Faith
"Caroline."
It is night, but she won't leave. She hasn't left in days, and forgotten what shifts are – her voice is still patient, still strong.
"Yes, sir."
All he can offer is lamplight, darkness, heavy breathing. But who cares – who gives a damn, as long as she is there. They went past this ages ago. For him, at least – he wonders what it must be like for her, maybe for the first time.
"You know, I- I am going."
He had never acknowledged this as a fact. She lets his hand grab hers, and the grip, if shaky, has not changed.
"Caroline… science matters. Please – "
Her hand moves, mechanically, to the blister pack nearby. He waves in irritation, and she understands what was already obvious.
"- please promise me… stay… I believe-"
The light in his eyes is fastly going out; but hers widen, motionless. Humans need facts, not words – and yet, somehow, it almost felt like a wish. An ending, maybe; or something in between, something she finds herself waiting for, and that cannot come anymore.
She lets that silence last, filling it with her own possibilities, before calling the security.
She needs much to believe in.
I tried going for 100 words, but they just weren't enough. Flash one-shot, then.