AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Thump. Thump.
“Micah?” I call out softly, my voice weak and hoarse.
“I'm here, baby. We're all here.”
Pressing my ear to Bennet's chest, I lift my hand and wave Micah over.
“Listen,” I whisper.
My gaze meets Micah's as he looks down at me sympathetically, his bloodshot eyes welling up with tears.
Thump. Thump.
My voice cracks, pleading. “Micah, please…”
He closes his eyes on a deep inhale, the tears spilling over on the exhale. Nodding sadly, pacifying me, he picks up a stethoscope from a nearby cart of medical supplies.
I can barely bring myself to move my ear a few inches to give him room, I am so desperate to hear my hallucination again.
Thump. Thump.
Micah's eyes widen and lock on mine. We hold our breaths and listen.
Thump. Thump.
“Is he…”
Micah shakes his head, “This is…I don't know. Sometimes the heart can keep beating after death, but I've never heard of it stopping and then starting again.”
Luis' voice startles me. I hadn't realized he was sitting so close behind me. “Wait, what? His heart is beating?”
“What?!” Both Lukas and Jackson speak at the same time, rushing over to surround the bed.
Micah speaks gently, cautiously. “No one should get their hopes up. It's most likely just electrical activity in the body.”
“Um…I'm pretty sure he's breathing,” Jackson points.
Keeping my hand on his chest, I hover my face above Bennet's mouth. Sure enough, I feel a faint breath against my lips. Tears, defying all odds of my dehydrated body, spill again, splashing over his face as I lightly kiss his face.
“This is…highly improbable, right?” Lukas asks Micah.
“Should be impossible, but considering how long he's been without circulation or oxygen, it's even less likely that he'll have any brain function.” If it's possible, Micah looks more depressed than before.
“But he's alive,” Jackson exclaims.
“That depends on what you consider alive. His heart is beating sluggishly, and he's barely breathing after flatlining and failing to be resuscitated. He was gone for nearly an hour. This happening at all should be inconceivable, but maintaining any brain function after all of this is beyond impossible. It would probably be kinder to him, and to us, if his body would just let go.” Micah’s eyes are brimming with tears, the words coming out strained as he holds back sobs.
“Maybe he can't let go, because he knows all of us are still holding on to him.”
Once again, everyone reaches out a hand to touch Bennet. After a few moments of silence, they back off a bit to let me have my space and time. If Bennet's heart is not likely to beat for much longer, I want to listen to every last beat he has. Even if he wouldn't know that I'm here, this is the closest thing I'll ever get to closure.
Bennet
Thump. Thump.
It feels like I'm being held down at the bottom of a pool, except the water is made of something thick and viscous. Like I'm swimming through sludge, thin enough to move through it, but thick enough for it to hold me down. It takes significant effort to pull myself up, to fight for oxygen, to will my sluggish heart to keep beating.
Thump. Thump.
