After: a Maxerica Story

Part 7

wow. I haven't written this story for a month. Please please please don't hate me! I'm sososososososososososososososo sorry. I really missed writing but I didn't have time. Eek. If I make a mistake with characters or there's a hitch in the plot, don't mind it. bring it to my attention but don't be rude- I've forgetten some stuff.

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"Gerad?"

As soon as I walk into the hospital room Breanne's laying in, her rough, cracking voice fills my ears. The moment I see her, I run to her side.

"Breanne..." I breathe, taking in the sight of her. "Are you okay? How hurt are you? Can you-"

"Shh," she whispers, placing a finger to my lips. My eyes widen a bit as she opens her mouth wider, as if to speak. There's more than one tooth missing.

"My God Breanne, what did he do to you?"

"I threw the first punch Gerad, it's my fault..."

And then something horrible happens.

She coughs.

Blood.

I have to cover my mouth to keep from crying out. The tears in her eyes say enough- she's in pain. Lots of it. There has to be a way for her to be relieved from the pain.

Her voice stratchy and weak, she murmurs, "Please don't be upset at anyone. I want you to see what happened, but I don't want you to do anything about it. Okay?"

I nod, unable to form words.

She turns around so her back is facing me. "Unbutton a few buttons near the middle of my back," she commands, lying her head down on the pillow.

I do as she says, trying to force the heat coming onto my face back down. I continue to unbutton until I start to see a deep red slash in her back. Holding my breath, I move the the hospital gown off her skin and let out a noise I didn't think was possible.

Fresh blood stains her skin, marking the area of the long, thin wound through the lower half of her back. 

"Breanne!" I exclaim, turning her gently to face me. "Why aren't the doctors taking care of this?"

"Because," she whispers, blood dripping down her chin from her last coughing session, "they can't fix it, Gerad."

"Why not?" I cry in despair, not caring about the tears filling my eyes.

"It punctured my lung. I'm not going to make it. I'm dying." Her voice is barely audible over the blood roaring in my ears. A tear slips down her cheek and I wipe it away.

"No, Breanne. You're not dying. You're not going to die. We're going to fix this. I promise you, I swear. You won't die."

"I told the doctors not to even try to fix me. I don't want them to."

"Why not?" I ask, confused.

"I'd have to have surgery. I'd need a new lung, or whatever they'd have to do. There's no way I would make it out alive... and even if I did, I wouldn't be able to breathe half the time and I'd be paralyzed for the rest of my life." She hesitates. "It's not worth it to me. My time has come, Gerad. Just accept that."

The tears stream freely now; my vision blurs. "But Breanne..."

And I say what I should've said a while ago.

"I love you."

She looks up at me so helplessly, and I can only imagine what is going through her mind. She coughs again, getting blood on me but I ignore it.