The Bucket List

Chapter nine

Chapter nine

Aaron

The first thing I saw when I woke up was Toby and I's bags strung across the floor. A heavy and familiar weight was tightly holding onto my stomach and I smiled and closed my eyes.

Then it hit me.

Like a brick, I felt my head start to ache and I clutched the seats. It had stayed away for so long, only now did it return. The pain made me tremble as I sat up quickly only to vomit. Suddenly my trembling went to full blown shaking and I was gasping for air. The room started to shake and blacken and all I could think of, was I wasn't ready yet.

~~~~~

Toby-

The sound of Aaron vomiting woke me up. I didn't waste time and sat up, quickly grabbing my phone to call 911.

I turned to Aaron and nearly dropped my phone. He was shaking violently and his eyes were rolling into the back of his head. I moved him gently to the flat floor when he started to gasp.

And then he stopped breathing and went still.

I immediately pressed one hand to his chest and curled my other hand into it, quickly starting compressions. I tired to remember the fast rhythmic beat I learned last year as tears blurred my vision. "Come on baby, come on." I chanted. I pushed his head back and held my other hand on his chin while I held his nose closed with my other hand, blowing a breath, two breaths into his mouth. I watched his chest rise each time and went back to the compressions. When I went back to breathing into him, I almost sobbed when he suddenly took a breath but didn't open his eyes.

I heard my sister down stairs screaming and the sound of running stomp up the stairs. "Up here!" I called.

The burst through the doors and I watched in slow motion as they put him on a stretcher and took him away. I didn't even feel my legs move as I followed them down stairs and got into ambulance.

I numbly answered their questions and stared at Aaron. They had hooked him up to a heart monitor and were poking all around him. I felt hope as he took desperate and wheezy breathes. He was alive, and I was the one that brought him back.

Right as we arrived at the hospital though, he flatlined. I watched the EMT rip my shirt from him with scissors before taking out paddles. I had to look away as they pressed them to him. I couldn't help but cry when we had been so close. I'd never believed in god, but now felt like a good time to believe.

I never looked up. I stayed with my head in my hands as the monitor started to beep and as they rushed him out. I didn't even know how to pray. I just started to ramble to myself out loud.

"Sweetie, come on out." Soft female hands pulled at me and I numbly stumbled out.

What was happening to Aaron? Was he ok? Oh god, what If he died? I can't live without him. Aaron held me together like glue, all my little pieces felt like so much more. I was no longer the fat, band loving geek. I was Toby. Just Toby. I was loved and I was whole.

I don't even remember leaving the nurse, only that I was now staring up at a expensive looking statue of Jesus on a cross. Anger flared in me. How dare he do this to Aaron. I dropped to my knees in front of the statue and let the tears rush down my face. "Why are you such a ass!?" I shout. "Why can't you just let him live? Why?! He's the sweetest person ever! He's never done anything against you! Ever!"

"If he's like you, than he wronged him by being a faggot." A voice behind me snorted.

I turned quickly and launched. I didn't care if it was a male or female, old or young. I was out to hurt.