The Girl in the Terminal Ward

Mommy technically wasn’t allowed to visit, but as long as daddy didn’t know, it was okay. Seeing her again almost made Katherine forget the harsh hospital smell and all the tubes keeping her alive.

“Maybe if you promise to take your medicine, you can come live with us again,” Kathy said.

Mommy laughed sadly. “Maybe, sweetheart, maybe.”

Soon Kathy’s condition worsened.

One night, after Kathy fell asleep with a cherubic smile on her otherwise skeletal face, Mommy stayed behind, weeping.

“Ma’am?” the nurse asked.

Mommy pulled out a gun. “Unplug her now, while she’s happy. She’ll never know pain again.”