The Chains of Humanity | Levi Ackerman

Chapter 24: In Sickness and in Health

“Is she going to be alright?” Edvard murmured, sitting next to a plush bed as he held the pale limp hand of his wife.

“Remind me, Mr. Berlinsky,” another man who crouched over the pale woman murmured, checking her heartbeat with a stethoscope.  “How old is your wife?”

The noble stared down at his beloved, her eyes closed and her chest rising and falling ever so slightly, her breathing barely present.

“Thirty-one.” Edvard choked, his eyes lowering in concern.

“A pity…” the doctor sighed.  “So young, yet she doesn’t have much time left…”

The man readjusted his glasses, standing up from his spot as he gazed down at the sickly middle-aged woman.

“This will be my last visit,” he murmured as he folded his medical utensils away into his bag.  “I will leave you with some vitamins and supplements, but there is little you can do to save her from this illness.”

“Dr. Jaeger…” Edvard pleaded as the doctor turned to leave.

The man stopped in his tracks as he stood, his back facing the devastated noble.

“Mr. Berlinsky,” Dr. Jaeger addressed the man solemnly.

“Please tell me already…” Edvard whispered, pressing his lips against the woman’s cold fingers.  He gazed at her with tearful eyes, his once glimmering golden orbs now dulled to an old mustard color.  “What has she been suffering from in these past fifteen years…?”

Dr. Jaeger’s eyeglasses glinted in the dim light of sunset, his features grim and serious.

“There has only been two other cases of this disease,” the doctor murmured.  “And I wasn’t the one to treat them; they happened so long ago that the doctors who did deal with the patients have already died off.  Mr. Berlinsky.” Dr. Jaeger turned around slowly to face the hurting man that knelt beside his wife.  “Saika is suffering from takotsubo cardiomyopathy; also known as broken heart syndrome.”

Edvard choked again, his tears slipping from his eyes as his lowered his head in loss.  His shoulders heaved as he took deep breaths, his lip quivering as he shut his eyes tightly closed.

“Broken heart syndrome, huh…?” he whispered.  He cursed to himself.  “Why couldn’t it have been something like cancer…?”

“I’m very sorry, Mr. Berlinsky.” Dr. Jaeger turned back around, lowering his head as he ducked under the arch way that lead into the kitchen.  “But I estimate she only has about five years left on her hands.”

“Thank you…Dr. Jaeger…” Edvard wept, hearing the front door click shut as the doctor disappeared forever.  “Oh Saika…how come you’ve never loved me as you loved him…?”

A series of heavy footsteps thumped on the porch outside, the front door slamming open once more to reveal a rather sweaty paperboy.

“Mr. Berlinsky!” he gasped, leaning on the door frame as he swallowed in his dry throat.

“What is it…?” Edvard sighed, never taking his eyes off of her.  He sat there, kissing Saika’s hand as she remained in her shallow sleep.

“Word has gone out from the factory!” He coughed.  “The one fifty kilometers to the east!  It’s been exploded, sir!”

“Damn,” Edvard cursed under his breath.  Taking one last look at his sickly wife, the man reluctantly stood up and walked quickly over to the front door.  “Freddie,” he called to his remaining butler, “get a horse ready for me.  Riley will stay with the new maid – do you hear that, Riley!? – and take care of my wife.  In the meantime, I’ll be gone for three days, no more and no less.”