We Live Forever

Chapter 15: Widowmaker

Crimson's POV:

The Water Around Him Is Bloody

No.

No.

No.

NO!

I swim back in through the window and approach Hank's delicately floating bloody form. I reach down and unbuckle his seat belt. His body starts to float up to the ceiling of the car. 

I grab onto his arm and tug him out through the car window with me. His body starts to slip down to the bottom of the lake. 

I freak out and try desperately to grab onto some part of his limp, slippery body. He slides out of my grasp and more panic sets in. 

I swim down after him and wrap my arms around his torso. I kick my legs as hard as I can and hope we're going toward the surface rather than farther away from it; in the darkness of the water, it can be hard to tell. 

At last, we finally break the surface and I swim toward the shore, every muscle in my body is screaming at me to stop. I'm exhausted, but I can't stop, I can't give up. 

We reach the land and I drag his body up onto the dirt. 

"HELP! SOMEBODY HELP ME!"

I scream out and cough up a gallon of water in the process. 

"HELP!"

It looks nobody's coming. 

I realized I have to take matters into my own trembling hands. 

I quickly slide one of my legs over his and place my hands flat on his chest. Then I push down hard. 

I push down again.

"Please."

Again. 

"Please."

Again. I feel his bones crack beneath my fingers and I try to resist stopping. I can't stand hurting him.

"PLEASE!"

Again. 

Suddenly bright lights illuminate the shore, bathing us in red and white lights. I don't stop. I push down again, trying to hold onto the rhythm I'd attempted to establish. 

Someone grabs my shoulder and pulls me away from Hank. I look up at them and see white letters embroider onto their jacket. "EMS"

"Please... please don't let him die."

They got to work on my husband. Doing chest compressions and CPR. It seemed like an eternity while they pushed down in rhythm on my husband's chest. 

Finally.

He coughed up water and they pushed him onto his side to help get the water out. It felt relief flood through my body, only for it quickly leave. 

"He's not out of the woods yet. Get the stretcher!"

They took out a small flashlight and shined it in his eyes. They didn't look pleased with the result. 

Another one arrived with the stretcher and they slid Hank's still unconscious form onto it. They strapped him onto it and then one quickly turned to me. 

"Follow us."

I quickly got up off the dirt and followed after them. They placed Hank in the ambulance and help pull me inside. 

I hold one of Hank's hands tightly in both of my own. 

I'm afraid he'll slip away again.

Hours Later

I paced back and forth across the hallway in the emergency room. 

I hear the steady beeping of dozens of machines.

The clacking noise of keyboards coming from every direction. 

The chatter of nurses, doctors, and patients alike. 

The front desk nurse answering the phone.

"This is Saint Charles memorial hospital..."

Good god the universe has a sick sense of humor.

Someone touched my shoulder I quickly turned around and saw a nurse. 

"Miss would you mind letting me check you out? You don't look too good..."

"No, no I need to be here for my husband."

"Miss, you'll still here just take a seat. This'll only take a second I promise."

"But-"

"He'd want you to be safe, right?"

"...right"

The nurse gently led me over to a hospital bed and I sat down. She grabbed one of those silver metallic blankets and handed it to me. I happily wrapped it around my freezing and soaking wet body. 

The made her way through the boring check of all my vitals. 

"Honey? You never did give me your name."

Shit. Shit. Shit. SHIT!

How exactly am I supposed to explain to this nurse that she will never find a record of my existence?

IT IS A VERY BAD TIME TO BE 154 YEARS OLD!

So I took the very logical next step and slurred my words and pretend like I was losing conciousness.

"I- I don't... where am I?"

The nurse gently grabbed my arms and laid me down.

"Okay, looks like your rush has finally wore off."

Indeed it did because suddenly it didn't feel like I was pretending much at all. 

An Unknown Amount Of Time Later

I was awake again.

Well sort of.

Everything is really fuzzy and blurry. And I think it's all moving, but like only a little bit. I watched some old people walk into the emergency room and they looked kind of familiar. 

"Where is our son?"

Oh. They must be having a bad day. Me too.

"Where is Henry?"

Fuck.

Author's Note:

SOOOOOO That just happened.

Thoughts?

Questions?

Deep burning existential dread?

How you like your eggs?

Okay... that spiraled a little bit.

Thank You!