“It should have been me,” Gabe whispered so I almost couldn’t hear him.
“Gabe?”
“What?” He snorted. “Do you even realize that type of life I’ve led? The drugs? Sex? Girls? Stealing to get high? Shit, man, it should have been me. I would…” He choked on his words and looked away. ”I would take your place. I just want you to know. If God told me that was my penance for living the shitty life I’ve lived, I’d take your place. I asked Him, hell, I begged last night, and you know what? Nothing. Silence.”
“So live a better life,” I snapped. “Do better. Be Better. Don’t let my life be wasted. If I need to be sacrificed in order for you to get that, then that’s fine. Just don’t let it destroy you, let it renew you.”
Gabe sniffed. I could tell he was minutes away from losing it. Hell, I’d been that way all night. It hurt like hell to keep the tears in, to stay strong when the love of my life was lying against me crying in her sleep.
“How’s my favorite patient?” The nurse walked into the room and grabbed the clipboard. “You ready for your MRI?”
No. Hell, no. I didn’t want to know the truth. So I’d asked them not to tell me. If I was going to die I didn’t want to know. I didn’t want to go into surgery with the mindset of defeat.
“Sure, let me just wake Sleeping Beauty.”
Gabe jumped to his feet. “I’ll just be outside. I’m sure she’ll be hungry.”
“Gabe,” I called after him.
He turned. “Yeah?”
“I do have one favor to ask.”
“Anything.”
“I need you to do something for my girl.” I smiled and licked my lips. “She’s going to be pissed, but promise me you’ll do it.”
Gabe laughed. “I like the idea already.”
“I’ll text you the details later. I have it set up for tomorrow, okay?”
“Sounds good.” Gabe waved and walked off as I leaned down and kissed Kiersten’s lips.
“Mmm,” she moaned.
I kissed her lips again. Her eyes fluttered open. “Tell me it was a bad dream, Wes.”
“Not a bad dream, just not my favorite.” I brushed the hair from her face and closed my eyes as it ran through my fingers. “Now, as much as I love having you plastered against me, that nice nurse standing over there needs to take me for my MRI.”
“Oh.” Kiersten jumped to her feet a little unsteady at first and then shoved her hands into the pockets of her jeans. “I probably look like a mess anyways. I should go get a shower.”
“Gabe has stuff for you.” I nodded to the door. “My dad has a suite in his own private part of the hospital. You and Gabe can sleep there and take showers, alright? I’m assuming you want to be here and—”
“I’m not leaving your side,” she vowed.
That was what I’d been afraid of. I would be the one leaving and she — she would stay.
“Alright.” I yawned and gave her a wink. “I’ll be done in a bit and then we can talk all about how I’m the worst boyfriend in the world for missing the Homecoming party.”
She smiled at that and walked out of the room.
“Beautiful girlfriend.”
I looked at the nurse, not caring that she was probably going to think I was crazy and said, “I would make her my wife if I could.”
The nurse smiled and patted my arm. “Don’t give up yet. Sometimes when we think God has written The End, what he really means is The Beginning.”
****