Adieu

Chapter 34

Chapter Thirty-three

"The defibrillator isn't working! Inject him with more adrenaline!"

Josephine groaned. Why wouldn't they stop yelling?

"Can't we move her? We need more space," A voice questioned in what she realized was fluent french.

"If we wake her up, she'll cause more trouble than she is now, believe me," another replied. "On three we try again."

Why would she cause trouble? All she wanted was to sleep against the warmth of her husband for a bit longer; they could play with him later.

"We're losing him!"

She froze as the sleep induced fog that invaded her brain evaporated. A single shrill beep rang through the air as her emerald eyes fluttered open to reveal the closing chocolate ones. She shook her head in disbelief as a dial tone-like noise filled the air. What a horrible nightmare she was having, yes a nightmare.

"He's... Dead," the voice said blankly.

Josephine's head shook faster as she sat up. This was just a bad dream, she would wake-up in a moment and laugh at some corny joke he would surely tell her as soon as she did, it wasn't real!

"Ma'm?" The other voice said calmly, the French pouring out effortlessly.

She looked up, eyes the size of small saucers. Would he really be speaking to her in a nightmare?

"Please, stay calm. Don't scream," he begged, walking slowly toward her as the other male began writing something. "Please. I know it doesn't seem logical right now, but please, allow me to escort you out."

Josephine simply blinked at him until she felt his hands on her own, pulling gently.

"Please," he repeated.

She turned back to the still form lying beside her, running a hand along his arm. The tingling sensation she felt whenever she touched him was gone.

She ran fingers through his hair, searching again; nothing. Finally her hands made their way to his closed eyelids, which she opened as soon as they did. There was no light in his chocolate eyes, there was no nothing. Where was it? Where was the tingling? Where was the warmth? Where?

"Ma'm, I really need you to-"

"Where is it?" She interrupted hoarsely, fighting the urge to speak in English like she had been doing for the past four months. "Where is he? Where is my William?"

He swallowed. "He's... Well... he's dead."

Josephine blinked. "So this is not a nightmare?"

The man shook his head. "I'm afraid not," he said quietly, pulling gently on her hand once more. "Let's go outside, your sister is there, please?"

It finally dawned on her in that moment; you can't feel the warmth of someones hand in a dream, not even in a nightmare. William was really gone.

Josephine's vision blurred suddenly, followed closely by the familiar tickling sensation on her cheek. Why? Why was this happening to her? She looked back at the un-chocolaty brown eyes in shock. "Bring him back to me," she insisted tearfully. "Please."

He shook his head, pulling her with more force until she stood. "I can't do that mrs. Smyth, William has already moved on."

"I don't want to leave," she told him as she felt herself being pulled toward the door. "I want to stay with him."

He didn't respond to her request, he simply continued to pull her, picking up her purse and a book as he did so.

"Josephine! Oh my god, please don't tell me what you're going to. Please don't do it," a familiar voice chimed as Jose felt her bare feet cross carpet.

"He had a cardiac arrest, I'm sorry," the voice said calmly.

Destiny shook her head. "What are you saying? I can't understand you."

He looked at Jose. "I'm sorry, I can't speak english. I need to go now, I'm terribly sorry."

She nodded slowly, throwing herself into a chair just as a door closed.

"Jose?" Destiny whispered tearfully. "Josephine where's my brother?"

She shook her head, her own Niagara Falls preventing her from speaking.

"No," she breathed, burying her face into her hands.

Josephine moved her fingers to wipe away one of the many tears that were pouring out of her, only to find then occupied.

When her blurred eyes met the leather notebook William's words rang through her head. "My will is in the leather notebook, I've written everything in there."

The moment she opened it, a crisp white envelope fell into her lap. "To my wife" it read.

A sob escaped her as she tore it open, eager to read whatever it was. The handwriting was showered with the essence of him, she could picture him writing it.

"Dearest Josephine,

if you are reading this I have either died, or fought like hell to keep you from opening it in the first place. *insert chuckle here* I know, I'm very funny aren't I?

I honestly don't know what to say you; there are no words good enough to express how utterly amazing you are. For now I suppose I'll just have to settle with I love you, but as promised I have already 'Worn out the words I love you, and your beautiful.' I guess I could try French-it is, after all, the language of love- but I don't think that's enough eiether. Oh well, your smart enough to understand my point.

I now request that you stop crying over me, It drives me mad with sadness whenever anyone does that, really it does. I repeat my earlier words, It's simply my turn, and I'm perfectly happy with you as you read this. In the great words of Doctor Seuss 'Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened.'

I hope you know without me saying, but just in case you don't: these past four months that I've spent with you have been the best that any person on the planet could ask for, and I have no regrets other than the fact that I hadn't met you earlier. Because of that I can safely say that the Cancer was a beautiful thing, it brought me the happieness I wasn't aware I had been missing, and for that I happily give my life for.

God, I can't focus on what I need to tell you, The words 'I love you' won't stop popping up in my head. I really do Josephine, if my love were the ocean I swear you'd drown swimming it it.

Don't you just adore my corny metaphors? No? Oh well, I mean it.

Oh! I nearly forgot, please don't bury me. The thought of being stuck underneath the ground forever absolutely terrifies me. Do what you'd like with the ashes, but god, don't bury me.

My will is in the book, toward the back. I left you Louie because he seems to love you nearly as much as I do. My mother knows all of my passwords, no matter how much she denies it, so just ask her, and the spare key to my apartment is underneath the plant outside the door.

Please make sure you give my letter to our son-yes, he is a boy- it contains similar contents as this one that I want him to know, I don't care if you read it, just as long as he does first. I already know you'll take good care of him.

Once again, I love you, more than anything out there. Thank you for marrying me, I've always wanted to do that and you made it worth while. Remember to have your mother send you that picture-I'm sure it was a good one with our cheeks smudged with flower and all- And tell her that she's awesome for me, because she really is.

I'll leave you with a quote. I don't know who it's by, but when I read it, I instantly thought of you.

'A part of you has grown in me. And so you see? It's you and me. Together, forever, and never apart, maybe in distance, but never at heart.'

Adieu my love, William.

(A:N// God I can't stop crying, I'm really depressed right now. Sorry the letter wasn't in italics or anything, but I had to write it from my iPod. Feel free to yell at me in the comments. I'll post the epilogue in 30 seconds ok?)