"Tom!" She smiled proudly as his silhouette appeared at the doorway. He smiles back, hands behind him as he keeps the book away from her view.
"Hello love how've you been?" He chuckles. "I've been better" She says shrugging away the pipe that got tangled on her arm. His heart sinks at the sight. He'll never get used to it. The machine beeping, her stuck in bed eating god knows what they serve.
"Cheers!" He giggled as the glasses collided, spilling a bit. They danced and drank the night away. Laughing and singing with friends.
"Well we'd better get going. Good night" He bid his friends off as he took her hand. But he felt some sort of hesitation. He turned to her, "Darling you alright?". "I'm fine, Tom, I'm-" She falls unconscious before even finishing her sentence.
"How is she?" He croaked as the doctor came back with results. "She's fine now sir" She replied, "Nothing too severe caused it, most likely the alcohol in her system". He sighed in relief.
"But I must advise for her not to drink too much with that tumor" The doctor continued.
Tom stared at her in confusion. "I'm sorry-what?" His voice cracked, hoping what he heard wasn't true. "I apologize. I thought you knew" She swallowed, "During the checkup we discovered a tumor growing in her brain. Unfortunately as much as I wish it wasn't, its growing rather fast than it should be".
The world seemed to have faded out then, because he couldn't hear a word the doctor was saying anymore. He couldn't believe it, the woman he loved, the woman he'd give everything up for, had been dying and he didn't even do anything to help.
Now here she was, hooked up to machines and tubes, hair nowhere to be found, and she was pale as ever. "Look what I brought" He grinned as he held the book in view. She lets out a gasp as her eyes scan the hardcover of the book.
"Oh love you didn't have to" She whined as she holds the book, feeling the weight and the feel of the fabric of the cover. It always made him feel proud to see her with such happiness on her face. The smile that painted itself on her face, he always thought it would light the world up, the sparkle in her eyes, like stars on a cloudless night. She looks up at him.
"Thank you"
He does nothing but give her a kiss on the forehead. "Anything for you darling" He whispers. He lets go of her, making his way to the chair to put down his coat. She squeals again, holding the book tighter to her chest. "Tom" He raises his head, "Could you read for me?". "Darling you know I don't like my reading" He answers with a stern voice. "But please" She pouts, "It's soothing to hear". He says nothing, just stares at her as she pleads with her eyes. He scowls. "Alright, but only because I love you" She chuckles at his whining as he takes the book and sits on the chair, making himself comfortable as he opens the book releasing the smell of the newly opened pages.
"Chapter-1" He glares at her making her laugh.
"I came here as soon as you called is there a problem?" He panted tired from having ran up the stairs as the elevator was occupied. "Mr. Hiddleston" The doctor sighed, "I have some unfortunate news". His heart sank. "W-what seems to be the problem?" He asked hesitantly, not sure whether he wanted to hear this or not. "The tumor, sir, there's a problem" She began wearily, "The surgeries don't appear to have any effect on it." "What do you mean?" His hands now folded infront on his chest.
"The surgeries aren't working anymore"
"Well isn't there anything else you could do?"
"We've tried everything that could work but no, none have been effective"
His heart sank. Chest beating loudly, his mind was running.
"I'm afraid there's nothing we can do anymore."
"Tom?" She mumbled drawing circles on her arm. "Yeah?" He replied, eyes shut as he shuffles on the couch. "Do you regret it?" He open his eyes looking at her in confusion. "Regret what?". "Meeting me?" She chuckled sadly. He sat up straight on the couch, "Darling why would I regret it?" Her hand forms into a fist. "Because I've only caused you pain and guilt" Her voice cracks, "Ever since we found out about, this, I've been stuck here and you've been with me. I can see that you were always so down in the dumps even when you try to hide it. I know nothing can help me anymore, I know that, and that's fine with me but I dont know what would happen to you"
Her hands cover her face trying to hide the shame written all over it. She meant what she said. The thought of having to leave him soon broke her heart.
He doesn't know how to cooperate anymore. But he knows that there is something he can do. Slowly he lets her hands down, revealing her teared up eyes and red nose. He wipes away the tear eminent to fall down. "Darling look at me" She remains the same, "Please?". She looks up into his eyes, the same pair of eyes she has loved for years. She sees the hurt and sadness in them, and it breaks her even more.
"You're acting like this is your fault. And it isn't" He caresses her cheek, "I don't regret it. At all. I don't regret the fights, I don't regret the little things and the big things. I cherish it all. Every single thing down to the unimportant ones. The only thing I regret is not being there for you when, this, started. I regret the fact that I didn't even think about it. I regret the fact that I didn't know about it 'cause if I did then maybe we wouldn't have to go through all this. I should be the one feeling sorry. I should be the one feeling the guilt not you."
She watches as the tears fall from his eyes. His hands shaking as she takes them in hers. "Tom look at me" She croaks. He doesn't look up, not wanting her to see the mess he is. "Thomas William Hiddleston I said look at me" He looks up, realising that its been some time since she called him by his full name. "It isn't your fault that you didn't know" she chuckles, "I didn't know about it either. I don't want you to beat yourself up because you didn't know that I was dying. You did all you could, and I appreciate that. And I want you to appreciate it too. And even if we did know earlier, we would still be here, me bald and you still with your soft hair. Its inevitable and we both know that no matter how much we wish it wasn't, it still is. I want you to know that I'm ready for the end. I just wonder if you are because I'm afraid to leave you by yourself considering the fact that you can barely keep the house in shape when I'm away."
He chuckles as he looks away. "That was only one time" He smiles. "You never know there might be more times you disintegrate the house" She shrugs. They both laugh. "Will you be fine when I'm gone?" She swallows, knowing that they don't have much time left together. He looks at her. He knew too. It wasn't too far away for the inevitable to happen. He gives her a reassuring smile, "I promise I won't burn the house to the ground". She laughs. And they stayed like that for some time, sitting there on the bed in each others arms, taking in every moment before its too late.
"I love you you know that right?"
"I do. But I love you more"
He wakes up in the middle of the night to the sound of the machine. But it wasn't the normal sound. He opened his eyes and looked at the machine.
Flatlining
He gets up immediately and sprints to her side. He calls out her name. But she isn't responding. Eyelids closed, her body was limp as the machine continued to show flatlining. He runs out through the corridors shouting for a doctor. And in an instant they arrive, swarming in as they stood around the bed. One of the nurses stand guard at the door, not allowing him to get inside to be near his lover. He watches in dismay as she doesn't respond to anything. And eventually the doctors stand back, turning off the machine as one of them asks the time. His body slumped, eyes wide in shock. He's stopped breathing, what was the use anyway he thought. His heartbeat rang in his ears as he realised that the inevitable had finally happened.
