Status: Completed
Even Forever Doesn't Seem Like Long Enough
"I'll Hold On For You"
Amber’s P.O.V
“Please tell me you’re not just saying that,” I whispered.
“I’m not just saying that,” He reassured me firmly, “I mean it; I was just too scared to tell you,”
I could feel my eyes watering, “I love you too,”
His hundred-watt smile made the heart monitor beside my bed beep faster. He leaned up and caught my lips in his.
“Ugh, I taste like blood and sick, don’t I?” I grimaced.
Chuckling, he shook his head, “No, you don’t,”
“That’s good to know,” I smiled.
At that point, mum came through the door, “Brendon, the nurse said visiting time is over- You and Hannah have to go,”
“Okay,” Brendon glanced over his shoulder and nodded. The door closed again and his eyes were fixed on me again.
“I wish you could stay,” I sighed disappointedly.
“So do I, but I tried that the first time and almost got your mom and Ruby thrown out in the process,”
I laughed but, as usual, I coughed violently.
“I’ll be back the second we’re allowed in again tonight, I promise,” He kissed my forehead and headed for the door.
“Hey Bren?” I called.
“Yeah?”
“In case I’m not here when you come back-“
“You’ll be here babe, don’t say that yet,”
“But in case I’m not,” I shot back, “Take care of Hannah for me,”
He smiled slightly but it soon fell, “I will,”
“Thank you,”
“I will see you later though,” He urged.
“I’ll hold on for you,” I promised. The moment the door closed behind him, I felt a twinge in my heart.
It wasn’t an emotional twinge, either.
Brendon’s P.O.V
5.10pm
Hannah and I had decided to go and get some coffee while we waited for the second dose of visiting time at five.
“I know it sounds like a stupid question,” Hannah began as she picked at her chocolate muffin, “But, do you think she’s scared?”
“Amber?” I frowned in confusion and she nodded, “I don’t know. I would be, wouldn’t you?”
She nodded briefly, “I’m scared now,”
I reached over and rested a hand on her wrist, “Amber’s asked me to look after you,”
She chuckled slightly, ignoring her watering eyes, “She still thinks I’m helpless,”
“She doesn’t, she’s just worried about you,”
“I’d tell you that I’m going to be fine but that’d be a lie,” She sighed, leaning her head on her hand.
“I will be here for you if you need me,”
She smiled and placed her hand on top of mine, “The same goes for you,”
There was a brief silence between us before I glanced at the time, “We’d better get going,” I pulled my hand away and we left the shop, heading for my car.
On the way to the hospital, it was a comfortable silence but it was broken by two random, but very grateful, words.
“Thank you,” Hannah spoke, glancing over at me briefly.
I frowned, quickly looking over at her before turning my attention back to the road, “What for?”
“Giving her strength,” She replied.
Confusion evident in my tone, I responded, “I don’t understand what you mean,”
“I don’t think she would’ve lasted this long if it wasn’t for you,” She explained, “I think this would’ve come a lot sooner. You made her happier- Gave her a reason to hold on,”
“I’m sure that you and her family are enough of a reason-“
“Not as much as you were. Her love for you is stronger than any bond between her and me or even her and her mum or sister for that matter. She’d held on for you,”
“Well, she’s done more for me than you could even imagine,”
Third Person P.O.V
“Something’s wrong,” Pauline announced worriedly to her eldest daughter as she gazed at her youngest in the bed.
“Nothing’s wrong,” Ruby counteracted fiercely, irritated that her mother was being so pessimistic, “She’s just sleeping,”
“She’s been sleeping for too long,”
“Mum would you calm down? She’s been asleep for about four hours, that’s normal,”
Pauline watched anxiously, trying to find some comfort in the rhythmic rising and falling of Amber’s chest as she breathed.
The door to the room opened slowly and the doctor walked in, closing the door behind him. He gave Pauline and Ruby a small smile.
“I’m just here to check up on her,” He explained shortly before wandering over to the bed and placing his stethoscope in his ears, “Is this the patient who wants no resuscitation when her heart fails?” A pang of pain hit the two women in the gut at the use of the word ‘when’ rather than ‘if’.
“Yeah,” Ruby answered back even though it killed her to say it.
There was silence in the room as he checked Amber over and as he stepped back and took hold of her chart he muttered, “Strange,”
Ruby’s head shot up to him and she frowned, “Strange? What does that mean? What’s strange?”
