Before Jurassic World

Chapter 29

Cold.

Chaos.

Pain.

Odd things to feel and hear since I was dead, wasn't I? I'm not sure what I expected heaven to be like, but those things didn't fit in with my notion of the afterlife. For a split second I considered the possibility that I hadn't made it to the pearly gates, and I was in Hell. I wouldn't be surprised if I was, in fact, in Hell given some of my life choices, but all things considered I expected Hell to be a little hotter. Right now I wasn't hot at all. I was freezing. If I was stuck in some kind of shitty purgatory I was going to haunt everyone who ever pissed me off in retribution.

"Breathe, dammit!" someone yelled from above me. Their voice sounded strained, yet familiar. My mind was working painfully slow, and felt disjointed from my body.

Who wasn't breathing?

I felt incredible pressure slam into my chest and I coughed out a ragged breath in response. If I thought I was in pain before it was nothing compared to now.

"Jo...can you hear me? Baby, open your eyes. Please."

There was that voice again. It sounded so stricken and desperate I wanted to do anything in my power to ease their suffering. I tried to do what the voice asked and open my eyes, but my eyelids felt like 50-pound weights. I heard the voice begging me to not give up, to keep fighting.

Using willpower I didn't know I possessed I cracked my eyes open. The world seemed to be spinning at too great a speed because my vision was nothing but a blur. I saw a face swim into view above me and I blinked my eyes repeatedly trying to focus. I could see the person's lips moving, but couldn't make out their words. They seemed so familiar that I felt instantly better knowing they were with me. I could feel their hand wrapped around my own squeezing gently as they continued to talk. A hand brush down the side of my face intimately, and I pushed the pain aside wracking my brain to place the figure looming above me.

Then, like clouds parting on a rainy day, it came to me.

"Owen," I croaked out. My throat felt raw and damaged.

"I'm right here baby. Just hold on," he said giving my hand a squeeze while gazing down at me. I kept my eyes locked on Owen as he spoke to someone nearby. I didn't know what was happening and I didn't care, I just needed Owen here with me holding my hand.

Keeping my eyes open proved too big of a challenge. I was so tired that all I wanted to do was let sleep overtake me. It felt like every part of my body hurt except the hand Owen was holding. I focused on the feeling of his hand in mine as he rubbed soothing circles on the back of my hand. He was my lifeline, the only thing tethering me to this world.

Suddenly, I was lifted and my hand was ripped from Owen's. The agony in my chest reverberated all over my body causing me to call out. Bile bubbled up in my throat and I felt my body dry heaving of its own volition. My breathing was coming in short, raspy pants that were excruciating. I didn't know how I ended up in this much pain, but I just wanted it to stop.

"Owen," I choked out blindly reaching for him, but I think I only managed a pathetic twitch of my fingers. I felt tears spill out running unchecked down my face. If I wasn't sitting on the precipice between life and death I'd be embarrassed about crying out for someone, but I couldn't muster the energy to care.

I felt someone grab my hand. "I'm here Jo. You're on your way to the hospital," Owen told me. His calm, reassuring words washed over me lessening my anxiety.

"Please...don't...leave."

"I'll never leave you Jo. I can't...I can't say goodbye to you because I simply can't live without you. Do you hear me? I love you, so you have to make it through this. Do you understand? You have to fight. You have to live," Owen whispered to me lightly touching his lips to mine.