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The Bedroom Visitor

Harry and Elizabeth were a close couple. Nearly 80 years old,Elizabeth was in hospital suffering from terminal cancer and convinced that she would die on her birthday, which was Christ mas Day. She had always said that this would be the case.

Sadly, three weeks before Christmas Harry also became ill and had to be admitted to another hospital nearby. When Elizabeth’s family visited her they decided not to tell her about her husband’s illness as it would only distress her further. Elizabeth knew that in any case Harry could not visit her at the hospital as he was too weak, even before his illness; there was no point in adding to her distress. But it made it all the harder that Elizabeth always asked about her husband. While visiting Harry at his hospital the family also agreed not to tell him how ill his wife was and not to tell him that she would not be coming home. He would often ask how she was doing and when she would be returning home.

A week before Christmas Harry died and the family kept this from Elizabeth also. They were certain that it would be unkind to tell her. But from that time on the family were surprised to discover that Elizabeth never asked about her husband, in spite of always having done so before, and the thought crossed their minds that perhaps, at some level, Elizabeth knew that her husband had died. On Christmas Day the family visited Elizabeth and had to follow through their lies about her husband; indeed they said that they would be going to see him shortly after they left her (which was only partly a lie as they would be visiting his grave). Elizabeth said nothing though smiled weakly before falling asleep. Later that day the news reached the family that Elizabeth had died in her sleep, exactly as she had always predicted, on her birthday, When the family returned to the hospital to make the funeral arrangements they spoke to the ward sister with whom they had become very close over the weeks. Elizabeth’s daughter told her that she bitterly regretted the fact that Elizabeth’s husband had not been able to visit her at the hospital to comfort her. However, the ward sister assured them that Elizabeth’s husband Harry had indeed visited her shortly before she died; the family thought this a lie in the worst possible taste.

The sister only then learned of Harry’s death, but she was certain that he had come in every day of the past week to see his wife. She could not be mistaken as Elizabeth proudly showed everyone Harry’s photograph which was by her bedside all the time. Not only did the sister see Harry but several of the other nurses did too. Even the ward doctor had put off his examination of Elizabeth until Harry had gone, recognising that she was with her husband. America | America | Bristol | Devon | Dorset | London | London | New Zealand | Newcastle-upon-Tyne | USA |