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"I have to do those things I want to before--before--"

I pulled her hand out of my shirt and ran back to one talking to the after-hours urgent care and just called 911

When I got back to her rooain

Goddamn it

I scooped her up in my arms, blanket and all, and shouted co an a to wait for the the tiolf cart, I scooped her up and carried her across the footbridge And daht that it was hardly a burden at all

My gut twisted with fear and worry She was stirring against ht away," I said

She wasso that I could hardly hear her "I don’t want to but… going to die I deserve it, after what I did…"

Everything insideelevator Nausea made my head swim, but I sed it and concentrated on what I had to do In short e frourney, buckling her in I squeezed into the back of the ambulance beside her and we sped away

Hours later, I rubbedand she lay peacefully in a hospital roo into her arm She was still and pale and hadn’t stirred since we’d arrived The doctor had said it was dehydration and exhaustion She’d had a bad reaction to the newby to exa For now, sedated and hydrated, she was safe and stable And I was a wreck

I deserve it after what I did Her words rolled around and around in ut like a boulder Was she losing her will to live?

My face sank to ainst my eyes I was lost, with no idea what to do Physically, for now, she was going to be okay But her as flagging And if she lost her fight, who kneould happen?

An hour later she stirred, her eyes cracking open She turned her head to me "Adam," she croaked

I closed my hand over hers "I’ on her cracked lips "You’re always here"

I didn’t have anything to say to that so I just squeezed her hand

"What happened? Why am I in the hospital?"

"You had a bad reaction to the new ot dehydrated You don’t re all over the bathroo out That’s about it Is that how you found oddamn button, please?"

She frowned "I think I actually was trying to but I thought about it too late I was being stubborn"