The Last Of The Stars

Part 3

She was broken. I broke her.

She was propped up on a hard, uneven bed - a bed with rails. The pillows were flat and lumpy. There was an annoying beeping sound coming from one of the many machines she was hooked up to. I hoped she wouldn't die here, like this. Death shouldn't be that uncomfortable.

The nurse had finally made sure she was hooked up to all the appropriate machines, that everything was working correctly before checking her pulse and her temperature.

We both continued to watch Sarah's cheeks lightly turn a tinge of pink as the blood swirled under her clear skin.

Every second the pain at her broken body lashed at me. I tried to form some kind of enchantment, to make it so we could magically change places; that I could feel the pain, that it was me lying there unconscious.

To think how this could have happened, how she was almost reduced to...to a cold and fiery death. The picture of a fleshless Sarah entered my mind and the feeling of disgust was present on my tongue. Each second I felt like I was becoming emotionally deranged. I needed an outlet, some way to focus my thoughts.

My eyes followed every bruise, every bump, and every blackened spot. Each second little quiet explosions of pain were erupting through my body. Now, more than ever, I was vividly aware of her fragile, breakable body.

Maybe I should leave her...

Not now, not when she needed me more than ever. Fear fluttered in my chest at the thought of what she might think when she does wake. Would this be the thing that finally makes her snap? Another sharp stab of pain prickled my insides.

She continued to lay there, silent and still...unmoving except her tiny chest movements.

There was a light rapt on the door before the Doctor walked in with his clipboard in hand. I rose, hand out.

"She has many injuries. Her skull is fractured, she has several broken ribs and her leg was badly mangled, but we were able to fix that with surgery. A few pins will hold her bone in place until it heals," he answered while taking her vitals.

"Why isn't she waking up?" I coaxed, trying to get him to get to the bad part.

"Yes, well, because of the extensive damage I have purposefully had her placed in a comatose state to help her heal. I'm not sure how long she will need to be in a coma. It could be a day, it could be several. Don't worry, she'll be okay."

It was bad enough she was lying here, broken, mangled...bruised...unconscious. Grief began weighing on my heart.

Seeing this, knowing how close she was to death felt like I was being pierced with scalding hot knives.

Watching her small chest lightly rise and fall with each breath, seeing the blood flow seamlessly through her translucent skin, listening to her heart which was echoed perfectly with the monitor just emphasized how delicate and precious she really was.