In the grief process, the stages are not always linear, and individuals may not experience all of them. Therefore, the answer from the options provided that could be absent from the grief process is:
death
This is because grief can occur not only after a death but also after other significant losses, such as the end of a relationship, loss of health, or loss of a job. The other options (bargaining, acceptance, and depression) are specific stages of grief that can be part of the grieving process but may not be experienced by everyone.