Until Death Do Us Part

Chapter 6 ~ Butterflies

He kneeled down and shook her again, this time a little bit harder, just enough not to hurt her. However, she still didn't wake. He grabbed her wrist and tried to find her pulse, only to be met with her silently cold skin. His arms dropped in realization, and his face fell into her lap while he began to. He sobbed and sobbed until he couldn't breathe. His body heaved with every short breath that he managed to take. He sat there and cried for what felt like hours, before finally getting up. He walked out of the room only to be met with the doctor. When he tried to make out the right words, he was only able to choke another sob and he fell to his knees. The nurse raced around the counter and grabbed him, holding him tightly. She understood immediately, motioning to the other nurses on duty to go into the room behind him. She held him close, caressing his head while he drenched her scrubs in tears. After a while, she helped him up and held him up to a chair. She gave him a glass of water and a straw.
        "Drink up. You need to replenish all of that water you've lost."
He nodded, but didn't say anything, lifting the straw to his mouth and gulping down the liquid until it was gone.
        "I diagnosed her, you know? She came to me last year."
Chris couldn't get any words out, so he acknowledged her with a stare.
        "She wouldn't have wanted you to cry so hard. She was a strong girl who mastered tough love." She said with a loving smile in which you could read her reminiscence all over her face. She looked up, becoming emotional.
        "Get some rest, kid." She said before walking away. Chris noticed her wiping away a tear as she turned around. 
        The next few days were rough. In fact, rough was an understatement. Chris spent the days locked up in his room, doing nothing but sleeping. He dodged every call that he got, no matter who it was from. He spent weeks just in his house. He would go days at a time without eating or drinking. One call stuck out in particular though, and that was Eleanor's doctor. After finally getting fed up with the constant phone calls, he finally picked up.
        "Chris! Are you okay? Why haven't you been answering me?" She asked accusingly.
        "I don't know. I'm okay." he stated, pain stricken.
        "You shouldn't stay inside all day. I want you to do me a favor, okay? Go outside and go on a walk to clear your head." She said sweetly.
Chris thought for a moment before deciding that it wouldn't hurt to get some air.
        "Alright, I will." He said while hanging up, not giving her a chance to reply.
He got up and slid out of bed. He didn't bother to change out of his sweatpants and hoodie that he had had on for the last 3 days. He grabbed his earbuds off of his nightstand and then his phone, and slowly shuffled himself out of his room. He slid his slides on and slid his feet one by one out of the door.