What He Wouldn't Give (Unedited Version)

Chapter Twenty-Three: The Kill (30 Seconds To Mars Reference)

Chapter 23... The Kill (30 Seconds To Mars Reference)

The gentle hum of the machines sounded throughout the night as the heart rate monitor showed a steady heart rate. The sound of a collision rang through the room in an instant and the loud noise of a flat lining monitor sounded off. The doctors ran into the room and the shouting began. Just before the heart monitor showed a final flat line his eyes opened.

Eli woke with a start and rolled over into bed and shut his eyes again trying to sleep as he saw the clock read 12:01am.

He heard voices around him not sure what was going on. The voices were loud and people were shouting and running around yet he couldn't open his eyes. Machines were beeping along with voices coming in and out of hearing range. Muffled whispers and shouts mixed as one person walked closer the other walked away.

Sitting up in bed gasping for air, Eli shook his head and told himself to the dream didn't mean anything. He got up and drown an eight-ounce glass of water and crawled back into bed at the house. Luke had come home and Eli just thought he was getting used to having him around the house.

Eli was staring up at the sky and then dirt began to fall on him and he tried to scream for help. He couldn't move something was wrong. The dirt became heavy holding him in place even though he couldn't move. The sky soon became black as Eli couldn't see anymore and he struggled to breathe. His mind screamed 'HELP!', yet he couldn't do anything but wish this was over. The scene changed and he was dressing in a suit and tie, his hair was combed and he was lying in a coffin. A strange man came over to the coffin and say some incoherent words and looked Eli directly in the eye and said something else before shutting the coffin with a loud bang.

Waking up sweating Eli's alarm clock was going off. His pushed his hair back revealing his white forehead and it was wet from sweat and Eli thanked god he didn't sleep with a shirt on otherwise it would have been soaked. Pushing the covers back, Eli sliding out of bed walked into the bathroom and turned on the water to the shower and stripped stepping into the gentle scream of cold water.

After his shower, Eli looked at the calendar by his computer and saw that today was the day Luke was driving off to California to see the special he was told he had to see for a checkup and the two of them could afford the expenses of flying to California for a day and back. Shaking all the last dream out of his head Eli faintly remembered waking up several times that night. Ever since the last round of the contest about a month ago Luke had moved in and seemed to be recovering almost too well and he had managed to stay away from the alcohol, but Eli wasn't convinced that he would stay sober and before too long he would slip up by drinking again putting the whole surgery to waste.

The whole economic side of the surgery was a struggle as Eli had to work paycheck to paycheck and was barely surviving as he had to make certain payments even if they were little. Eli had to get going if he was going to make it to work on time at the radio station. He had the job for almost three months now. He rode his longboard down the streets and into the town next to his little town and clocked into work at exactly eight. Work went from eight to five every day of the week and starting the job in the middle of the contest had been hectic for Eli and he was grateful that the radio station producer encouraged Eli while the contest was going and was happy so see Eli have some success in his life after hearing everything about Luke. Luke woke up shortly after Eli had gotten to work.

Luke called the doctor letting him know he was making the trip out and he got into the truck that the two of the boys surprisingly still had even though Eli never seemed to drive and Luke had been in the hospital for months. Getting into the truck Luke began his drive. It was a long drive as they lived on the east coast and had to go to the west. The drive was just over thirty hours and Luke was planning to drive straight until he felt tired.