Lifeline

I’ve been lying here for over three days now. Three days, seventeen hours, twenty-six minutes to be exact. And still, I’m helpless. The doctors here were still unable to figure out what was wrong with me. Maybe there’s nothing wrong. Maybe it really is just time. But she refused to listen. She was arrogant.

“Look, there really is nothing we can do. Just let it go.”

“That’s easy for you to say,” she yelled at me, her tears trickling down her cheeks despite her attempt to hold them back. “I just-“

She fell silent. Only the constant beep of the pulse monitor broke the silence. I grabbed her hand and clasped it tightly, as if that was enough to make everything better, like that would make all our problems go away. No longer able to keep her composure, she let everything out. Her cries drowned everything else.

“Listen,” I spoke, “there’s still so much to look forward to. You’ve got your whole life ahead of you.”

Her eyes were now red and puffy. “Why are you giving up, dammit!?” she manage to respond, mustering all the strength she could.

“You’re the one giving up. You’re the one acting like I am the only thing that you live for. But I’m not,” he tried his best to sound calm. She didn’t need the added pressure he knew he was giving her. “I’m sorry.”

It was her turn to get mad now. She knew he didn’t deserve the shouting. She knew that what he needed most was comfort. But she felt that getting mad at him was easier than mourning. For the most part, it is.

“That’s easy for you to say! You’re not the one that’s going to be left alone,” she shouted, sounding more sad than angry.

“I’ll be gone soon,” He rested his head on her shoulders, “but I’m not leaving you alone. I’ll always be with you.”

After one final beep, he lay in her arms forever.