One Final Gasp by Jacqueline Druga

Author:Jacqueline Druga [Druga, Jacqueline]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Post-Apocalyptic
Published: 2019-03-30T04:00:00+00:00

No one came in to silence the long steady beep of the vital signs monitor attached to Matt’s father. It went from steady slow to irregular slow, until finally it flat lined.

It rang like that for a while.

Matt tried to block it out.

But he couldn’t

With an aching groan, he finally pulled the plug.

His father was gone.

He closed his eyes tightly and pulled the sheet over his father, feeling as if he should have given more of a reaction, but Matt couldn’t. He was far too consumed with his sick daughter who was barely holding on.

He took off his gloves so he could hold her hand and feel her skin. It was cool to touch, and it made him physically sick.

In the course of one day he lost his mother and father, his daughter, shy of a miracle, wasn’t far behind.

“Please don’t go yet, please don’t go yet. Not yet,” he pleaded with her.

None of it made any sense. They were happy, fine, alive and full of life when they returned home from vacation. Now ... now this.

A part of Matt felt guilty because he hadn’t even called home to check on Emma.

Would Stew even tell him if something was wrong?

Every time Matt heard a footstep in the hallway, he expected Stew to walk into the room and say, “I brought in Emma.”

If that was the case, then Matt knew what his course of action would be.

If something happened to Emma, all reasons for living would be gone.

He wouldn’t need the flu to take his life, he’d find another way.

“Please hold on,” Matt whispered. “I’m not ready to lose you. Not yet. Daddy loves you so much. So much.” He kissed her hand, his eyes going to her chest. He couldn’t see it moving. Yet, the monitor said she was still breathing.

He still had time with her.

Not for long.

Her machines, like his father’s released the steady, high pitch sound of death.

He whimpered out a, “No. No. No.” Sadness exuding from every word. Where were the nurses? Why weren’t they rushing in to resuscitate? She was a child for God sake.

No one came in.

An ache seeped through his being into his heart, and with another whimper he grabbed ahold of his daughter, lifted her from the bed and cradled her lifeless body in his arms.

HIs child, his oldest child was gone.

Matt held her in the chair like that for a long while. He lost all sense of time, there would never be enough time to hold her. Never.

He held her and prayed for a miracle.

It never happened.

It wasn’t until her body began to stiffen and became cold to the touch, Matt than realized it was just before sun up.

He placed her back into the bed, but on her side, the way she liked to sleep. He covered her just to her shoulder.

She looked peaceful as if she were only sleeping. Matt stood up straight to walk from the room, but his legs wouldn’t move.

Every step he took he wanted to break down, to cry uncontrollably, he fought so hard to keep it together.

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