heartbeats
typicalhigh
The lights in the isolation lab flick out, one by one with a mechanical grind that rings through the glass walls and still, antiseptic air with a note of finality. In the unfamiliar darkness Tony finds himself intensely aware of the blood thrumming in his veins, pulse there beneath clammy and pale skin; the sound of Kate's gentle breaths close by, languid and steady, in and out. His own heartbeat sounds unfamiliar in his ears - all these flickering, shimmering reminders of life that he'd taken for granted for so long do.
He rolls over, takes Kate's hand in his and remembers to breathe.