What is a Toaster? | Sabriel

Don't Take Him Away From Me

To say that Gabriel was hurt would be an understatement. If you asked him, he would tell you that having a heart attack seemed less daunting than the fact that he was sitting right there in front of the man he had fallen in love with, and now Sam didn't remember him. Gabriel felt tears slide down his cheeks, the same confused look on Sam's face. It only made him cry harder.

"Please..." Gabriel whimpered, taking Sam's hand in his despite the male flinching. He squeezed it, his words coming out in a begging tone as if he was wiling Sam to remember. "Please don't forget me. You....pr-promised you wouldn't."

"I'm sorry. I don't know who you are?" Sam replied slowly, concern crossing his features, yet no recognition. Gabriel let out a sob, the noise wracking his throat and making his chest burn before he buried his face in the bed, letting out scream after scream of his pain.

It wasn't until he felt someone grab his shoulders and pulled him away from Sam that his screams got louder, the incoherent words becoming closer and closer to Sam's name as he was drug out of the room. As the door closed, he let the screams die in his throat, falling to the ground, his chest heaving with pain.

"Gabriel..." The nurse trailed off, a comforting hand placed on his back. It did nothing for Gabriel as he raked his nails over his scalp, broken sobs reching through his throat.

"He doesn't remember me!" Gabriel shouted into the floor, fresh tears beginning to drip onto the tile. "I had fallen in love with him, and he doesn't even know who I am! Don't you know how much it hurts! I just want to die!"

"Gabriel! Don't say something like that!" The nurse gasped in shock, pulling the man up onto his feet. She was one of the more elderly women, her hair graying and her features finally starting to slack. The kindness on her face did nothing for Gabriel though.

"Now, you listen to me, young man. You are not going to die. You are going to stay right here and take care of that poor boy who is probably terrified. You cry about how you feel? He doesn't know what's going on, who he is, who you are. He can't remember anything! You should be in there comforting him!" The woman ranted, her voice gentle but firm at the same time. Gabriel whimpered, biting his lip in frustration.

"I don't know if I can see him though." Gabriel cried, leaning against the woman as she pulled him into a hug. "It....I don't think I can do it without breaking down."

The nurse sighed and hugged him tightly, much like a mother would, before pulling away, looking him in the eyes. "Gabriel Novak, You are one of the strongest men I know. You took a broken boy with a broken mind and not only put it back together, but made him feel like he had a life beyond it. If you can do all that, loving him should be the easiest thing you've ever done." She assured, her eyes soft and kind. Gabriel wallowed back the bile that rose in his throat, sobs pushing through.

"I do. I love him so much. I want him to come back." Gabriel whimpered, trying to wipe away his tears. He was going to do it. He was going to toughen up and face his lover, no matter how painful. "Can you come with me?"

He felt like such a little kid for asking, but the nurse only smiled and nodded. Gently, she took his arm and opened the door, leading him back into the room where Sam lay, staring at the ceiling as he furrowed his eyebrows. Gabriel could see his jaw clenching and unclenching, knowing that the boy was trying to remember something.