Broken Strings

C H A P T E R T H I R T Y - T W O

"She says nothing at all, but simply stares upward into the dark sky and watches with sad eyes, the slow dance of the infinite stars."

- N.G.

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Andrew froze in spot. His eyes kept darting from the IV bag to the blankets wrapped around her, the white bandage taped against her arm and the oxygen mask.

Anisha looked frail. Weak and broken. Her face was colored sickly yellow. And it hurt to see her like that. More than anything, he couldn't help the sob that was stuck in his throat.

His breathing was heavy and his footsteps light as he slowly made his way to her bedside.

Her tired eyes followed every step but she still didn't say a single word.

She looked so close to death, as though she was barely holding on.

Andrew sat down on the chair, scooting it a little closer to her. He didn't say anything as he reached for her hand.

He let out a shaky breath as he held onto her bony hand, careful not to touch the IV.

His eyes followed from her hand to the rest of her body. The faint purple bruise near her elbow. The tired look in her eyes. The fatigue, pain was evident.

His heart felt heavy, with sorrow and regret.

And right there and then as he stared at her frail state, it all settled in.

He was going to lose her. He was going to lose Anisha.

Forever.

There would be no third, fourth or any other fucking chance. There would be no more them. There would be no more of anything.

And as he held her hand, a faraway look in his eyes, he could feel it. He could understand it – it was all going to be over.

Soon, Anisha wouldn't be there. She wouldn't be in the living room, watching a movie with Mira when he came home from work. Or the dark roses she kept in the kitchen, they'd never get replaced. Or the way she'd roll her eyes, lips pressed tight as Ryan tried to explain his latest excuse as to why he'd failed his math test. And the hope, every bit of sparkle she'd ever offered him, that he, that they'd be okay. It would be gone.

He was going to lose her. In a way he'd never expected to. 

Andrew gently ran his thumb over her fingers, looking back down at her hands.

Avoiding her gaze. Because he knew this was all his fault. He didn't want to see the hurt he'd caused her.

She seemed lifeless. Drained of life.

And the way she looked at him, dull and empty, it was almost as if she was blaming him for everything.

"Anisha." He barely whispered. His voice somewhere between cracking with sorrow and filled with softness.

He kept his head down, refusing to look at her. He couldn't stand to see her like this.

"Anisha. I...I." He couldn't even think of what to say.

"Anisha. I...I'm...." He sucked on his lower lip as a gentle sob left his lip.

Anisha didn't say anything. She simply lay there, the wires around her and the clock ticking.

She squirmed around a little, pulling the blanket closer. She tried to speak, her voice coarse.

Andrew knew the truth. And it was all slowly becoming her reality.