Save Me One Last Time

It was the day where Lauren was to leave. Abby had really appreciated her help over the past week or so. She didn't know what she was going to do without Lauren. But she knew she couldn't ask Lauren to stay. Abby was a lot of things but selfish was not one of them.

When Abby walked her to her car, the tears started. She couldn't believe that she wouldn't see Lauren again soon. Lauren was her best friend. she hated thinking of her life without her. When Lauren wasn't around it was like a piece of her had been missing.

"I hate when you leave..." Abby told Lauren.

"You know all you have to do is say the word, and I'll stay!" Lauren said through the tears.

"No, your life is there. I could never ask you to do something like that" Abby said confidently!

"God, you are as stubborn as ever!"

They shared a laugh or two. Both of them two afraid to say the first goodbye. It was as if once they said goodbye it would make it real. They hoped that if they just kept to small talk, Lauren would never have to leave.

Eventually Lauren left. After a tearful goodbye, she got in her car. It killed her to have to leave. As she drove off, she watched Abby stand in the front yard. Eventually she went inside. Lauren was in no condition to drive. She pulled over to help pull herself together.

Abby was everything to her. That was her friend. The friend who was there from the start. The one who had never turned her back. She helped Lauren through everything. And she felt terrible because this was something Lauren had no control over. She could help Abby through it. But it wasn't as if she could do anything to make it better.

Sooner or later she stopped crying. And as she reached to put the car in gear, her cell phone went off. She nearly jumped out of her skin.

She looked at the Caller ID and it read 'Abby's House.' She had hoped it would be Abby calling and telling her to stay. She answered it.

"Look Abby, Remember what I..." Lauren got cut off.

"Aunt Lauren?" Lizzy said in a shaken voice.

Lauren panicked. "Oh god! Lizzy where is Mommy? Is everything okay?"

Lizzy started to cry. "Mommy is laying down on the floor and won't wake up!"

"Aunt Lauren's on her way. Don't worry."

Lauren knew something was wrong. Lizzy was a smart little girl. She could tell there was something wrong with Abby.

She started blaming herself. She knew she shouldn't have left her. She should have just stayed, and not cared what Abby had to say. She drove as fast as possible all the way back to the apartment.

She burst in the door to find Lizzy crumbled in a ball on the couch, balling her eyes out. Abby was laying motionless on the floor. She was still breathing and she found a heart rate. She grabbed the phone and dialed, 911.