Dead Flowers (Mad World) • Tank Dempsey

26

"Turn it to 400" a doctor shouts and the nurse did as she was told. Twisted the knob to the machine to 400. How the doctor rubbed the electric pads together and now held them against her chest. "CLEAR" the machine zapped her heart and sends her heart racing again. Then quickly activating her lungs and everyone could see her breathing and it's a sigh of relief. They saved another patient.

Her heart rate monitor started beeping again showing her revival has worked now they just wait for her to wake up. She could sleep all she wanted for all the doctors cared, she is alive.

• • •

Love's doctor walks down the hall into the lobby where Dempsey sat waiting while they promised him they'd do everything they can to revive her, he's very pleased to give the message that she's alive again and he's excited to see her husband's reaction.

"Mr. Dempsey" the doctor says seeing Dempsey is sitting down and staring at his dog chain necklace he has around his neck, this chain opens and shows a picture of him and his Love from their wedding day. He stained this picture with his tears he had no thought of cleaning it because he is too broken to care. Hearing his name called Dempsey walked over to the doctor and dried his tears from his tear ducts with his fist.

"Please.....is she okay?"

"I am very pleased to say we have revived her successfully" the Doctor smiled to him and to see Dempsey's eyes light up he could tell this mans chest is racing faster with excitement and he was about to cry harder but this time in happy tears.

"Thank you! Thank you thank you! Where is she?"

"In her room sir. She's not awake, but at least she's not dead" the doctor lead him to her room where he could hear the heart rate monitor beep, it felt good to hear this than the on going beep that almost killed him of a heart attack not knowing what he would do without his partner in crime right by her side.

Walking over to her, Dempsey ran his hand and gently dragged his finger down her cheek and he could actually see color in her skin and he could actually feel warmth in her flesh. It was so relieving to see and feel. After this, he knew he was going to spend every second he can with her forever. No time he has will not go without being with her, this moment opened up his eyes drastically.

• • •

Love wakes up out of her dream land meadow and finds herself back in the hospital room right at square one, her breathing heavies as soon as she regained consciousness after being put to sleep where she forgot how to breathe and feeling so much weight on her shoulders to now she feels like the heavy weight is gone. She woke up again but not in Maxis' lab and this frightened her greatly, the room is no longer bloody and there is no corpses lying on the ground and no dead animals anywhere... it's just a normal room.

Looking in front of her she could see her husband is sleeping in a chair right beside the window, showing outside is dark and she could hear locus and crickets chirping outside with the comfort light from the man in the moon shining on him.

Seeing Dempsey was great, but where is the others?

"Dempsey..." Love calls out quietly to see her husband still sleeping. She looked around to see what she could throw and wake him up. She found a pen sitting on a small table sitting next to her holding a clipboard with the pen and she threw it at him. Dempsey woke up quickly.

"Wha—Love! Baby!" Dempsey stands up and comes over to her and hugged her so tight, his behavior confused her so much. She's been with him this entire time why is he crying? "Oh my god you're okay!" She could feel his warm salty tears touch her skin and it was sad to her. "I'm so sorry I couldn't protect you! I'm a horrible husband I'm so sorry!"

"Dempsey...where are the others?"

"The others? You mean my friends? Why should they matter? It's about you! I was so worried about you! I thought I lost you I would've been so lost without you!" Seeing his confusion when she mentioned their friends confused her more, he should know she meant Richtofen, Nikolai, and Takeo...right?

"But Nik, Tak, and Richtofen! We left them! They're our friends!"

Dempsey tilts his head and his expression did so great confusion. He thought it's just the drug and her just waking up is what's confusing her brain so he's letting everything she says slide. "Baby it's just us, I don't know who those people are..who are they?"

Seeing that Dempsey had no idea on who their friends were made her question if they were really there. If they were really their friends after all. If they were ever there... Love gave a soft sigh "I don't know either...."

• • •

After Love has been given a few check ups after her awaken the Doctors gave her the okay to go home and get good rest in a comfortable bed after having a good meal to eat. Dempsey drove his wife home, and Love expected to see their own on fire with men shooting guns at monsters trying to eat them alive, but nothing. The night is so calm and quiet, she could even see black cats sitting on fences and other animals wondering the streets. There are even living people walking up and down the sidewalks in and out of town, it's just like normal.

The drive home was quiet, mostly because Dempsey had so much on his mind and Love had nothing to say. Instead she was trying to process everything she remembers seeing not being what's shown this time. She refuses to accept that she dreamed everything that happened. She refused to believe that her friends she met on their journey just doesn't exist.

"Hey..honey...how about I make your favorite tonight? Alright?" Dempsey found something to say away from his shock. Love could only form a small smile looking over at him and she nods her head. She couldn't say anything because she's just so lost, but whatever that was, she's glad she doesn't have to be in it anymore.

• • •

Ever since the incident happened and the doctors woke Love up, Dempsey took off more work time with pay from the forces to be with his wife more. He had the natural instinct of wanting to take care of her like the queen to his king she is. And she couldn't just say no to him staying home with him more.

It understandably, took them a while to get over what had happened. Because of the trauma Love had endured she had to go to therapy for quite a while to handle all of her thoughts she has very occasionally, and her therapist advised that she got a emotional support dog to keep her happy, and when they have the official vest then she can take him everywhere. So that's what her and love did, they adopted young adult German Shepherd's both Love got to pick their names. The youngest and smallest Love named Jack and the oldest and biggest Love named Troy. At least something can feel real from her dreams. Even if they aren't royalty wolves to a king in the Alps.

Having these dogs around helped Love greatly just like her therapist predicted, she smiles and forgets about her trauma with them around and Dempsey stopped thinking about what he had seen. They both finally found clarity and a safe place in their heads in these dogs. They can finally let the past be the past and focus on their future, but one thing that love cannot get out of her head, who is Nikolai, Takeo, or Richtofen? And what was the significance of them being by her and Dempsey's side after all that time?