Breathe (Under Edit)

Chapter 16

An intense blinding light hangs over me. Figures rush next to me fading into the background. Muffled voices try to break through my wall. They voices. I can't hear them! My head begins to sway side to side as I become dizzy. With all my ability I fight to stay conscious. I guess I really am weak. A black hole engulfs me as I slip away.

Beep...Beep...Beep...

The sound continues, it slowly progresses louder till I'm fully aware of when I am. Fear pumps through my body when I realize I failed. I failed. When I sit up I glance around the room to find my aunt and uncle sitting there just staring at me. They don't flinch when I move as if they never saw it. "Look Aunt May," she sits there like she didn't hear me. I stand up and move closer to her. "Aunt May?" It's as if she was staring right through me. I turn around and find my body still laying there. "Ah shit." I drop to the seat next to her. I watch them as he hugs her. "Don't worry May, she'll be just fine."

"No, I don't think so. I wasn't there for her when she needed me the most. For the past month, John, I haven't asked her how she was, I was so caught up in work I didn't see the signs. I-"

"Shh, May, it wasn't your fault." I get to my feet rubbing my temple. A month? Lucy confronted me a month ago? Time is going too fast. I cant, I cant grasp anything. The beeping begins to sound piercing as I begin to lose control of my breathing. The machine attached to my body begins to freak out causing nurses to run in. I back out of the room as they begin to do CPR. Shaking my head I run down the halls out of the hospital. I run all the way to her house. I find her curled up into a ball as her cries go unheard. "Sara?" I reach for her but my hand falls through her arm. She sits up as if she felt my touch. She wipes her teary eyes and glances around the room. "Sara?"

"I should have said something...I should have officially broken up with Lucy...made sure she was gone. I should have done something!"

"It's okay, Sara, it's okay." I try to reach for her but my hands go right through her. She cries alone cradling herself. "Why did you do it, Abby? Why?!"

"You weren't there! You left me! For her, you left me! I had no one, you were all I had and you left me!" I stand before her feeling the tears run down my cheeks. She lies down and hugs a pillow muffling her cries. "Come see me, Sara. Come visit me please..."  For a moment she looks up at me. But it wasn't at me, she looked right through me. For a moment, though, I swear she heard me. I press my eyes shut and fall against the wall.

Opening up my eyes I'm back in the hospital. Aunt May is passed out on the couch while Uncle Johnny sits with her head in his lap asleep as well. I turn to my still body. I look strange like it's not really me. It doesn't look like me. My ears perk at a familiar hum. I begin to slowly follow it. Down the halls, the hum gets louder. I walk up the steps till I stand at the roof door. Whoever is producing this familiar hum is right on the other side of this door. It begins to get intense in my ear. Almost unbearable I push the door open and find a dark figure standing on the ledge. Humming. "Hello?"

"Abigail." The figure turns to face me after I am just a few feet away. David?! He drops before me with that bright smile of his. His arms wide open for me. I leap into his arms hugging him tightly. "David, I've missed you soo much!"

"I know Abby, I've missed you too."

"What are you doing here?!"

"To help you. Abigail, there is a woman that loves you and she might lose you."

"Who? Because from where I stand I don't feel anyone's love."

"You know who, Abigail. Tonight when Aunt May and Uncle Johnny go home she will come visit you. Fight for her, Abigail. Fight for her, if no one else then for her."

"I'm so tired of fighting David, I don't have the strength anymore..."

"But you have her. She will fight for you, trust me. She is the one you want by your side. Abigail, you need to go to her."

"I want to be with you. I miss you so much. Can't I stay with you?"

"Abigail..." He takes a step back and leans against the edge. I watch him look over it then back up at me. His eyes are sad, I know he wants me to be with him but he doesn't think it's my time. "I'm not going to tell you what to do. I never have. I'm going to give you your options, okay?"

"Alright...?"

"If you want to stay, feel a love that you never knew was possible then go back downstairs. But if you want to come with me then...then jump off this roof. Take all the time you need to decide." He twists his head over his shoulder as if he heard something. When he turns back to me he brings me into a tight hug. "I have to go, goodbye Abigail. I love you and always will."

"I love you too David."

"Oh and Abigail?"

"Yeah?"

"It wasn't your fault. It never was and they don't blame you. They love you, very much." He kisses my forehead then begins to fade away. I'm left on the roof with a big decision. I sit on the ledge looking down at the gourd. The sun begins to disappear behind the horizon. The sky's colors begin to twist into a darkness that seems to be almost black. The stars soon begin to appear but the moon continues to hide away for a while longer. A whisper enters my ear. "Abby? Abby, can you hear me?" I turn to the door and instead of being on the roof I sit in a chair in my room. Sara sits by my bedside holding my hand. Tears slip down her face as she looks at me. "Abby, I'm so sorry."

"Sara..."

"I love you, okay? I love you, Abigail. Do you hear me? So you have to fight for me just a while longer. Okay? And once you wake up I will be by your side fighting with you." She leans down and kisses my lips. I touch my lips feeling her soft mouth against them. "Sara, I love you too."

"Please, don't give up. Okay? Please." I watch her try to fight the tears that leak through her eyes. She kisses me again and stands up. "I have to get going. They don't know I'm in here." She doesn't move though, she stands there holding my hand tight.

"I'm scared to leave you. Scared you will give up and really leave me this time. Abigail. I left her, she is long gone. I promise. Just pull through this and we can get through this together. I love you."

"Sara, don't go! Please don't leave me!" She kisses me again and forces herself away from me. I watch her slip out the door looking back one last time. "I love you too, Sara. So much..." I look at my body and shake my head. A nurse walks in to check my vitals. "Hey Abigail, I hope you're doing fine tonight."

"I am, thank you."

"Seems like that pretty lady really likes you."

"You saw her? Please don't tell anyone."

"Don't worry sweetheart. I won't tell. Love deserves to play through til the end, not too many interruptions, and it seems to me that your love has been through the ringer a few times." I smile at her, I like this nurse. She looks down at me once she's done with kind eyes. "Sweetheart, you're going to have to fight like hell because there are so many people that need you. Don't worry though, you'll get the top notch help and I'll be there."

"Good, I want you there when I wake up." At that moment I sat there and realized that I will wake up. For Sara, for Ariel, for Aunt May and Uncle Johnny. I will wake up for them and they'll help me through it...I hope... My bodies chest begins to rise. "That's right, breathe. That's all I need to do right now. Breathe."