Your Eyes
Roger:
The phone buzzing in my pocket was doing nothing to help my nerves. I had turned off the ringing to prevent the people I was running past from staring, but the vibrations were still there. My vision was blurred by my own tears, not a good thing when crossing busy New York City roads, but I kept running anyway. The buzzing in my pocket continued; "I'll be there when I can" I muttered through gritted teeth.
A few days earlier Mimi had woken up with a horrible fever. We'd rushed her to hospital, an idea she'd hated but understood the need for. Doctors had tried their best to save her, stuffing her full of antivirals, but now it seemed her time was up.
I had stayed by her side the entire time, only leaving when Mark had made me go get some rest. Judging by the still unanswered phone I my pocket though, it looked like that had been a bad time to leave.
I didn't see the point in answering Marks call. There was only one reason he would bother; bad news. So instead I was running through the busy streets, desperate to reach her, needing to say goodbye. April had not left me a chance to say goodbye, I wouldn't cope if I missed my chance to farewell Mimi as well.
The buzzing stopped and so did I. 'Mimi' I whispered. It was the only thing I was able to say, the only thing I was able to think. She wasn't gone yet, she couldn't be. There was a chance I could still make it in time. But then the buzzing restarted and I knew; it wasn't just a need to say goodbye, it was Mimi I needed. There was no way I could survive with out her.
So I stopped where I was. Stopped crossing the road. Reaching Mimi didn't matter anymore, whether she was alive or gone wasn't important. There was no chance of her recovering, no chance of me seeing her pretty brown eyes smiling at me as she returns home from work. No chance I would ever see the light dancing as her hair reflects the moonlight. No chance that I would ever find my song again.
That's why I stopped. Not just reaching Mimi, not just running, not just crying. That's why I stopped everything.