Don't Forget Me In The Morning

17

We stepped out of my car and onto the pavement. Carmin struggled to get his oxygen tank out.

"Would you like help with that?" I asked, watching him.

"Please? It's been awhile since I've had to carry one of these around." I lightly chuckled and stepped over, carefully removing the metal tube. Carmin took the oxygen tank and started for the elevator.

"I will get the other two tanks. You go on up," I quietly shouted from across the parking lot.

"Alright!"

As I was pulling them out, I stopped, thinking. Thought after thought erupted in my head. I put the tanks down and sat on the warm asphalt, my head in my hands. 'I don't want him to go,' I cried, bringing attention to everything that was really going on around me.

Five minutes go by and I get a phone call.

"Hello?" I questioned, my voice cracking.

"Are you alright?" Carmin asked on the other line.

"Yeah! I'm coming up now!" I lied, choking back my woebegone tone.

"Oh, alright. I'll be waiting." He then hung up. I took deep breaths, calming myself down. After I wiped the remaining tears from my grief-stricken face, I got up and brought the tanks upstairs.

When I went inside of his apartment, I saw him watching television and laying down on the couch. I placed the metallic tubes filled with air beside of the door.

"How are you feeling?" I inquired, walking over to him, hands in my pockets.

"Better now that you're here."

"You're so cheesy," I snickered, kissing his lips.

"I love you, Carmin," I say.

"I love you as well," he chuckled.

-Carmin-

'"Please! Don't!" I screamed as the doctors strapped me down to the bed.

"Why are you doing this?" I yelled out once more. No answer. My body was then unable to move from the tight ropes holding me down against the mattress. I was scared. Tears then streamed down my face.

"So many tears from such a big man," I heard from behind me.

"Just because I am a toned man does not mean I do not have emotions," I snapped, "why am I here?"

"Why? Because we do not need you anymore! That's why!"

"What is that supposed to mean?" I interrogated. The guy stepped into my line of sight and smiled, his crooked, yellow teeth showing. Instead of answering, he picked up a needle filled with a suspicious liquid. He had two other doctors hold my head to the side while he pushed the needle into my jugular vein.

"You are going to 'sleep'," he said, putting air quotes around "sleep."

"You're killing me?" I tiredly asked.

"Bingo! He's got it!"

"No, y-you c-an-n't. J-Jamie. I-I want to s-say go-o-db."'

My body shot up from the bed, tears flowing down my frightened face.

"Carmin, are you alright?" Jamie asked. Sitting up, I looked around and then placed my hand on my neck. Sighing in relief, I plopped back down.

"It was just a nightmare," I shrugged, "I'll be fine." Jamie slowly rested his head back upon my chest, his hand on my stomach.

"Hey," he said, suddenly.

"Yeah?"

"I love you."

"Not to be rude or anything, but why do you keep saying 'I love you' so much? It's not that I do not like it, it's just, you've said it a lot more recently. Don't get me wrong, I love you as well."

"I have my reasons."

"What's wrong, Jamie?" I asked as I felt him crying.

"I don't want to tell you. You'll figure it out anyway though."

"Talk to me please." Jamie took a deep breath.

"Carmin, do you know why you are only on an oxygen tank for five weeks?" Jamie asked. I stared at him, confused, and answered, "because I will be okay after that?" He got up off of my chest. He dare not to look me in the eye.

"Jamie?"

"You're going to die, Carmin." Jamie cried.