Sixty Beats Per Minute

Chapter 22

Adrien, Alya, and Nino all gathered in the hospital room that night to eat dinner that they had brought from the dining hall. They have decided to make this a nightly thing so that the four of them can have dinner together for the remainder of Marinette's time. The four friends chatted amongst each other, laughing and playing games for the hours that felt more like seconds.

"We might need to leave soon," Alya straightened up her deck of cards, "Visiting hours are almost over"

Adrien frowned, "You two can go on ahead, I'll meet you out there"

Once Alya and Nino were out of the room, Marinette held her hand out to Adrien, who took it without hesitation.

"Adrien," she whispered, "I'm not ready to leave. I don't want to die, there's so many things in life that I don't want to miss out on. I just want this damn disease to stop destroying my body"

Adrien took a heavy breath. He came closer to her until his forehead touched hers, their heat combining with one another like two gentle flames.

"You and me both, Marinette"

The young couple looked down at their intertwined hands in silence. Adrien gently ran his thumb along the top of her hand, feeling the bumpiness of the bandage that separated her skin from his. Adrien closed his eyes and leaned in, allowing his lips to lightly touched hers. Marinette kissed back without a fight. She moved her free hand to the back of his head, her arm trembling from lack of strength. Adrien longed to kiss her for the last couple minutes he had before visiting hours were over.

Or, if he could hold his breath forever, he would never pull away from the kiss.

01:01:59

Weeks have passed since the night Marinette was put into the hospital. The timer on Adrien's wrist began counting seconds now. One day, one hour, and fifty-nine seconds was the time on his wrist. As time went by and he visited Marinette everyday, more and more machines were attached to her body.

Visiting hours weren't even over for the night, but Adrien, Alya, and Nino left anyways. Marinette wasn't awake, and Adrien couldn't bear seeing her hooked up to the same machines he saw attached to his mother. Neither of them said a thing as they walked through the dark parking lot to reach the car.

Adrien couldn't speak, he was too numb. He felt as if the entire world had collapsed on top of him. He would do anything to have more time with her, and that was the only thing he wanted. And he knew that tomorrow, Marinette would still be unconscious. But he still needed to visit her anyways. He had to be there for her in her final hours, even if she wouldn't be able to feel his presence, because Adrien wasn't there in his mother's last moments. Even if Emilie would have wanted him to be, he just couldn't. He couldn't watch his mother die in front of him.

~

When he opened the door to his bedroom, Adrien didn't bother changing into his pajamas. He knew he wasn't going to get any sleep today, he hasn't gotten sleep for at least a week. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw either Marinette or his mother with machines inserted into their pale, motionless bodies. The fact that Marinette reminded him of his mother did not help at all.

Adrien dragged his feet over to his bed, slumped down on the mattress, and buried his face into his pillow. Marinette's scent from that time she spent the night with him still lingered weakly in the pillow sheet. He inhaled deeply through the pillow sheet, trying desperately to take in as much of her scent as he could and imprint it into his memory.

Alya had been spending the night at Adrien and Nino's apartment for the past two weeks. She couldn't sleep in her dorm knowing that Marinette had not come home to spend another night with her. Their door hasn't even been touched ever since. Alya always slept on the couch, because her and Nino both knew that Adrien was in love with Marinette and didn't want to make him feel even worse.

Alya and Marinette had grown to be best friends over the short amount of time they had gotten to know each other, and she was not ready to say goodbye. Marinette had sparked great joy into her, Nino's, and Adrien's lives. When Adrien was with Marinette, her and Nino have never seen him so happy before. Without her, things will never be the same again.

~•~

The heart monitor still took in her heartbeat by the time Adrien returned to the hospital. Her heart rate was still normal and resting一beating at sixty beats per minute. At least for now, though she had such little time left. Two minutes left.

Adrien held her hand in his, the palm of his hand underneath hers so he can keep an eye on his timer. He delicately squeezed her hand, as if trying to tell her that he's still here with her. He wasn't sure if she could feel it, but he needed some way of reassuring her.

"Marinette," his lips began to quiver, "You probably can't hear me, but I... I hope you know that you were the best thing that has happened to me"

A pair of twin rivers raced rapidly down his face, his lips pulling back into an aching cringe that clenched his jaw tightly. His hand trembled madly underneath hers like the vibrato motion of a string musician. He held his free hand to his mouth as he choked through his tears. He wanted to say more, but his words had been replaced with sobs.

Marinette's fingers closed lightly around his hand, squeezing it so gently that he could barely even feel it. She was so weak, but she used what little strength she had to show him she's still alive. That she knows he's there, and she can hear him. Adrien's tears only cascaded faster as his breathing grew rapid, his chest heaving with each burst of oxygen he took in. He shot another glance at his timer, the short digits only intensifying the trembles of his body.

00:05

Adrien squeezed her hand a little bit tighter, but still kept his grip gentle.

00:04

"I... I have something to tell you," he said shakily.

00:03

He had to tell her. He hasn't said those words to her once.

00:02

"Marinette, I..."

00:01

"...love you"

00:00

The heart monitor grew blank, and that very gentle squeeze around Adrien's hand faded away.

Through his everlasting river of tears, Adrien noticed some pink writing on the bandaged hand that he held. She must have gotten a nurse to write it for her, because she was incapable of writing a single letter. Or even holding a pen. He rotated her hand to read it, and those words didn't help stop his tears one bit.

Bye bye, little butterfly.