Over the edge

chapter seven

There was a bright light when he opened his eyes.

Was he in heaven?

He only hoped.

He tried to look around to take in  his surroundings.

That was when he heard the beeping of a machine near him.

Was he in a hospital?

He lifted his hand up and saw an iv on his arm.

He was in a hospital.

A nurse walked in and when she saw he was awake, she went back out and came in with a doctor.

"Mr Williams, I'm glad to see that you're awake now."

"What I'm I doing  here? How did I  get here?"

"Well, a life guard found you while he was swimming. You're a very lucky man, if I may say so."

He hated it.

Hated that he had survived.

Hated that he couldn't even die when he wanted to.

Why was life being unfair to him?

So consumed in his thoughts, he didn't hear as the doctor told him he had a visitor nor did he notice the tears that slipped past his cheeks.

When the door opened to reveal a disheveled Adam, Eric snapped out of his thoughts.

That was the last person he expected to  see here.

"Are you here to tell me it's all my fault? If so I already know." Eric said, rather harshly.

Adam sighed.

He pulled out the chair next to Eric's bed and sat down.

"Eric, I am sorry for saying all that to you. I  realised it was wrong and when I called you to apologise you never picked up."

Eric did not talk. He tried to move his head to the side but realised the neck was held by ...

"Why did you do that? "

"What?"

"Try to kill yourself?"

"Why do you think I did it? I  was tired. Tired of every single person in my life shutting me out. First , my parents, then my sisters , afterwards Lauren and finally you. What's  the point of life if  you have no one to enjoy it with? If no matter how much a person says they love you, they leave when you need them the most? So yeah, I was tired of always being alone."

By then, he was crying but he didn't care.

Adam was silent but spoke up after a while.

"Please forgive me. I  won't  promise  you not to leave but I'll try my best to always stick by you."

"And how do I know you won't abandon me?"

"You won't know. I am not promising you. It's just a risk you have to take."

Eric knew he had nothing to lose so he said yes.

The doctor came in later, telling him that he had snapped his neck adlnd was lucky he was still alive.

But Eric knew he wasn't happy.

Even the talk with Adam  didn't help.

But maybe, just maybe someday he would  be happy again.

End of flashback....

Sitting at the edge of the ocean again, staring into nothingness , he wondered if Adam would care as much again if he tried the same thing.

Maybe even Lauren would show up.

He didn't know and he was too scared to find out.

The rain had long since stopped and he could see people coming to enjoy the warm weather.

Not wanting to be around people, he got up, put his shoes back on and left.