Falling like the rain outside, it glistens like liquid diamonds. Softly and quietly crying, the sky sheds its pain. Rolling down the expanse of beauty, the tears glow bright. Sadness envelopes as wetness touches skin; salty puddles born of agony. The pain is too much and the eyes cry the tears of anguish that the soul is screaming to drown…
How could this be happening?
Why was this happening?
What was he supposed to do now?
The room was stark white and the beeping of machines filled his ears. He could hear doctors whispering about her in the corner. Whitney had her hand and he felt the emotion begin to rise.
"How is she?" he heard himself say.
Whitney turned at the sound of his voice. "Um, she's hanging in for now." Ethan nodded, swallowing the lump in his throat. He walked towards Theresa's bed, trying his best to look past the equipment around her. "I'll… uh… I'll leave you two alone," Whitney said as she left Theresa's side.
Ethan stood for a minute after Whitney closed the door. He stared at her helpless form. She looked so feeble, so weak. It hurt him to see her like this.
He sat next to her then, taking her soft hand in his. It was scary the way she looked like she was sleeping. He wished that she was just sleeping. That would mean that she wouldn't be lying in a hospital bed fighting of her life.
"I'm so sorry," he said to her rapidly. "My God, I'm so sorry. This is all my fault." The tears fought themselves through his walls. "You-- you need to fight this, okay? Theresa, you need to fight. Your son needs you. Your daughter needs you. Our daughter needs you… I need you…" Ethan stopped, tying to control tears that he couldn't stop anymore. "I-- I love you, Theresa. God knows I've never stopped. Please-- Theresa, you-- you can't die. You can't! I.. I don't know what I'd do if I lost you. I can't… I can't lose you." His breathing had become uneasy between his tears and he tried the best he could to hide it. Nothing worked and he finally caved.
Ethan put his head down on Theresa's hand and let the sobs come. The beeping in the room echoed around him and amongst him muffled cries.
Moments passed and the tears continued to fall. Suddenly, the machines no longer were making their rhythmic beeps.
The alarm sounded.
Something was wrong…
Ethan shot up, his face wet, and looked to the machines for an answer.
That's when he saw it.
She flat lined…
Her heart had finally stopped.
Doctors crashed through the door and immediately took control. A nurse threw a frantic Ethan out and told him to wait outside. He managed to catch a glimpse of Theresa before the door shut in his face. Maybe one of the last.
Whitney was going crazy and Ethan couldn't help but blame himself.
"She can't die!" Whitney cried. "She can't die!"
Ethan held her and tried not to scream out in agony as the horrible realization finally hit him.
She was gone
He had lost her… forever…
Agonizing minutes of stress and uncertainty passed when a doctor finally emerged from within Theresa's room. Ethan and Theresa both ran to him, trying to read his face for any indication; disprove the horrible thought.
"How is she?" Whitney and Ethan both asked. "How's Theresa?"
The doctor, an older man with thinning hair looked them both very seriously. "She's okay… for now. We were able to stabilize her, but I don't know if she'll come back if that were to happen again."
"Thank God," Ethan whispered.
"We're gonna do everything we can to make sure she remains stable, at least for the next 48 hours." The doctor explained Theresa's weak condition when a nurse came out of Theresa's room.
"Doctor?" she interrupted politely. "There's something I think you should see."
The nurse's words terrified Ethan and Whitney. "What's the matter?" Ethan asked.
"Excuse me," the doctor said as he went back into the room for a minute. Ethan and Whitney immediately became worried.
What if Theresa was in trouble again?
The two minutes the doctor was gone were excruciatingly long. The worst thoughts flooded Theresa's friends' minds and panic set in.
Finally, the doctor returned.
"How is she?" asked Ethan.
"Is everything alright?" Whitney wanted to know.
The doctor passed them a somber look and hesitantly, he smiled at them. "She's fine. She's fine," he smiled again. "She's awake."
Ethan and Whitney's faces were immediately illuminated.
"My God," Whitney gasped. "She's awake! She's really awake!"
"Yes," the doctor began. "She seems to be doing just fine right now.
"Thank God!" Ethan cried.
The doctor nodded happily and smiled at Ethan. "She's asking for you."
Surprise crossed Ethan's face. "She's asking for me?"
"Yes. She said she wanted to see you."
Ethan didn't know what to say. It took a minute for his legs to get the message but he immediately went to Theresa.
He stood in the doorway when she noticed him there. "Ethan…," she sighed.
Ethan smiled and walked to the bed, taking her hand. "You're awake. Thank God. I was so afraid…"
Theresa stared at him as the silence washed between them. "I had a dream. I dreamt that we had a daughter."
Ethan nodded. "It wasn't a dream. We do have a daughter. She's our little girl."
"She's our daughter…," Theresa repeated. Ethan smiled at her and looked down at their interlocked hands. "I dreamt something else, too."
"What?" Ethan asked.
"I dreamt that you told me… you loved me…" Theresa waited for his response and it seemed like an eternity before he did.
"That wasn't a dream either. I do…"
Theresa smiled at him and a single tear fell from her eye. Ethan leaned in and traced it away, feeling the softness of her skin.
"I love you, Theresa. I love you…"
The End