Missing out - Short Fiction Story

Jane tried to enter the apartment as quiet as she could, so she wouldn't wake up her fiance. But like always when you are trying to be silent, everything is much more louder. She finished another 12 hour shift for the third time this week, under a constant threat that she is getting fired.

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Bad door lock made that rusty sound, and it was just too much for already worn down Jane, and she couldn't control her self any more and cursed in whisper. Whisper was loud enough to wake up Tom who just smiled and made room in the bed for Jane, leaving her the "warmed up side". But she was in such a bad mood that she couldn't see that as a gesture of love, it only woke up more guilt in her. Guilt that is haunting her for years, and the same one that her mother amplified with a single phone call that day, now is burning a whole in her chest.

She petted the cat in the hallway, it was the only creature that she felt like didn't judge her for the lack of time. She filled up her food bowl, and went to the bathroom.

Cold shower didn't help her like she thought it would. Her mind was buzzing like a swarm of angry bees and Jane started regretting every missed moment because of her work. All the birthdays, dinners, small delights, her family, fiance and friend who were in the background of her career. She always justified her self by telling it's only for 6 more months, and three years have passed since then.

She shut her eyes as hard as she could, turned the shower to hot, and allowed the water to go down her face until she was out of breath. Then she stepped away from the shower and opened her eyes, but it was too blurry to see anything. She rubbed her eyes, but the picture remain unclear. She got out of the shower, and opened the window to let the steam out, and while she was putting on the bathrobe hanging on the door, she could swear that some sobbing sound is coming from the the living room. That confused her more than the blurry vision, so she rushed to open the door and find out what is going on.
When she opened the door it took her a second to realize that it was day time.

"How long was I in that shower?" She wondered.. Her confusion was interrupted with, now clear, voice from the living room. "Mother?! That is not possible!"

She moved even faster to the room, and stood petrified at the door. They were all here, mother, father, Tom even the cat. She stood at the door speechless, waiting for an explanation.

Tom said: "No, I can't do that, don't ask me again.."

Mother started crying. Pure shock stopped Jane and she couldn't even move, let alone hug her like she usually would. But she managed to whisper: "What is going on?"

No answer..

Mother said crying : "My baby has suffered long enough, two years is too long, it's time to let her go" the word got stuck in her throat, and tears started falling down her cheeks.

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Jane raised her voice and screamed: "Mom, what is going on?!"
Still no answer, just tears and heavy breathing.

Confused and shocked Jane stumbled on her way to the bathroom mirror, convinced that she is hallucinating it all and trying to calm her mind. Reflection in the mirror was unusually pale and thin, she almost didn't recognize her self. The panic grew even bigger.
"This is not happening, you are dreaming, wake up" she yelled at the mirror.

In that moment the cat walked in the bathroom, looked her in the eyes and meowed like she always does when she comes home. That strangely calmed her. Finally some sign of normality. Tom followed the cat, picked her up and said: "You know she isn't here any more.."

Jane tried to tell Tom that something is wrong, but he just turned away and left the bathroom.
She knew she needed help, and ran out of the apartment and to the near by hospital where her best friend worked as a doctor. No one stopped her as she rushed through the hospital, every one knew her there. She needed an explanation, and she knew Mia wouldn't keep any secrets from her. After looking around the hospital for what seamed like forever, she finally found her in on of the rooms, by some patients bed filling charts and crying.

"She always gets too attached to her patients" Jane thought.

When Mia took just one step Jane could see the patient now, and she screamed in horror:
The patient was her, Jane, on life support!
"No!" - She screamed
"That is not true, that is not fair! I didn't have time for my life, and now it's gone!"

All air went out of her lungs, her insides were moving, just like when the plain picks up, and she felt sick.

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The sense of falling without a parachute was interrupted:
"Jane, wake up, you have a nightmare" - Tom hugged her.
"I quit" - said Jane still having trouble breathing..