She Loved Him and He Died

10. Golden And Green

START PLAYING THE SONG WHEN THE SONG IS MENTIONED

The sadness and numbness that the man feels is overwhelming. Wherever he looks now is tinted in grey and the once joyful sounds he used to hear are muted.

He knows that he himself is falling into a deep depression, actually he had already a long time ago, but he was strong enough to push it away and forget about it. But now he can't.

And he surely doesn't want to drag the beauty next to him, down with him. It is only he and her in the dull hospital room, his friends all left hours ago angry at his lack of attention and his inattentiveness, also angry at the fact that he has kept this life altering secret for so long. Only forced to tell them about it once it was shown unwillingly.

"Please leave." He croaks out while staring at the ticking clock.

Tick. Tick. Tick... it rings in his ears and irritates him.

Tick. Tick. Tick... time is slipping away too quickly.

Tick. Tick. Tick... Josephine's presence suddenly makes him angry.

She doesn't give a big reaction but just simply asks, "why?"

The man stays quiet for a moment. What is the real reason he wants her to leave? Well he doesn't actually want her to leave but she needs to. For her own good. Yet she also angers him in a way he cannot explain. "You're a good person, Josephine. Go before I ruin you. I'm giving you this chance to go live a full and happy life that is not going to be tainted by the likes of me." He speaks softly and clearly. He refuses to look her in her eyes because he knows he'll break down and beg her to stay and just hold onto him tight and never let go.

"I thought you told me that you didn't want me to leave you." She questions him.

He remains quite, thinking over everything. "I don't want you to leave, but you need to." He then finally says.

"Why?" She purses her lips together and hardens her eyes.

"I already told you! I'll ruin you!" He exclaims exasperated, disliking the fact that she is questioning what he is saying. No one ever questions what he says, what he's says goes. Why won't she listen to him?

She leans in close so that her mouth is right next to his ear, he makes sure to train his eyes on anything but her. "Well guess what," she whispers lowly, so lowly that is makes him shiver and shift where he lays, "I'm already ruined."

And this is something that Josephine believes with her whole heart. "Please don't say that," his voice cracks and he finally looks at her with tears in his eyes.

"It's true. But anyways, I'll keep you from the truth of myself if you stop with all this bullshit and self pity." Jo gets real with him. She'd rather have the overly cocky guy with sinister words than this man who only sees the world as dull.

He squeezes his eyes shut and groans. "Whatever happens, it's on you." He grumbles brokenly.

"Says the man who was begging me to accompany him on this journey." She wickedly smirks at him. He gives one right back. How is it that he can snap between emotions so quickly?

"When I'm strong enough, you better not doubt that I'll punish you for your foul words."

'And he's back.' Jo thinks to herself.
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Josephine can see the way this madness is destroying him.

There is a constant conflict within his eyes, he is at battle with himself. A battle that he clearly wants to forfeit. Throw in the towel, to wave the solid white flag in the air to signal him giving up.