For some people in New York, Christmas Day means going to church or throwing a party with lots of presents and a big tree. But for Hannah and Gran, the only thing they had planned was a small home-cooked meal and two or three presents each. But before Christmas Day showed up, Gran had explained to her granddaughter that the trust fund that was inside her parents' will would cover college and that Grand-dad's will was nowhere to be found. Gran did have a lot of money stashed in her savings from the previous jobs she's had over the years, but that was to be spent wisely.
Hannah and Gran were sitting by the fireplace in the living room enjoying each other's company in the comfortable quiet. Hannah was laying flat on her back, listening to the crackling of the fire while Gran was sitting in the recliner reading a book. Hannah didn't notice when she left the room, but apparently some sort of surprise was in the works. She could hear her grandmother talking in hushed tones to a man who had knocked on the door. She let him in and moments later the man wheeled in a big package that seemed to be the same size as a crate.
"I have a surprise for you this year, Hannah," Gran said with a proud smile on her face. "I definitely think it will lift up your spirits since I know you've had it rough this past week."
The way she said that made Hannah very curious, so she rolled off her back and came towards the box. After five minutes of peeling away the tape and cardboard, the first thing she noticed is a rose colored carrying case for animals. Gran looked at her granddaughter with excitement and said, "Open up the crate, sweetie."
Hannah followed her instructions and out came a little white West Highland terrier who was roaming from one end of the room to the other. Her eyes intensely followed the dog's movements for a brief moment, then she spun around to face her grandmother and hugged her.
"Thank you SO much, Gran!" she said with a smile on her face. "This is literally the best present you've ever given me!"
After parting the hug, Gran said, "I'm so glad you like him, hun. This one was definitely worth the money, and I'd be happy to help take care of Sparky for you."
"So that's his name? It definitely suits him," Hannah said as she watched the dog dart from the couch to the coffee table.
Hannah spent the next hour or so chasing Sparky around the living room while Gran was cooking dinner in the kitchen. She hadn't felt this good in a while and was glad to finally have a companion around to keep her busy.
"Hey Gran, I'm going to head outside and take Sparky out for a walk," she called out as she headed towards the door.
Gran stepped out from the kitchen and handed Hannah her cell phone. "You might need this then so that I can let you know when dinner is ready."
"Thank you," Hannah said, smiling and hugging her grandmother one last time.
The sun was starting to set and Sparky was in the middle of marking his territory when the phone started going off. Hannah picked up on the second ring. "I need you to come back inside now," Gran said in a weary tone. Hannah was starting to think that maybe something went wrong considering the fact that they usually eat before sunset. She tugged on the leash and Sparky ran right in front of her, wagging his tail eagerly. The two of them ran home and found that Gran was kneeling on the ground with her head in her hands.
"What's the matter, Gran?" Hannah asked, suddenly getting worried.
She didn't respond right away, but she steadily got herself up from the floor. She seemed fatigued and was barely able to move from the spot she was in to the dinner table. Hannah rushed to her side and pulled up a chair so that she didn't have to walk.
"Please tell me you're okay. You're starting to worry me," Hannah said. She leaned in close her grandmother's chest to see if she was breathing okay. It seemed that she was panting instead of breathing in and out. Hannah laid two fingers on her wrist to make sure her pulse was normal. She couldn't tell, but Gran certainly seemed to be more tired than usual. Sparky was sitting on Gran's right side. He whimpered and cocked his head to the right now, wondering what was happening in this moment.
"Stay Sparky," Hannah said solemnly. She helped Gran up out of her bed and got her settled on the couch in the living room. She wasn't sure on what to do, so she called Gavin on instinct. He answered on the third ring.
"Hi Hannah. Is everything okay?" he asked.
"No. Something is wrong with Gran. She seems so frail and weak and I don't know what to do!" Hannah was frantic and was starting to get anxious. A wave of panic had swept over her and all the words spilled out. "She was fine before I left to take Sparky out on a walk and she called right as the sun was setting. I literally raced home and now she's laying down on the couch and I have no idea what has come over her. I- I need help!"
Gavin could tell that his girlfriend was panicking, so he told her that he would be on the way. He immediately rushed out of the house and got inside the car to come over to Hannah's house. Once he got there, which only took thirty minutes, he saw that Hannah was sitting on the front door steps with her head in her hands. He couldn't tell if she was crying, shaking or just felt emotionally numb, but he walked up to her anyways and put his arm around her.
Gavin decided to crash at Hannah's house for the night, but he insisted on sleeping on the couch instead of sharing a bed with her, so Hannah was alone in her bedroom feeling restless. It was going on one o'clock in the morning, and seeing that sleep wasn't going to happen any time soon, she came downstairs and sat at the right side of the couch. She looked at Gavin intently for a few minutes, then leaned in to kiss him on the cheek which made him roll over on his right side. She laid a hand on his head and then got up to check on her grandmother. She had helped to walk Gran to her bedroom moments before Gavin showed up. Now she stood in front Gran as she laid in bed, desperately hoping that she will be back to normal soon. If not, she wouldn't know what to do with herself.
Hannah went back to the living room and sat in the recliner. She took a moment to think over what was happening to Gran. Was it some kind of cardiac arrest or a minor heart attack? She was panting and finding a pulse proved to be difficult. She's not a doctor, but perhaps she could call one. They would be able to find out what was wrong. After debating the matter for five more minutes, Hannah went into the kitchen and picked up the phone. The digital clock that sat on the counter said that it was 2:00 am. Would any doctor be awake this late in the night? She then thought of someone who would be able to make the rounds.
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