Escaped, Saved, Loved - One Shot

Heaven Can Wait

Days turned to weeks and weeks turned to months. Summer was almost over and there was no reply from Axel. College was just plain old college without the sunshine Axel brought. I passed the first exam with flying colors, Axel would have passed too if he had showed up. I couldn't help but miss Axel every single day. Things were turning out fine when suddenly, Axel stopped coming to college and shut everyone out. I almost went to pieces as I had tried every possible way there is to reach him, but there was no reply. Did I do something? I was starting to drown in my negative thoughts. This isn't happening. I shall not have a breakdown here; in the middle of the school hallway.

I started hyperventilating badly and dug my bag pack horrendously to find my inhaler. As I got a hold of it, I quickly placed the inhaler in my mouth and pumped the mist twice while sucking every bit of it. I let out a breath of relief when I regained my composure. "Are you okay? A voice asked. "I'm okay..." I left the sentence to hang as I looked up only to find a familiar boy in front of me. "Axel!" I screamed and embraced him in a bone crushing hug. Is this a dream? Is this really Axel I'm hugging? He pushed my body away from his and looked at me with a puzzled expression.

"Avalon right?" he asked.

"It's Celina, silly" I replied with a warm smile.

"Oh, right. I forgot. Err, you alright?"

"I'm fine. Where have you been?"

He was taken aback by my question. I stared at him and realized his eyes weren't the shade of breathtaking blue it used to be anymore. There was something wrong. I just didn't have the courage to ask what. " I... err, had to go to on a business trip with my dad. Nothing much" he answered nervously. I was about to ask him more when suddenly, a girl walked over and started kissing Axel, right in front of me. This situation puts my nose out of joint. My heart shattered and I guess this was the feeling of heartbreak; like how the characters in the books felt.

I faked a loud cough which managed to knock them out of their disgusting kiss. Axel did not turn a hair when I stared at him intensely. Instead, he pushed the girl away and pulled me away from the awkward situation. He dragged me across the halls and as we were approaching the main doors, I stopped.

"I can explain Avelon."

"Sure you can. You can't even get my name right. Boo you"

"Look, don't take this the wrong way but she was just...."

"What? A scandal you had when you were away? You were gone for six months and here you are, kissing another girl, in front of me. I thought you were different Axel. I trusted you."

I made my way to the main door while wiping the stray tears from my eyes. Axel grabbed my wrist and said "Damn it Celina, stop crying. I'm not Axel."

I was at a loss for words when this guy who proclaimed he's not Axel starts dragging me to his car. I didn't know why but I just had to follow him and find out what he has to say. I didn't know where he was taking me to, but I sure hope everything is going to be fine. "Are you okay?" the boy asked after approximately fifteen minutes of pure silence. "If you're not Axel, who are you? And where is he?" I replied with a firm tone. "Relax. I'll take you to him. I'm Comrade by the way. Comrade Thomas, Axel's twin brother." I gasped at his reply. Axel didn't tell me anything about him having a twin, did he?

He again dragged me out of the car and into the hospital building. He mumbled something to the nurse at the reception and with a nod from her; he pulled me towards a door labeled 'PRIVATE WARDS'. The atmosphere was completely different. The air had a perfumed scent and the seats were plush. Every surface was dustless. The nurses were unhurried and they moved with a serene purposefulness from room to room on their rounds. There were vases of flowers and beautiful framed pieces of art on the walls. We stopped in front of a door numbered 'PW25'. "Promise me, you won't shed a tear" he said. I nodded. When we entered, my heart shattered.

I slowly made my way towards the armchair next to the bed. A man before me had tubes running into his nose, and the translucent skin was not the man I knew.Axel was rather robust, vibrantly healthy and possessed of a spirit that would cause everyone around him feel the warmth of his smile.The man before me could barely breathe. His body was nearly lost in the sheets of the hospital bed and he didn't move. He sucked in air through a tube in his throat and the machines pushed the oxygen into him in a rhythmic tempo that was almost irritating.

I approached the figure in the bed and reached out to his pale hands; the hands which once held me firmly as we were on a nerve wrecking roller coaster, they now barely moved. His body was warm with life, but there would be no laughter today.It was so hard to see him locked in this pale faced, weak body with the soul of a young man seeking adventure in all things. I wrapped my arms around Axel so tightly. Unlike Chuck Norris, tears began to dwell.

"He's fighting with leukemia; he didn't want to tell you though. That's why he wanted me to replace him for a little while. All he wanted was to see you happy" Comrade said with a shaking voice. "The doctors tried everything to help him, but the cancer is spreading everywhere. There's not much we can do than just...hope." he continued. I cringed at the thought of Axel leaving me and continued to cry and I ruffled his hair, inhaling his scent I had always loved. At that moment, I swear, the level of pain I felt was infinite.

"Don't cry, I hate seeing you like this" a barely audible said in between breaths. I looked up and gasped as I saw Axel smiling with the pair of eyes which were silver. I knew in that moment and that moment only, the twinkle in his eyes was the most beautiful thing I could ever witness in a short lifetime. "Don't go. I'll miss you" I said in between sobs. "I won't, I'll always be right here" he answered and pointed to my heart.

We spent the next few minutes embracing each other. Once the tears slowed down, I gathered all the courage in me and said "Please don't leave me. Heaven can wait. I love you, Axel. I really do" "I always knew you loved me. I love you too, Celina. I'll always do" he said followed by a soft giggle that lightened up the room. I was about to smile when suddenly, Axel closed his eyes and loosen the grip on my hands. His diaphragm stopped moving within seconds and the beeping of the machine stopped.