the end of the toliet paper and all over our studio apartmen is an unrolled roll of toliet paper.  Try cleaning that up when every move you make ends with a 9LB cat jumping on your hands and feet.  I love how she looked up at me like "I was playing with that."