“It’s just... Um... Amber doesn’t seem to be breathing enough to supply her body with a sufficient supply of oxygen and yet her body hasn’t gone into respiratory arrest. It just doesn’t make sense, is all,” He explained, “It’s like her body’s fighting to let go but her mind’s holding on to something,”
It was almost too much of a coincidence that, at that moment, Brendon and Hannah walked into the room.
Their heart’s almost stopped when they saw the doctor in the room.
“What’s going on?” Hannah asked automatically.
“I’m just doing some checks, miss, don’t worry,” The doctor smiled reassuringly.
Hannah let out a sigh of relief.
“Okay, everything seems to be okay, I’ll be back soon to keep an eye on her. If there’s any problems press the nurse’s button and someone will come,”
As the doctor headed for the door, Brendon wandered over to the bed and traced a finger over Amber’s cold ones before pressing a short kiss to her head.
“I told you I’d see you later,” He whispered into her ear.
As he pulled away, Amber’s chest heaved outwards and she made a choking noise before her body tensed. All head’s, including the doctor’s, snapped to the heart monitor that made an alert noise and flat-lined as Amber’s body relaxed. Hannah’s hand shot out and grabbed Brendon’s. He squeezed back just as hard.
The constant drone made four hearts in the room nearly stop beating as well and the doctor’s eyes fell to the floor. With a dejected sigh, the doctor walked over to the machine and turned off the heart monitor.
“Time of death- five sixteen p.m.,” He announced, “I’m so sorry,”
Ruby let out a loud cry and embraced her mother who was also letting her tears flow freely. Brendon took a step forward and took hold of Amber’s cold, limp hand in his as his eyes shut tight. His tears fell down his cheeks and then he allowed Hannah to embrace him. She clung to him, her body wracked with sobs.
But Brendon didn’t let go of Amber’s hand.
Just like Amber kept her promise and held on for him.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Have no fear for giving in
Have no fear for giving over
'Cause you better know that in the end
It's better to say too much
Than never to say what you need to say again
John Mayer- Say
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“Please tell me you’re not just saying that,” I whispered.
“I’m not just saying that,” He reassured me firmly, “I mean it; I was just too scared to tell you,”
I could feel my eyes watering, “I love you too,”
His hundred-watt smile made the heart monitor beside my bed beep faster. He leaned up and caught my lips in his.
“Ugh, I taste like blood and sick, don’t I?” I grimaced.
Chuckling, he shook his head, “No, you don’t,”
“That’s good to know,” I smiled.
At that point, mum came through the door, “Brendon, the nurse said visiting time is over- You and Hannah have to go,”
“Okay,” Brendon glanced over his shoulder and nodded. The door closed again and his eyes were fixed on me again.
“I wish you could stay,” I sighed disappointedly.
“So do I, but I tried that the first time and almost got your mom and Ruby thrown out in the process,”
I laughed but, as usual, I coughed violently.
“I’ll be back the second we’re allowed in again tonight, I promise,” He kissed my forehead and headed for the door.
“Hey Bren?” I called.
“Yeah?”
“In case I’m not here when you come back-“
“You’ll be here babe, don’t say that yet,”
“But in case I’m not,” I shot back, “Take care of Hannah for me,”
He smiled slightly but it soon fell, “I will,”
“Thank you,”
“I will see you later though,” He urged.
“I’ll hold on for you,” I promised. The moment the door closed behind him, I felt a twinge in my heart.
It wasn’t an emotional twinge, either.
Brendon’s P.O.V
5.10pm
Hannah and I had decided to go and get some coffee while we waited for the second dose of visiting time at five.
“I know it sounds like a stupid question,” Hannah began as she picked at her chocolate muffin, “But, do you think she’s scared?”
“Amber?” I frowned in confusion and she nodded, “I don’t know. I would be, wouldn’t you?”
She nodded briefly, “I’m scared now,”
I reached over and rested a hand on her wrist, “Amber’s asked me to look after you,”
She chuckled slightly, ignoring her watering eyes, “She still thinks I’m helpless,”
“She doesn’t, she’s just worried about you,”
“I’d tell you that I’m going to be fine but that’d be a lie,” She sighed, leaning her head on her hand.
