Give Me Courage (Give Me Series #4)

33 - Time of Death

"Miss—"

I rolled my eyes at the man's poor attempts. They'd have to drag my body out if they wanted me to leave. I ducked under his arm and ran to the window connected to his room. Dr. Geyer held the pads of a defibrillator in his hands while a nurse performed chest compressions. My breathing came out labored as I watched the scene unfold.

"He's flat-lining!" A nurse shouted from inside the room.

"Miss, please!" Garrett gently grabbed my bicep before I raced to the room. "You shouldn't be back here."

"Well, it's a little too late for that, Jared!" I snipped without tearing my gaze away from the window.

"Clear!" Dr. Geyer shouted before he placed the pads on Scott's bare chest.

Scott's body jerked from the shocks into his body. My eyes darted from his body to the heart monitor next to me.

"No, no, no!" I cried at the flatline of his heart.

Dr. Geyer glanced at the monitor. "Still asystole," He alerted the nurses. "Continue chest compressions and charge to three-sixty."

The nurses obeyed his commands.

"Miss, please."

Garrett successfully managed to pull me from the window with his strong grasp on my shoulders, yet careful not to harm me. I kept my strength at a human's range as I allowed him to drag me away while I pretended to struggle against his strength.

"No, no! Please! You have to save him!" I cried out, loud enough for the entire floor to hear me.

"Clear!"

The view of Scott's body on the stretcher was blocked by the nurses who fought to keep him alive. Garrett led me further away from the room.

"Scott! Scott!" I screamed his name. I twisted in the nurse's hold and loosened his grip on my shoulders. My body darted to the opened door of the room.

Dr. Geyer lowered his head. "I'm calling it. Time of death 2102 hours," he announced. "Would someone please page Melissa McCall?"

My knees hit the ground first as the breath was knocked out of me. A heart wrenching scream filled the open air of the emergency room when I heard the words leave his mouth. Dr. Geyer's face softened when he saw me uncontrollably weeping on the floor by the room.

"Can I just— Can I—" My hands clenched into fists on the floor as I peered up at him.

Garrett reappeared by my side. "Miss—"

Dr. Geyer held a hand out. "It's okay, Garrett. Let her see him."

I sucked in a deep breath and weakly climbed to my feet. The nurses in the room moved out of my way until I reached Scott's left side. I shakily grabbed Scott's hand in mine once more, sobbing harder at the lifelessness of his body.

"Scott, no," I whimpered. "Please don't leave me. I-I can't do this without you."

The nurses began to file out of the room as Dr. Geyer moved to stand behind me with his hand gently laid on my shoulder. "I'm so sorry, Chloe. I know you two were close," he whispered before he stood outside of the room to wait for Mrs. McCall.

I gently stroked Scott's cheek with my free hand. "Please wake up," I pleaded, chin shaking uncontrollably. "Please, Scott. You can't— You can't be dead."

Large teardrops splattered on the pillow underneath his head. Part of my forehead pressed against his as I loudly sobbed, mourning over the death of my friend.