Needles and Butterflies

Fourty-Five

The sun set gradually over the horizon, setting the world in a darkness that matched the mood within the small hospital room. Emma lay shivering in the small hospital bed as Harry lay beside her, holding her tightly in his arms in an attempt to warm her up. Tim and Thomas were in the lab, analyzing her most recent blood sample with pain in their hearts. Luke and Henry sat silently in the hallway, tears staining their cheeks as they listened to the pained grunts that escaped the room.

"H-Harry?" Emma muttered. "Harry?"

"Yeah, babe? I'm right here..." he said, running his fingers through her hair.

"W-what's happening to me?" She cried. "I-I'm so cold..."

"You're okay love... you're sick, but you're going to be okay."

"I-I'm going to die," she whispered. "Aren't I?" Harry felt a lump lodge in his throat as she turned to look at him, finding it difficult as her legs refused to move with her. Harry helped her flip around and pulled her into a tight hug.

"No, baby. No, you're not going to die. Don't talk like that..."

"I-I can feel it," she cried. "I'm going to die." Harry felt the tears streaming down his face as he held her tightly against his chest. "I don't want to die..."

"We're going to get you better. I promise, love." A soft sob escaped her lips as she held onto him with shaking hands.

"I love you," she muttered. "I'm sorry I haven't been a good girlfriend..."

"What are you talking about? You're a great girlfriend-" she just shook her head in response.

"I'm horrible... you're always there for me, you always take care of me, and I just push you away... after Elliott died, I was horrible to you-"

"No, love. You were grieving. I love you, I'll always take care of you. You take care of me too. That's what you do when you love somebody." Harry glanced up at her heart monitor and felt his heart stop in his chest. Her blood pressure was plummeting. A soft knock sounded at the door and Harry looked up to see Henry, Alex, and Luke standing there. Tim and Thomas stood behind them with solemn expressions. "You're going to be okay..." Henry stepped up beside Emma's bed with tears in his eyes.

"Em..." he said softly, putting his hand on her back. "Tim needs to talk to Harry." Harry planted a kiss on her forehead as she weakly let go of him, laying flat on her back with his help. He stood up from the bed as Thomas came over and laid a warm blanket across her.

"I'll be right back," he whispered. "I love you..."

"I love you too," she muttered as her eyes fluttered shut. Harry turned and walked into the hallway after Tim, feeling his heart racing.

"What's wrong?" He asked, unable to look away from his girlfriend in bed.

"She's not getting better," Tim muttered softly. "Her body is rejecting the antibiotics... W-we don't know what else to do." Harry felt his hand cover his mouth as a sob attempted to escape.

"Th-there has to be something," he said softly. "We have to do something."

"Harry..." Tim said, gently putting his hands on the man's shoulders. "There's nothing else we can do. The antibiotics are killing off every healthy cell she has left... the infection is only getting worse..." Harry looked back towards her and saw Henry hugging her tightly as he held back his sobs. Luke sat on her other side, holding his head in his hands.

"I-I can't lose her," Harry sobbed suddenly. Tim pulled him into a tight hug, letting his friend cry into his shoulder. "God, I can't lose her." Tim closed his eyes tightly, trying to hold back his tears. "What do I do?"

"All we can do is be here for her while we can. I'm so sorry, Harry."

Henry brushed his sisters hair gently away from her face as she shivered quietly.

"It's okay," he whispered, staring down at her. "It's okay..." he could see the pain in her expression as she tried to get comfortable.

"I can't leave you," she muttered softly. "Who's going to take care of you?"

"You don't have to take care of me, Ems," he said quietly. "I promise... I'll be okay."

"What about Harry?"

"I'll take care of him too. I promise."

"Henry? Can we talk for a second?" Thomas asked. He let out a soft breath and gave his sister's hand a gentle squeeze.

"I love you, sis. I'll be right back."

Luke watched silently as Henry, Alex, and Thomas left the room, leaving him alone with the girl he had fallen hopelessly in love with. He moved so he was sitting infront of her and took her hands gently in his. He felt his heart break when he felt how cold they were against his skin.

"Luke?" She whispered softly, looking up at him.

"Yeah, Emma?" He asked, looking into her hazel eyes. He brushed a tear away from her cheek as he held onto her hand tightly. Thomas and Tim's words swirled around in the back of his mind and he tried to push them away.

"There's nothing else we can do... She's not going to make it."

"I'm glad we met," she muttered. Luke let out a breathless laugh and nodded softly in response.

"Me too..."

"Do me a favor?" She asked, holding onto him tightly.

"Anything..." she smiled at him softly before closing her eyes to rest.

"Take care of Harry... I know you don't get along, but-"

"Hey..." he said, leaning forward and putting his hand on her cheek. "It's okay... I'll take care of him. I promise." She smiled lightly as he pressed a soft kiss on her fingers.

"I'm sorry," she muttered, her eyes still closed.

"For what?"

"For making things so complicated... for never making up my mind... for stringing you along... for not being strong enough..."

"Hey... you are the strongest person I have ever met. Nothing's ever going to change that." She nodded softly before gently dozing off. Harry came back into the room and sat beside Luke, tears staining his cheeks. He reached forward and took her free hand in his own, glancing over at the one that Luke held.

"It's okay, Em," he said softly. "You can rest now. We're right here..."

She let out a soft sigh and nodded weakly, before mumbling something that was nearly indecipherable.

I love you...

A sudden beep let out from the heart monitor, tearing their gaze away from the young girl. Her hands went limp under their grip as a steady beep cut through the silence in the air. A soft sob escaped Harry's lips as he looked back to his girlfriend, noticing that the soft rise and fall of the girls chest had stopped.

"N-no..." he muttered, gripping her hand tightly. "Em? Baby?" Another sob escaped his lips as Tim and Thomas ran into the room with Henry behind them. Luke pulled Harry up from his chair and pulled him from the room. The two men hugged each other tightly as they cried, drowning out the bustle of everyone around them as they swarmed the younger girl.

Everything had changed.

Emma was gone.