Stealing Kisses

Chapter 35

Faith POV: 

We follow the scene into an ambulance where both Tim and I are loaded inside. Mere grips tightly to my hand, as my eyes remain glued on Tim. One of the medics is on the gurney with him, doing chest compressions while another holds an oxygen mask. They attach sensors to him, trying to gather his vitals. They look at the screen and wince, before grabbing an AED. 

"Clear." One of them announces, before everyone steps back. He places the paddles on Tim's bare chest, causing him to tense and jerk forward. He then falls limp on the gurney once more, as I hold my breath. They shock him once more only to have the same result. 

"It's okay..." Mere says, stroking my arm as she looks on in horror. They try a third time, causing his eyes to launch open. 

Suddenly the sight changes, as I'm no longer witnessing the events, but living them. 

I gasp loudly, jerking forward in my hospital bed. Mere leans forward, grabbing my hand as I make terrible wheezing sounds. She pets my arm, seeming frightened by my sudden reaction. 

"It's alright." She reassures me as I slowly start to catch my breath. I'm in the same hospital room I was in before, but the whiteboard with my name on it now had a different date scribbled across it. I turn toward Tim once more, as he looks just like he did before. 

"Is he..." I start, my voice rasping, before turning to look at Mere once more. "Is he dying?" I ask, feeling my chest ache at the words. Mere hangs her head, giving my arm a squeeze. 

"He's not really progressing either way." She says, sighing as she spares me a sad smile. I glance down at my left hand, staring at the large wedding ring on my finger. "How are you holding up?" She questions quietly, as I take a moment to digest it all. 

"I don't really know..." I reply softly, watching tears fill her eyes. 

"It's going to be okay, regardless of what happens." She tries to release as her voice breaks. A gag causes our eyes to shift toward Tim. He squirms, his eyelids shut but fluttering. My heart stops as I watch his hands twitch, before his eyes open. His eyes launch around the room quickly, desperate to recognize the room. He continues to gag on his breathing tube. I reach out toward him, but my hand can't reach. I look toward Mere, but she's disappeared. 

"Tim..." I call, turning back toward him. He begins to whimper, clearly in discomfort. "Babe, I'm right here." I say, hoping his eyes will drift my way. His head falls toward me, his eyes landing on mine. "It's okay." I say gently, as Mere bursts in the room with nurses and doctors. They swarm him, taking different readings and checking his vitals. A doctor pushes something into his IV, causing him to start calming down. "Is he okay?" I ask, before they pull out his breathing tube. He leans his head back, seeming eager to have it out. He makes awful gasping sounds, his fists clenching as the staff tries to calm him down. 

"Just breathe... I know it feels difficult, but after a few breaths it'll feel better." A doctor talks through as Tim's eyes water. Mere grabs onto my hand as I look on in horror. He continues to gasp painfully, his chest jerking violently. I try to reach toward him once more, cringing at the void between my hand and him. I grab the arm of my hospital bed, swinging my legs toward the edge. 

"Faith, no..." Mere says, quickly coming to my side as she tries to keep me in the bed. I stand, letting out a cry as everything in me burns. She holds me up to keep me from falling, wincing at my clear agony. She looks at him and the panic in his eyes before sighing. She helps me limp to his bedside, quickly dragging a chair up for me. I collapse into it, frantically grabbing onto his arm. He grabs my hand, squeezing it painfully tight. 

"Just breathe... It's alright." I let out, stroking his arm as tears rush down his cheeks. His free hand punches the bed as he seems to gag on the air. I look around at the doctors and nurses in the room, watching them fumble around with different equipment. A doctor looks at me and then Mere. 

"She should go." He says to her, causing Mere to stand like a deer in headlights. 

"I'm not leaving." I assert, as he reluctantly moves forward. They quickly rub iodine across his neck, making my stomach drop. "What's happening?" I ask, as they tilt his head back. His eyes watch me carefully as I try not to let my panic show. They put a needle into his neck, pushing in an injection before rubbing the sight. Then, they take a scalpel to his neck. Mere grabs my shoulder as they cut deeper and deeper, before he begins to bleed. His grip on my hand grows crushing, as I fight to remain calm. "It's alright." I reassure him, before they push a tube in through the incision. They place another tube over that tube, as he begins to squirm like they've completely cut off his airway. 

"Tracheotomy complete." The doctor says, lower his mask. "Tim, I need you to stop trying to breathe through your nose and mouth, alright?" He directs as they hook up the tube to a respirator. "The machine is going to breathe for you. All you need to do is calm down." He orders, as I try to ignore the fear in his eyes. I continue to rub his arm, feeling more than traumatized. He trembles as he finally gets air, allowing me to breathe again. I hang my head catching my breath while keeping a tight grip on him. The doctors and nurses begin to funnel out once more, although one stays behind. "We had to do a tracheotomy on you. It is not permanent, but your lungs are not strong enough yet to breathe on your own, and your airway is closing through intubation. Through this ventilation, you are unable to speak, but we can get you a notepad or whiteboard in the meantime, alright?" He explains as I shut my eyes, my eyes welling up after the terror I just witnessed. Tim stares at him before nodding slowly and the doctor exits. 

A nurse walks in with both a whiteboard and a notepad, setting them on his bed. He reaches for them, grabbing the whiteboard and marker with his shaking hands. He uncaps the marker, dragging it across the board. I watch closely as he writes. 

"I love you." He writes as I smile, feeling tears stream down my cheek. He sets down the board, mouthing "I love you" before starting to break down. I bend down over his bed, pressing our foreheads together. He rests his hands on my cheeks while I rest mine on his. 

"I love you too." I admit, sniffling a little a few tears escaping. He wipes them away before shutting his eyes. Mere emerges beside me, lowering the side of his bed and helping me up. I curl up beside him, clinging tightly to him and he holds onto me, letting us find peace even if it's only for a moment.