“I love you,” he whispered.
I love you too, I told him and felt an emotional pain tear into my heart.
There was a soft pressure on my lips and I realized he’d kissed me. I wanted to hold on to him and never let him go, but my arms refused to obey my command.
There was a vague noise coming from far away.
“I’m ready to switch off the machines,” Curtis announced solemnly.
Oh. My. God.
Please don’t, I shouted, but no one could hear me.I’m here—I’m alive.
I felt someone holding my hand, but I knew instinctively from the way I felt that it was Blake. Something probed my conscious mind but I couldn’t decipher it. Then suddenly, I couldn’t breathe. I tried to gasp for air but my chest didn’t rise. Outside, somewhere beyond my panic to stay alive, I could hear machines beeping. I tried to inhale again but there was no air and I felt my lungs start to ache.
Alarms sounded around me as I began to suffocate.
“Breathe,” Blake whispered through my panic. I was slowly dying and I couldn’t do anything about it.
“You need to fight,” Blake commanded me as desperation leaked into his voice. “I need more time with you...I don't think I can live without you."
"Come on. You can do it," Curtis encouraged but they didn’t know that no matter how hard I tried, I wasn’t able to fight my way back.
"Can't you do something?” Kyle asked Curtis, and I heard someone sob. My lungs began to burn from the lack of air as I struggled.
"There is nothing I can do. She needs to pull through on her own," Curtis said softly.
"I can make you happy," Blake whispered as I began to suffocate.
"Fight to live and I promise to love you every day for the rest of your life. I promise you I will make you happy and give you everything you ever wanted,” Blake promised me desperately as I tried to fight to stay alive.
Without air, I could feel my body start to shut down.
There was darkness and silence. I felt a slight pain in my chest. The alarm from the machines penetrated my mind through the haze. Confused and disorientated, I tried to figure out if I was dead. But surely if I were dead I wouldn’t feel the pain. The painful burning in my lungs eased and I felt air seep into them. The alarm stopped and I could hear beeping coming from somewhere.
“Wake up, baby,” I heard Blake say close by and I wanted to answer him but my body wasn’t responding.
I felt another pain my chest and more air seeped into my lungs, enough to form a breath. I was breathing, I thought as the air expelled slowly. I was about to panic again but my lungs filled with another breath. The pain spread from my chest through to the rest of my body and I groaned.
“I need to sedate her to ease her pain while her body heals,” I heard Curtis say.
Yes, take it away, I pleaded in my mind. It was too much to handle.
I felt my pain ease and the darkness sucked me in.
I woke up and opened my eyes. The pain was gone but I did feel achy. I looked around. I was in a hospital room and I felt someone holding my hand. My eyes went to the person sitting beside my bed, holding my hand.
My heart swelled with love and relief when I took in a sleeping Blake. I slowly pulled my hand from his and touched his head as he slept with his head resting on the bed, facing me.
I took in every beautiful feature of his. Nearly dying and being torn away from him had made me realize how much I truly loved him. I felt a single tear slide down my face while I remembered the fear of losing him forever.
A deep breath in and out, I eased the emotion overwhelming me. The moment I touched his skin I felt the reassurance of our link. The emotional turmoil I felt was eased. I studied him as I gently guided his hair from his face. Even though he was sleeping, he looked terrible. It was because of me.
Snippets of my memories cycled through my mind and I remembered how scared and upset he’d been, talking to me, trying to get me to find the strength to pull through. I let out an emotion-filled breath. I’d made it. I’d been so close to death. I’d tasted it but I’d found my way back.
Curtis. He’d been right.
“Baby,” Blake said with excitement as he lifted his head and pulled his chair closer.
