Dora The Traveller ✔

12: Let You Down Gently

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◇° CHAPTER 12: Gently °◇
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Can heaven hear us?
~mirthykayla

They found Matthew on the hallway talking to his parents, telling them about Hazel being in life support and her parents giving him time to say goodbye.

Her mother walked back in and she stayed to listen to the conversation until it ended.

"Did you tell them? About hearing me?" She asked after he hung up.

Startled, he took time to answer, "No. You left us. Were you with your mother?" Matt kept his eyes glued on his phone.

"Yes."

"Can't you hear us from anywhere? Like, when you're here you can't hear what they say in there?" He raised his eyes to the door of her hospital room.

Hazel tried to listen, "No."

"So besides talking in our heads? What can you do? Follow me." He went into the direction of the parking.

She tried to keep up with his long strides. "I don't know. I can feel things, but you can't feel it when I touch you. Sometimes I can't even touch you. It's like, my hand has it's own mind. Stop running." She complained.

"I'm not running. I just forgot to reschedule my meetings today. I need to do that and check my emails." He opened his car and grabbed his laptop, sitting down inside and leaving the door open for his ghost lover.

"Okay, don't you have a personal assistant for that?" Hazel sat next to him in the car.

"No. I like getting things done myself." Matt smirked.

"Oh yeah? And how's that working out for you?"

"Horrible." He sighed, then something clicked, "Wait, if I wasn't imagining your voice the whole time...did you say I look ugly?" He raised his eyes to the rearview mirror.

"Yes, yes my love. You look horrible." Hazel laughed.

"Oh, thank you. I'll have you know, 'tis because of you that I don't see a need to live anymore." Now Matt really needed to hold her.

"Is that so? Well, my apologies sir." Hazel tried to make it sound light, but her heart tore at the moment. She wanted to kiss his temple and smile at him. A smile that he would praise silently.

"Jesus, I miss you Hazel." He face palmed himself.

"And I you. But I'm not really here anymore, Matt. Sooner or later you have to let go and let me continue my unending adventures into the after life."

"Do you believe in that?" Matt almost looked at her. Her heart skipped, could he see her? "Do you?"

She recovered, "In what?"

"The after life...do you think there's such?" His eyes were still searching to his left, hoping that's where she is because that's where it sounded like in his mind.

"Y-yeah...I think so. I mean, I'm here and I'm not at the same time. There has to be the after life...Matthew can you see me?" She couldn't help but ask.

Matthew's shoulders sacked, "No. I want to. Goddamnit, I need to." He gritted his teeth.

"We didn't have enough time. What we could've had would've been so beautiful." Hazel thought out loud.

"You think?" Matthew smiled gently.

Hazel put her head on his shoulder, "Yeah, I think. Actually no, I believe." Her eyes scanned his laptop screen and she managed to change the topic to help him manage his time and avoid back to back meetings. That was always her forté, managing time.

When they were done, Matthew insisted that Hazel took his hand and to walk hand in hand back inside. She did.

Hazel was sure that Matthew could see her or at least feel her because he held her palm perfectly, not tightly or loosely...perfectly.

"They're gone." Hazel whispered walking into her empty room.

"Well, they had no reason to stay and look at a body when the soul is roaming freely. Let me call them." Matthew was already dialing before Hazel could say no.

Matthew cleared his throat, "Hey, Tony."

Tony was tempted to let him go further and talk but that just wasn't him and he knew it would just be awkward.

"Don't worry about it, Mom told me you needed to say goodbye. I don't know how this whole thing works but if she can, she will come home when ready."

"Thank you iron m-"

"I dare you to call me iron man." Tony's voice lowered.

Hazel laughed, "Iron man. What are you going to do about it?"

Matthee chuckled, "I apologise, have a good day."

"Cool. Bye." His normal tone was back and he hung up.

"I guess he didn't hear me." Hazel said dissapointed.

"I guess he didn't." Matthew smiled and kissed Hazel's palm, the one on the bed.

"Let's go home and get you cleaned up for tomorrow." Hazel chirped.

"What's happening tomorrow?" Matthew asked worryingly. Tony said something about goodbyes.

"I'm going to your workplace with you love. You need to stop moping around and get your shaeza together." She tugged at him and he actually budged.

They both froze.

"Did you feel that?" Matthew asked looking where he felt a pull.

"I tugged at your elbow, you felt it?" Hazel asked enthusiastically. She couldn't help the grin that broke on her face.

Matthew reached out for her to take his hand, and she did, ever so happily.

"Can you feel it?" She asked, still grinning.

"A little. Like a small tickle but yeah, something is there." Matthew put another hand over his open one.

That's when tingles ran through their bodies. Like feeling an intimate touch for the first time.

"Wow..." they both said at the same time, eyes locked where their hands were.

Matthew raised his eyes to where Hazel was, but he still couldn't see her. Hazel looked at him and noticed that his eyes were searching so she took, with her other hand, one of his hands and put it on her face.

Matthew gasped, sharply. Like receiving a cold unexpected shower, he felt her face.

He didn't need guidance anymore, his hand roamed her face like a blind artist making a face sculpture.

His other hand followed and he had her tiny face in his palms, loving the feeling. He closed his eyes and pretented to see her.

It was so much better to imagine her face now that he could feel it in his hands.

"This is how blind people see," He let out a shaky breath.

"Mhm." Hazel could only nod.

The movement caused Matthew to take a heavy breath, "Jesus Christ..." then he broke down.

Hazel hugged his torso and laid her head on his chest, "If this isn't me letting you down gently, I don't know what is."

She knew it wasn't going to be easy saying goodbye, but at least he'd get the chance to say it. Not hang onto the words spoken with promises of a life together.

♡♡♡♡

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I'll wipe my shirt sleeve
Under your eyes.
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