Sam’s eyes grew wide when he saw her awake and he leaned in closer, a smile lighting his worried face.
“Naomi, just hold on, help is coming,” he told her.
All she could do was stare at him.
“I won't let you die, Naomi. I promise.”
She smiled at that. Just a tiny smile. Only Sam could believe that his words were enough to save her when she was clearly already close to death.
She needed him to know that she loved him.
She opened her mouth, tried to say the words, but couldn’t get out more than a weak moan.
“Don’t try to talk, Naomi, just rest,” Sam ordered. One hand moved to the top of her head and his thumb stroked her forehead. “Save your strength.”
She gave her head a slight shake. What good was strength right now? She didn’t have enough to keep herself alive much longer, and she would rather die a minute sooner and make sure Sam knew how she felt about him than live an extra moment and pass away without ever having said the words.
Her eyes wanted to close, and she was so cold, Sam’s hand that held hers was so warm and she focused all her attention on that. She needed Sam’s strength right now, and she could feel it, flowing from his hand into hers.
This time she was determined to get the words out.
Scrounging up every last drop of energy inside her, she whispered, “I love you, Sam.”
For a moment she was afraid her voice was too soft for him to hear, but he bent over and touched his forehead to hers. “I know you do, and I love you too, Naomi. I have since we were kids, and I always will.”
She wanted to tell him that he should move on, that he shouldn’t mourn her forever. He deserved to be happy, and she loved him enough to want him to be happy with someone else. She wanted to tell him that she had loved him since they were kids too, since their seventh grade Halloween party where Sam had gone dressed as The Hulk. He was her superhero. He’d been strong for her these last few days when she hadn’t thought she had enough strength to get through each minute. She wanted him to know how much his support meant to her, she wanted him to know that she wished they could have had a future. Marriage, a home, children, everything that she had thought she was too broken inside to have. She wanted to tell him one more time that she loved him.
But she had used up the last reserves of strength she had left. Her eyes were so heavy, and her body felt so light.
She was fading.
She could feel it happening, feel her life slipping away, and yet she was powerless to do anything about it.
She mouthed the words one more time.
I love you.
She was at peace now.
Sam’s lips brushed hers, kissing her one last time.
And then she was gone.
* * * * *
5:41 P.M.
“Naomi?”
She’d been with him, her eyes open, talking, and now all of a sudden, she was gone.
Her eyes had drooped closed, her lips were tinted with blue, and she appeared to be barely breathing.
Panicking, Sam released his hold on her hand and pressed his ear to her chest.
He couldn’t hear any sounds from her left lung.
“We have to remove the plastic seal, her lung is collapsing,” he announced, peeling the piece of plastic off her chest.