I have to say, though this was short it was quite impactful as it dealt with how ugly having someone so close to you be stuck in a hospital looking like a shell of themselves. I'm so grateful that none of my immediate family has ever been put in the hospital but I remember my late cousin who was so boisterous and full of life stuck in the hospital, weak and frail, and so quiet. He was getting better until he suddenly wasn't. I remember I didn't feel much until we went to the wake and suddenly when I heard the speech I started bawling without noticing.
There was such a solemn feeling to myself as I went through the text, there wasn't anything dramatic and it all felt so realistic and grounded. Bleak but what else do you expect? Regardless, the fact that there isn't a traditional happy ending and it just leaves you in an ambiguous mood is quite the best course of action especially if this was supposed to be a short yet emotionally charged story. Great job with this, I hope whatever is going on with your life, you manage to find peace with the experience and find a calm moment to rest from everything.