Kankri stood there frozen. His lips tingled and it felt like he had been electrocuted. But before he could tell Karkat that he felt the same, time was up. Karkat was no longer in front of him and all eyes turned to the heart moniter. Sollux squinted clenching and unclenching his fists nervously before disappearing. Kankri broke his gaze with the monitor briefly gazing at the spot Sollux had once occupied and then making eye contact with Karkat's father. The both looked back to the heart moniter, hands grasping eachother in wordless comfort.
Time seemed to drag on forever, when all the sudden Sollux returned looking dishelved and frowning. "He didn't finith hith requirementh... They aren't going to let him survive." Kankri and Karkat's father should have gotten whip lash with how fast they met eyes with the 'not so guardian angel' who only replied with an angered stare towards the tiles on the floor. "I let you down. I'm thorry." the room was quiet all eyes watching the heart moniter as it started to slow, nurses rushed in pushing them out, it all happened in slow motion. The yells of doctors, Kankri looking over shoulders as his silent sadness turned into raging anger, he screamed and shouted, carried by Karkat's father, he beat at his back reaching out for him. He reached out extending his fingers shouting Karkat's name to the heavens above.Tears began to flow and his last shout of agony was cut off by the slam of the door and the passing nurse telling him to stay calm while they tried to save him.
The hospital was brightly illuminated, about 10 lights for each hall not counting strangely placed and unneeded lamps. And despite the sounds of a small nursery ryhme turned into a song, echoing throughout the sterile tomb signaling there was life, birth of a small child, Kankri was frozen. Downcasted eyes staring at the crack of Karkat's hospital door. Despite the light, the weight upon his chest hurt to much to look up. It seemed so dark and dim in that hall. Karkat's father talked silently with Sollux, both visibly distressed and comforting eachother in anyway they could, Kankri had refused talking or any physical contact they had offered, claiming it was triggering and that he rather be left alone.
Karkat had fought for his life for 3 and a half hours before his monitor stopped rising and falling at alarming rates as he battled. The line was flat and the doctors let their heads fall in defeat. They all file out, the head doctor talks to Sollux and Karkat's father, quietly announcing the unfortunate news. Kankri's frown only deepens already knowing the message they were recieveing. He made a pitiful attempt to wipe his tears away as he stood shakily. "Can I see him? Just one more time. Please..." He voice pleading, wavering with the effort he had put in to not sob, to form actual sentences. Terezi runs up behind Sollux, hair tousled and bag slung over her shoulder. Her clothes wrinkled and her shoes didn't match. It was obvious she had gotten there in a rush. The doctor exchances glances with them all before silently nodding.
"Only one at a time may see him, please." They all look at Kankri curiously before he lets out a sigh and motions for Sollux to to first. "I would appreciate going last..." Nodding, Sollux entered Karkat's room shutting the door behind him and walking up to the bed trying not to pay attention to how battered and lifeless he seemed. He knew better. He sat down looking around the room momentarily before pulling his bicolored glasses off the bridge of his nose.
"Ith my fault, kk. I'm really thorry. I thould have made thure thingth would work out better. It wath my job....I've doomed you both. Thereth nothing I can do to make up for it, but hope if I ever thee you again that you'll forgive me. You're the betht friend anyone could ever athk for, and however the hell I managed to..." Sollux sniffled reaching up to wipe the tears he had promised himself he wouldn't spill. "To gain a fiend ath tharcathtic (sarcastic) and quirky as you. I didn't know it wath pothible to aggrethively care for thomeone till I met you." He let out a dry laugh and wiped his eyes once more before giving Karkat's hand a gentle squeeze. "Retht in peathe, Karkat." He rose from his spot gently letting go of his hand and walking out of the room motioning for Terezi to enter.
Terezi visibly tensed biting her lip and pushing the door open with one hand peering in, she immediately covered her mouth tearing up Her best friend lay there pale and lifeless. She could hardly breathe. She wiped her tears leaving the door open and sat beside him, crying softly. "You never got to live your life...You never found your man. This isn't fair Karkles. You...You promised you wouldn't leave me. You said you would work at that bookstore forever! You...You never even finished Night Circus...What about the spot at the stupid starbucks that you sat in?" She hiccuped and wiped her eyes. "That stupid barista is going to sit there, and you won't be able to scream at her...You won't ever be able to check out people who walk in..." She let out a whine as she leaned over his chest hugging him tightly.
She opened her mouth, words stuttering before stumbling out clumsily.
“So, whats your analysis, Dr.Vantas?” her sobs shook her body as Karkat's father had to enter to help her out, prying her away from her best friends corpse. Kankri frowned watching as Terezi was pulled into Mr. Vantas' embrace comfortingly shhing her lightly, as if it would ever console her. Both Sollux and Mr. Vantas looked at him and then the door as if telling him it was now or never. Kankri took a shaky breath before entering quietly, foot falls filling the room with noise. He shut the door behind him with a silent apology and a whisper that he wanted to speak with him alone. As Kankri stepped closer to Karkat, he felt as if he shouldn't be there. This was all wrong. Karkat should be out yelling at the truck driver for almost running him over. He should be publishing his book, falling in love, getting married, adopting some kids...Going on a date with him. Karkat said he wanted to go on date with him.
He lifted Karkat's body ever so slightly wrapping his arms around him tightly. He didn't want to let him go. He shouldn't have ever let him go.
