She had no idea what it was like. She was the smartest woman Cave knew, but she had no idea what it felt like to die. Cave, on the other hand, did know and he wasn't about to let her find out for herself. He didn't care what she wanted, he just cared about keeping her safe; Even if she was going to hate him for it.
He'd already told her the plan. He'd announced it to everyone; She was going to be put into a machine so that she could live forever. It was the greatest gift anyone could give. Immortality. But she didn't seem to see it that way.
Well, she was wrong. He knew best, didn't he? His mind was the only thing still intact, but even then he was beginning to doubt himself. Every day he looked thinner, older, sadder...every day he coughed harder, and every day he was constantly reminded of how little time he had left with her. It was enough to make any man slowly lose his mind.
She wasn't going to go through this. No matter how much she protested, it wasn't happening. She was getting put in a damn computer whether she wanted it or not. She didn't understand. She had no idea what it meant to suffer.
She hadn't spoken to him since he told her. He'd called her names when she refused; insisted that her opinion didn't matter. She had slapped him and left. She'd certainly never done that before. Maybe the sickness was changing him after all.
"Mr. Johnson...?" that familiar soft voice drifting through his office door caused him to spin around, seeing her there in the doorway. He'd been so absorbed in his thoughts that he hadn't even heard the door open.
He looked up at her silently. Her mascara was smeared down her face, though it looked like she had tried to clean it up atleast once. There were already new tears welling up in her eyes.
He was rarely at a loss for words, but he had already hurt her enough. Besides, he was far too exhausted for another argument. It was her turn to speak for once.
However, she looked just as speechless. After what felt like the longest few seconds of eye contact he had ever experienced, the girl had simply thrown herself into his arms. She wasn't even trying to hide the tears anymore.
He hated seeing her so upset, but he couldn't deny that it felt nice for once. Being able to hold her and protect her made him feel strong again...he didn't feel like a weak and vulnerable dying man, but like the man he used to be. Like the man he wanted to be for her. The man who could protect her.
Which was exactly what he was going to do. Any doubts that came from their previous argument faded away in that instant. Death wasn't going to keep him from protecting her. She was never going to feel the way he felt. She was going in the damn computer, whether she wanted to or not.