CHAPTER 37 days have passed since the shooting, Jamie's birthday was in 2 more. Everyone surrounded her room, hoping something different would happen. Officers stood outside her room guarding. Jamie still stood by her side, holding her hand.
Jamie watched as everyone watched her and prayed over her. This is exactly what she didn't want. She didn't want people to feel bad for her.
Flashback: SQUAD CAR
"Ok, I added you to my emergency list," Eddie said as she hopped into the squad car along with Jamie.
Jamie gave her a confused look, "I thought you said you didn't trust me?"
"I don't, but you're always with me and, well I kinda trust you." She told him.
He smirked a laugh, "well, if you get hurt, I'm going to be with you so, I might be hurt as well"
"Shut up" she laughed, "oh also" she started getting more serious, "if I'm somehow dying or something like that and I'm a vegetable hooked up to machines, please don't leave me there so people feel bad for me and stare at me while I'm, well you know, dead."
Jamie's facial expressions changed, "wait, I'm the one who has to pull the plug?"
She nodded at him and she could see him getting nervous.
"Oh my god, I'll probably never happen, you don't have to worry. But give me at least a day and then pull it."
"You are so confident in this."
"Jamie, I'm serious," she told him.
He laughed, "2 days got it"
"Thank you," she said confidently which made both of them laugh.
End of Flashback.
"I have to," Jamie said standing up.
"Have to what?" Danny asked confused.
"I have to pull the plug," Jamie said frustrated
Danny stood up and grabbed his arm and pull him down on the chair, "you are not pulling that damn plug, do you hear me?" he scolded. "She'll wake up, you have to give it time," he told him more gentle.
"AND WHAT IF SHE DOESN'T?" he screamed and he voice went quieter, "She doesn't want to be watched, she doesn't want people to see her like this and feel bad for her. This isn't Eddie. She isn't happy go lucky, she's laying in a bed with a breathing machine, tubes, and needles all over her. I can't watch her any longer." he ranted, "She thinks that nobody is waiting for her. I'm waiting for her and she's not waking up. I love her and I never got to tell her. She's gone Danny and I'm just making her suffer even more by leaving her on this damn machine."
"Jamie, you are not pulling that plug yet," Frank said as he walked into the room.
"She doesn't want to be seen like this. This isn't her." he said getting choked up, "she is the most happy go lucky person and seeing her like this. I need a break" Jamie said walking out of her room to the vending machine.
The vending machine was refusing to accept Jamie's money. He was annoyed and frustrated. Seeing Eddie hooked up to tubes, cold and the color drained from her body killed him. Everything seemed to be going downhill. He smacked the machine thinking something might work, but nothing did. He took all his frustrations out on the machine and sunk down to the floor. He could care less about his Water, The only thing on his mind was Eddie.
Danny was talking to Frank when he walked back into the room. Eddie still had no change in movement. Jamie took a seat next to the bed and held her hand and rubbed it with his thumb. The heart monitor started to change, the beeping sound came out of rhythm which startled Jamie and everyone else that was in the room. A nurse walked in with a stethoscope and took her heartbeat. "No change, it was just ventilator doing something weird. Did you happen to do anything with those papers yet? The doctor needs them." she told him
Jamie knew one way or another he was going to have to sign them. He took the pen, looked back at Eddie and rubbed his face. He couldn't stand to see her like that anymore. He swiped his signature across the paper.
"Jamie, wait, stop," Danny said as he put his hand on the clipboard. "Are you really giving up on her that easy?" he asked in concern.
He looked at Eddie and back at Danny, "She's not giving up without a fight, but I can't just leave her here like that." he handed over the papers to the nurse. "It's all up to her now," he said with a sigh and sat back down next to her.
THE NEXT DAY:
Jamie stayed with Eddie all night, talking to her, holding her hand and taking in every facial feature and all her movements. The doctor said they would be in by 12 pm to take her off life support. The nerves ran through Jamie like a waterfall. He was the one to make the decision whether everyone else liked it or not. It was her decision to make and he wanted to respect them.
Her chest was still rising and falling at the same rate. Her finger would move around Jamie's palm every so often and that gave a bit of hope. He wanted to be able to see that same happy go lucky Eddie again. Jamie was torn at the part that she was never able to tell her how he felt, that she thought that nobody was there waiting for her.
"I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere. Okay? I love you, don't ever doubt that I don't. Just because I've never said it doesn't mean I've never meant it."
Renzulli walked in closer to 10:45 am. "Still no change?" he asked saddened.
Jamie didn't take his off of her, "no" he said close to a whisper. "I'm taking her off life support," He said quietly.
Renzulli's eyes looked like they were going to bug out. "Jamie, please, you can't know it too early. People usually wait weeks to do this kind of stuff," he said trying to convince him.
"She told me when she put me as her emergency contact to wait two days, it's been eight. There has been no change in her body movement, she's still not moving. At this point I'm doing what I want, I'm not respecting what she wants." he told him and put his hands in his face, " I don't want today to be the last time I can see her." Jamie said as his eyes became watery. "This isn't Eddie. This isn't what she wants," he told him as he let a tear escape.
There were officers still outside guarding her door. Friends were there to say their goodbyes. Jamie was the only one who didn't leave the room. The room was bright, filled with flowers and balloons.
The nurse came in at 12 and excused everyone that was there out of the room. "Are you ready?" she asked with concern.
Jamie shook his head no and held her hand. He was too choked up to speak. The nurse started with the feeding tubes and fluids that were in her arms. She gently pulled them out. Jamie continued to hold onto her hand. She started to remove the ventilator when Jamie spoke, "wait for a second, stop,"
"Sir,"
"Please, just wait a second." he told her, "Eddie, please," he begged as he held her hand in both of his.
"Ready?" the nurse asked politely.
Jamie did not respond, he just watched. She started to take the tube from out of her mouth. The sound of the velcro made Jamie cringe. He didn't want to believe that this was the last time. The heart machine was still turned on.
She started to remove the tube from her mouth. As she was pulling it from her throat, she gagged on the tube. The heart machine started to beep like crazy as it started to go flatlined.
"Eddie, please" Jamie begged as tears ran down his face. "Please Eddie, please, don't do this," he said as the line continued to go flatlined.
