In My Time of Dying

Praying for a Miracle

The three of them all walk silently towards the ICU, pushing open the doors and walking through the ward to see Dec's family, Lisa, Ant, and Ali all stood around his bed - and by the looks of their faces, there was not a dry eye in sight.

Dec hesitated as they approached, not entirely sure if he really wanted to witness this. The angel sensed his hesitation and came to a halt beside him.

"You see: they have already accepted that you're dying, and they are ready to say goodbye" his gravelly voice observed, watching the group ahead with a curiously sad expression.

Dec said nothing; he just continued to watch the group of people in front of them - his own eyes turning sad.

"I will let you stay with them, until your time comes" the angel continued, resting a supportive hand on his shoulder.

Turning back to face his father, a questioning look in his eyes now, Dec raised an eyebrow.

Alphonse shook his head.

"This is your time, son. I've had mine already" he answered the unspoken question.

Dec nodded in response and slowly walked over to the group.

His sisters and brothers all say their goodbyes together. The girls are unable to stop their tears, while his brothers are trying their hardest to keep their own emotions under control - and failing miserably, Dec noted with a sad smile.

Then, they stood back as Anne stepped forward. She wrapped her arms across her baby boy and gave him one last hug.

"I love you, darling. We always will" she whispered brokenly, before pressing a final kiss to his hair as she stood back. Eammon put an arm around her shoulders and she turned into his chest, shoulders shaking as she let herself cry.

He found himself tearing up a little at the sight.

Ali is next: she sits next to him on the bed and bends down to press a tender kiss to his lips. Through the magic of the limbo, Dec somehow felt the warmth of her touch and he pressed a finger to his lips, a single tear sneaking over his lash.

"I love you so much, and I'll miss you" she murmured softly, a few tears dropping onto his lifeless cheeks.

Then Lisa stepped forward and pressed a kiss of her own to his head, voice muffled in his hair as she whispered "Goodbye, Doolittle" before she stood back behind Ali and putting an arm around her shoulders. Ali turned into her chest and started to silently cry.

Finally, Ant stepped forward - the look on his face absolutely heart-broken. 

Dec bit his lip as another tear snuck over his lashes: this one was going to be the hardest. Ant had tried so hard to believe that he was going to make it, that he was going to wake up and get better, and now it was all crashing down around him. If there was anyone that his death was going to completely and utterly destroy, it was his best friend.

Dec watched as Ant bent down and whispered into his ear. Again, through the magic of the limbo, he somehow managed to hear his friend's words.

"Please, please Decs: give us a miracle, kid."

Dec closed his eyes against his welling emotions at the sound of the lost, broken, hopeless whisper. He had known this was going to be hard, but seeing and hearing everyone's reactions still tore him up inside.

With a salty kiss on the top of his head and a final shuddering breath, Ant stood back beside Anne, wiping his eyes as he did so.

The group had fallen silent now - apart from the occasional sob or hitched breath - and Dec turned back to the angel and his father.