Darkness Within

Chapter 31- So Much Meaning

(This is the final chapter. Start the song now, and replay it as needed. Your support through this story has been so much more than I could ever ask for. I'm sad it's coming to an end, but all the same, thank you for reading.)

Mark- 

"He has multiple brain contusions, severe trauma." Jackass says. He's being a lot nicer now. 

"And? He's going to be okay, right?" 

The doctor looks at the floor, silent. 

"Right?" I say again.

He sighs and looks at me. "His internal bleeding is serious, and he hit his head badly. Very badly. Chances are he may be in a coma. How long? Time will tell. And if he even does wake up, he may never be the same again. He has lots of damage to the section of the brain that controls behavior, personality, etc." 

The doctor drones on, but I don't hear any of it.

Coma.

Coma.

Coma.

Coma.

I hear the word repeat itself over and over in my head. Co-ma. Co-ma. My heart is beating to the rhythm of the word, picking up speed. Coma. Coma. Coma. Comacomacomacomacoma.

All because of me.

What have I done?

The word changes, and instead of an internal beat, it becomes an external chant. 

"Sean, Sean, Sean, Sean." I croon the name over and over, a one syllable prayer. I flutter around his bed, cupping his cold cheek with my palm, fixing his messy green hair. "Sean, Sean, Sean, Sean."

"Mr.Fischbach, it might be best if you go home, get some rest.We'll notify you if-"

I shake my head violently. "Sean, Sean, Sean." The only word I can say, not enough and yet all too much at the same time. 

If you repeat a word over and over, after a while, it loses its meaning. Becoming a meaningless jumble of letters in your mouth. 

This was different. No matter how many times I repeated it, this simple, four letter word would never cease to carry so much meaning, so much weight, so much life. 

Something I may have ended. 

At some point, the doctor walked out.I stood there, over Sean, gripping his hand. 

And for the first time in months, I cried. 

I watched as the tears rolled down my cheeks and landed on his shirt, his face, in his hair, making me cry even more.

And I didn't care. 

Because all I cared about was getting an answer to one simple question- 

Why?

Why did this have to happen?

Why isn't there anything I can do about it?

Because it wasn't fair. I had found something special, and I had ruined it. And now I might never be able to fix it. 

I opened my mouth, and words came spilling out. 

"I'm sorry. I am so, so sorry. This is all my fault. I can fix this. Just wake up. Come back." Nothing happened, and I broke down all over again.

"Godammit, just wake up! Fucking wake up already, please! Please, please, please. I can't lose you. I love you, Sean. Please! I finally say it, and you leave me! You asshole, you said you loved me! Prove it! Godammit, wake up and prove it! Just wake up. Please. Please." 

I might as well have been speaking to a corpse. I let go of his hand and let go of him, giving up. I wiped my face of the tears. There was no point begging.It wouldn't do anything. 

I turned around, not sure of where I was going, but I knew I'd be back. 

I had one foot out of the room when I heard something I never thought I'd hear again, in that voice.

"Mark?"

The End.

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Thank you everybody so much for reading.

There is a sequel. It's called Manifest Darkness