“I will be here for you if you need me,”
She smiled and placed her hand on top of mine, “The same goes for you,”
There was a brief silence between us before I glanced at the time, “We’d better get going,” I pulled my hand away and we left the shop, heading for my car.
On the way to the hospital, it was a comfortable silence but it was broken by two random, but very grateful, words.
“Thank you,” Hannah spoke, glancing over at me briefly.
I frowned, quickly looking over at her before turning my attention back to the road, “What for?”
“Giving her strength,” She replied.
Confusion evident in my tone, I responded, “I don’t understand what you mean,”
“I don’t think she would’ve lasted this long if it wasn’t for you,” She explained, “I think this would’ve come a lot sooner. You made her happier- Gave her a reason to hold on,”
“I’m sure that you and her family are enough of a reason-“
“Not as much as you were. Her love for you is stronger than any bond between her and me or even her and her mum or sister for that matter. She’d held on for you,”
“Well, she’s done more for me than you could even imagine,”
Third Person P.O.V
“Something’s wrong,” Pauline announced worriedly to her eldest daughter as she gazed at her youngest in the bed.
“Nothing’s wrong,” Ruby counteracted fiercely, irritated that her mother was being so pessimistic, “She’s just sleeping,”
“She’s been sleeping for too long,”
“Mum would you calm down? She’s been asleep for about four hours, that’s normal,”
Pauline watched anxiously, trying to find some comfort in the rhythmic rising and falling of Amber’s chest as she breathed.
The door to the room opened slowly and the doctor walked in, closing the door behind him. He gave Pauline and Ruby a small smile.
“I’m just here to check up on her,” He explained shortly before wandering over to the bed and placing his stethoscope in his ears, “Is this the patient who wants no resuscitation when her heart fails?” A pang of pain hit the two women in the gut at the use of the word ‘when’ rather than ‘if’.
“Yeah,” Ruby answered back even though it killed her to say it.
There was silence in the room as he checked Amber over and as he stepped back and took hold of her chart he muttered, “Strange,”
Ruby’s head shot up to him and she frowned, “Strange? What does that mean? What’s strange?”
“It’s just... Um... Amber doesn’t seem to be breathing enough to supply her body with a sufficient supply of oxygen and yet her body hasn’t gone into respiratory arrest. It just doesn’t make sense, is all,” He explained, “It’s like her body’s fighting to let go but her mind’s holding on to something,”
It was almost too much of a coincidence that, at that moment, Brendon and Hannah walked into the room.
Their heart’s almost stopped when they saw the doctor in the room.
“What’s going on?” Hannah asked automatically.
“I’m just doing some checks, miss, don’t worry,” The doctor smiled reassuringly.
Hannah let out a sigh of relief.
“Okay, everything seems to be okay, I’ll be back soon to keep an eye on her. If there’s any problems press the nurse’s button and someone will come,”
As the doctor headed for the door, Brendon wandered over to the bed and traced a finger over Amber’s cold ones before pressing a short kiss to her head.
“I told you I’d see you later,” He whispered into her ear.
As he pulled away, Amber’s chest heaved outwards and she made a choking noise before her body tensed. All head’s, including the doctor’s, snapped to the heart monitor that made an alert noise and flat-lined as Amber’s body relaxed. Hannah’s hand shot out and grabbed Brendon’s. He squeezed back just as hard.
The constant drone made four hearts in the room nearly stop beating as well and the doctor’s eyes fell to the floor. With a dejected sigh, the doctor walked over to the machine and turned off the heart monitor.
“Time of death- five sixteen p.m.,” He announced, “I’m so sorry,”
Ruby let out a loud cry and embraced her mother who was also letting her tears flow freely. Brendon took a step forward and took hold of Amber’s cold, limp hand in his as his eyes shut tight. His tears fell down his cheeks and then he allowed Hannah to embrace him. She clung to him, her body wracked with sobs.
But Brendon didn’t let go of Amber’s hand.
Just like Amber kept her promise and held on for him.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Have no fear for giving in
Have no fear for giving over
'Cause you better know that in the end
It's better to say too much
Than never to say what you need to say again
John Mayer- Say
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
♠ ♠ ♠
There's not really much to say after that, is there?One more chapter and an epilogue left.
Feedback? Check out my new story, I posted Chapter One yesterday. (Put Your Heart Where Your Mouth Is). Hope you're all doing well. =)