"My mind was racing. Why was my mother standing in the driveway if my dad was in the ambulance? <---I believe this needs to be two seperate sentences.
"Although I knew the outcome in advance, nevertheless,I prayed for the duration of the 30 minute drive to the hospital. Part of me had known for the past three or four months what my inner child refused to face or believe." <---I re-arranged the first part of this, because it would seem that the emphasis should be on the knowing in advance, yet a strong sense of faith compelled the narrator (you?) to hold strong to something. Then in the next sentence (which is well written, by the way) you drive it home even further. In other words, for what it is worth, I believe this makes it flow a bit better as the start of a new paragraph, as well as a making your point stronger.
"hugging everyone and sitting down with Austin on my lap, I was glad I decided to let him come along, I was glad I decided to let him come along; I needed him for support." <---the reason I used a semi-colon here is to prevent two back to back sentences from starting with "I." It is just that I hate it when I fall into that trap and I have to go back and correct myself. Perhaps, it is nit picky, but I apply this to myself, as well.
"...even a sliver would have been something to hold on to, but there was none."
"When I saw my dad I knew he was gone. It was an odd sensation, his bloodshot eye’s were only half open and the pupils were fixed and dilated—making me feel that any hope I might have managed up until this moment was futile."
"I don’t remember what I did, if I touched him or spoke to him; the only thing I vividly remember, was the doctor walking in and handing the nurse a form for the cat-scan, and her heartless response: “You’re going to do a cat scan on him?” I can't say if she was aware or not that we were standing in the room. I felt my heart begin to hammer at my chest as I shouted out to her, “he is still a human being!" Outraged, I stormed out of the room." <---This stuff carries a lot of emotion in it. I likes it a lot. I did, however, cut a word or two, added some different punctuation, and the exclamation where there was onbviously anger.
"My head was reeling, and a sense of being out of body began to take over. I felt as though I was seeing what was happening, but that I wasn’t really there, like watching a movie,you see what is going on..." <---Nice decription of some head emotions following some heart emotions. Again (and not assuming that I am a very good editor), I took out the word(s) "sort of" from both sentences, because I felt it was too ambiguous. You do such a fine job that I thought the reader should know these emotions were set in stone, and not just "sort of" anything.
"The next few days were sort of a blur. Saturday morning..."
"People were trying to be so optimistic, everyone but me—I saw his soulless eyes."
"Odd thought I admit but we are not always the most rational in times of grief." <--- Don't apologize for this! It makes the stronger sentences that preceed it ineffectual
"I stuck close by mom’s side, where there was a sense of need; I watched her with awe as she sought to comfort us; she seemed so together, so strong and decisive, compassionate, and here I was—a mess—though deep down I knew she suffered beyond any pain I could comprehend."
"...and I needed a respite, to be home with my husband and children. On Monday dad was taken off of life support. The doctors had determined that there was no brain activity at all, as I had known all along. <---It might overstress the point by mentioning "eyes" again, so I took it out.
Well, I will stop here, because if I edit too much you might think I thought your story was crap...whcih it most certainly is not! The reason I took it upon myself to do a little editing was because I just treat things (right or wrong) the way I would treat my stuff. And though it really makes little difference...I thought this was a warm and heartfelt piece that nobody can front on! Honesty goes a long way with me, and the sincere tone of your story meant a lot.
If I have any advice, it would be just to work on some punctuation...which is what I am struggling with at the moment. Watch out for using the same word(s) in too many back to back sentences. Furthermore, it is hard, in a first person story, not to use "I" to start off your sentences, and it is a challenge to devize different ways.
Anyway, for what it's worth, this is my spin; and I was gratified to read your work. I hope to read more.
cheers,
Nick
P.S. This review was done under copious amounts of Mozart
N.
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