A Family Affair

I regret to inform you that your son has passed away.

    Phone's ringing. What time is it?
    3:00 am. Who the hell's calling at 3:00 am?
    "Hello?"
    "Mr. Krenshaw? "
    "This is he."
    "Mr. Krenshaw, my name is Dr. Sanders. I work at the recovery center your son is residing in. I regret to inform you that he has passed away."
    "What�"?"
    "I’m so sorry for your loss. I'll call you tomorrow with details, goodbye."
    The line dies. Dial tone.
    I lie back beside Martha. I move to touch her shoulder but stop myself.
    I’ll tell her tomorrow. Somehow.
    Oh God, Sam, what did you do?

***

    The walls are completely white.
    No posters. No paintings. No color.
    The coroner pulls back the sheet.
    "Is this your son?"
    Martha's screaming. Sobbing and shaking.
    The first thing through my mind is that my son is blue.
    His face. His chest. The veins in his arms and legs.
    Blue.
    "Yes, that's Sam. That's my son."

***

    "Well, Mr. Krenshaw, it appears that your son suffered from an overdose of the medication we were using to wane him off his heroin addiction."
    "You're telling me my son died from an overdose of a drug you were using in order to prevent him from overdosing on another drug?"
    "That's correct."
    My fists shake.
    "How long was he like this?"
    "I'm sorry?"
    "I want to know how long my son lay choking on his own vomit until one of your caretakers decided to stroll in."
    "Sir, I want you to know that I had no way of observing your son�""
    "Tell me who was."

***

    Martha's at my side. She hides her face.
    The man is about Sam's age. He doesn't smile as we enter.
    "Mr. Krpec, Mrs. Krpec."
    "Mr. Stone."
    "I want you to know that Sam was a good friend. Whatever happened, I'm sure it was an accident."
    "Just tell me what happened to him."
    His eyes are red.
    "I was watching him."
    "I know."
    "He told me to leave. He wanted privacy. We respect our guest's privacy."
    "Did he say anything?"
    "No."
    "Did he seem distant? Upset?"
    "No."
    "Anything at all?"
    "Mr. Krenshaw, please."
    "I need to know something."
    He's shaking. We both are.
    "Mr. Krenshaw, please leave, there’s nothing to be gained"
    "I'm not done here."
    "Leave now."
    "What happened to my son?"
    He stands, accidentally knocking the metal stool to the ground.
    "Get out."
    "What happened to my boy?"
    "Get out."
    There were tears in his eyes.
    I shut the door as I exit.

***

    Martha stands across the room. I'm at the dinner table.
    Letters of information spill across the floor and tabletop.
    She breaks my concentration.
    "Stop this."
    "I can't."
    "Stop!"
    I glance in her direction for a moment, then turn back to my work.
    Her hair is tussled. She shakes with pain and frustration.
    "Our son is dead! He's dead!"
    "You think I don't realize that? You think I don't know?"
    "I think you're looking for a way to hide from it all."
    "There have been so many cases filed against this place�""
    "Carl, it's not their fault."
    "They should have been watching our son!"
    "It's not their fault. They didn't make Sam take the pills, didn't make him use needles. It's not their fault. Why do you suddenly care so much?"
    I turn to face her.
    "What is that supposed to mean?"
    "Everything. When did you ever tell our boy you loved him? When's the last time you told me you loved me? Why do you care so much now?"
    "I loved that boy!"
    "Then why did you never show it? All the times you could have shown your love for him, for me."
    "Martha, stop this."
    "Answer me!"
    I slam my fist into the desk. Papers fly up and drift to the ground below.
    "Because...because I was afraid."
    "Afraid? Afraid of what?"
    "I can’t explain it. It’s like I was terrified. Afraid that if I grew too close to Sam, too near to anyone, that they’d be taken from me."
    "And yet our son is still gone."
    "I know."
    I want to weep, but my eyes are dry.
    "Sam deserved better."
    "He did, but this is what he got."
    "He deserved so much better."
    Martha heads towards the bedroom.
    She glances back.
    "Maybe his death was not an accident. You have to consider it, even I have, that maybe this was not their fault. Either way, there was nothing we could do."

***

    "Dad?"
    "Yes, Samuel?"
    "Want to play catch?"
    "Not right now, I'm busy working."
    "Then a little later?"
    "Maybe. We'll see."
    "Dad?"
    "Yes?
    "I love you."
    "I know...go outside and play. I'll be out when I'm finished. Just be patient."

Reviews

[Longing for Home]

I received a phone call from the Inhouse Psychiatrist at the inpatient mental health facility two summers ago saying that my son was being transported to the emergency room after being resucitated from a heroin overdose of pills that another patient had given to him.....I've received that kind of phone call more times than I care to count. And sometimes I wonder, how many of them were "accidents"?

Very good, very true to form. Very realistic.

Regards,

April

[Pj]

A very powerful and moving piece...
Thank you so much for taking the time and sharing

[Elana Juli Royson]

It's hard to lose a member of a family whether they be taken by death, a fork in the road or divorce. It is always a good thing when a child knows that their parents love them.

[Darlin]

This was really really really good. It is so true and stuff like this happens everyday. You don't realize what you have until its gone. Great story!!

This story is so sad; it reminds me of the relationship that I have with my step-mom. I don't know if she cares about me or not because she hasn't ever given me a single hint. :(

[Damian Alan Gray]

You touch on all the stages of grief and you obviously did a great job at expressing the emotional turmoil this kind of situation brings. But for me, the story lacked in its passion and appeal toward the reader. Perhaps I'm wrong about this, but the virtual omission of segues from one scene to the next was a bit distracting. It isn't that I couldn't follow along, it just seems to me that the story could have been more succulent if there were more flesh into which I could bite.

[[untitled]]

this story made me so sad. it was nobodys fault that he died. I enjoyed this tory. thnk for sharing

[T]

Sad so sad story to lose a child in any way....Could it have made a difference to know that his father loved him??? who knows...but I know that our children need to know that we love them unconditionally...no matter what happens to them or what situation they are in. I believe it makes a difference. Good write, thank you for sharing.

[Michael Carr]

This is based on true events.
The chair sequence and the phone call are based on the experience of my aunt and uncle losing their son.
No one is to blame. The final lines are the father dwelling upon his past with his son.

[Rodney Russ]

Very interesting piece of flash fiction. The characters are fully realized and the pacing is excellent.