The tires screeched, and the brakes squealed as Pete flung out his arm to protect his husband. Luckily, his husband wasn't hurt.
But he was.
Trigger warning,, not suicide, not murder, but beware.
***
The steady beeping of Pete's heart monitor was the only thing keeping Patrick from going crazy. As long as it was beeping, Pete was alive. Well, almost.
Pete's been in a coma for 9 weeks. Ever since that car crash. Of course, Pete had saved Patrick. But that didn't stop Patrick from wishing he was the one on the hospital bed.
But he's not, and he can't change that, so he stayed by Pete's side all day and all night, hoping for a miracle.
***
5 months is a long time, especially when you're waiting for the love of your life to wake up from a coma. But, Patrick waited. Wouldn't you wait, too?
***
You know how you can become impatient, because everything is taking too long? You know how you just want everything to be back the way it was, before your life got flipped upside down? Well, that's how Patrick felt after 17 months of staying in the hospital with Pete.
17 months.
Patrick was tired. He was exhausted, actually. He, mentally, could not wait anymore. He was tired of showering with hospital soap. He was tired of eating off-brand pudding from the cafeteria. He was tired of this, whatever that was.
***
Pete came across a busy intersection. Cars were coming from all directions, rushing past each other like they were NASCAR's.
But someone was calling his name, over and over. That person was across the street. He needed to get to that person, so he cautiously started walking across the road, stopping when a car got close. About halfway across, he saw the person's face.
Patrick.
That was his husband! Pete ran the remaining distance, but he didn't pay attention. But when another car hit him, he didn't feel any pain, he only saw a bright light before everything was over.
"No, no no no no no, No, this isn't right, this isn't right." Patrick was sobbing, squeezing his body to reduce the shakes that were coming in uncontrollable waves.
Pete's heart monitor stopped beeping, and the only sound coming from the machine was a long, drawn out tone, signaling that a life had ended.
Doctors came rushing in from every direction, some carrying oxygen, others carrying more IV fluid.
But Patrick just stood there. Everything he lived for was gone. It was snatched from him, before he could even begin to taste the sweetness of it.
I guess life can be unfair like that.