Romantic One Shots

That Crushed Feeling

This story contains:
-Sad ending

-Long Flashback

-Death (no suicide)

-Fluff

Do you know why they call it a crush? Not because of what you feel after they reject you. Not because of the feeling you get when you first kiss them and your stomach is doing flips it feels like the ring of fire. Not because of anything that happens. It's the aftermath of when they are forced to go, and when you have to watch them take their last breath. The tears that silently fall down your cheek when you finally give up on being strong. The screams you want to let out as their grip loosens on your hand as the life fades from them.

This is the story of how I was crushed by the love of life.

Mackenzie Kallens. A smart, beautiful, kind, warm-hearted girl stole my heart. It's funny when you think about it. I was angry with her for taking my spot in some competition in school. She came to me apologizing for hurting my feelings, but I ended up cussing her out. I was a year ahead of her in school, yet we shared some classes due to her IQ level. She always sat to the side of the classroom. She once told me that's because she prefers to be able to see everyone else in the class just in case she ever missed a lesson and needed help. Anyway, one day I noticed something. After something. After school she always walked to the hospital. I then started to question it, and I decided to watch her for anything weird. As I began to observe her, I realized that when no one was looking, her smile would fade and she would grab at her chest with a pained look. I noticed how she never said anything about the pain. I then decided to follow her to the hospital one day. I know that sounds weird, but I'm a curious boy. That day I discovered something terrible. Mackenzie Kallens was dying.

The inter coastal muscle which lies on top of her ribs had started pressing her ribcage against her lungs and heart. I can never remember the medical term for it no matter how many times I'm told, but she always describes it as the chest wall applying too much pressure to the organs and bones.

That day she caught me following her and I decided to confront her. After that. I made her promise to come find me when she started to feel pain. After some time and a few hospital trips, she started to trust me and come anytime she hurt. During this time I started to develop feelings for her, but I didn't want to say anything, not wanting to add to her list of problems. Though it turned out she had also begun to have feelings for me, and thought I wouldn't want to date a sick girl. When I found this out by overhearing a juicy conversation with her friend, I pulled her into a kiss that expressed both of our feelings. The emotions of that day still play in my mind.

Fast forward to a couple months later. Every time Mackenzie had a doctor's appointment, I went with her so she wouldn't be scared and so her parents wouldn't have to take off. But one day when the doctor brought her back from taking x-rays, neither of them looked pleased. Instead Mackenzie started to cry as soon as her arms wrapped around me. I pulled her back to ask what happened, but the doctor spoke before I could.

"Miss Kallens ribs are starting to push too far and will soon start to puncture through her organs. I am so sorry to say that there isn't really anything we can do. As you may be aware, doctors can't even do much to heal a broken or fractured rib. There is nothing we can do besides prescribing pain medication."

As if the words left her mouth, I felt a tear fall down my cheek.

"I'm afraid to say that miss Kallens will die from the puncture to her heart or lungs whichever happens first."

"How long?" I ask in a shaky voice.

"We have no way of telling. Within these past few years, the movement has had no pattern. It could be months, days or even years." She replied as silent tears of her own started to fall. I could tell she felt bad. She had been Mackenzie's doctor since she had been diagnosed.