"Nick," Lauren whimpered the moment she saw me.
"Now do you feel bad you dumped me?" I asked.
"He just looks like he's sleeping..." Lauren whispered. She sat down in my seat and scooted up to my bed. Her hand wrapped around my wrist.
"The scans haven't showed improvement," Kev said. "But, I think if he just had more time."
His voice broke. Lauren slid her fingers between mine.
"See? Ya love me after all," I said. "Go ahead and kiss me. I'll wake up and we'll get married and have lots and lots of tall babies..."
"They'd be like giraffes," Kev agreed.
"What?" Lauren asked.
"You've got to stop doing that," I said. "People are gonna start thinking you're nuts."
Kev groaned. "Nothing, I was just thinking about how...how much Nick loved giraffes."
"He did? I never knew that," Lauren murmured. She turned back to me.
"Hey Kev, I don't think she's gonna kiss me if you're standing there gawking and talking 'bout giraffes."
He looked like he wanted to say something, but for once he didn't address me.
"I'm gonna give you a moment," Kev said. He started backing up towards the door. I don't think Lauren even heard him. She stood up and ran a hand down my cheek.
"We had a lot of good times, Nick," she whispered.
"We did," I said. I stood by her. "Maybe you should give me a good time right now and give me a kiss."
"You know, I would have married you in a minute. If you could have only grown up..."
"I'm grown up NOW!" I argued. "KISS ME! KISS ME! I will marry you and give you BABIES!"
I watched a big tear drip down her cheek. "I hope we can meet again someday."
With that, she leaned down. I crouched down with her. Her lips puckered.
"Perfect form," I said. "Let the smooching commence!"
Her eyes fluttered closed as she pressed her lips to mine. I held my breath. The seconds ticked by.
I didn't know what exactly I was expecting. I was hoping for a tingling or a sudden suction force pulling me back into my body.
But, none of that happen. Lauren stood back up, her tears falling faster now. I was still laying there looking like a white-draped mummy.
"Good-bye Nick," she choked. She squeezed my fingers one last time before turning quickly and walking to the door.
She glanced back at me once before she covered her face and ran into the hall. Kev came back in a moment later.
"Well? Did it--oh." We both looked at me. I floated all the way down to the ground and covered my face. It was over. Lauren was my last chance.
All my hope was gone.
I knew I was going to have to spend my last few hours preparing myself mentally to die.
I knew it was going to happen this way, but it still wrecked me inside when Nick floated to the ground. I stared at his body, at the slight lipstick mark on his mouth from Lauren... the image of giraffe children leaving my mind. I stepped up to the bed, being careful not to step in mirage Nick and grabbed the edge of the blanket and gently wiped the lipstick off his face. Then I turned and looked at the floor, where Nick was curled into a ball, hovering less than a quarter inch off the floor.
"Get up," I snapped.
"It's no use!" Nick yelled. "I have less than eighteen hours probably..."
I kicked my foot through him, the chill running up my leg and into my spine. I didn't care. "GET UP," I yelled.
Nick quickly zoomed off the floor and hovered a few feet away, "Stop kickin at me," he whined.
"Stop, right now, with the pity party," I said, snapping into Daddy Richardson mode. I stared him down for a long moment. "We have eighteen hours, Nick, to figure this shit out. Now is not the time to start your pity party. Wallowing in your misery isn't gonna help you wake up, nor is it, I bet, the way you want to spend your last eighteen hours alive. Am I right?"
Nick stared at me.
"Let's go."
"Where are we going?"
"Nick, I said let's go."
He stared at me, dumbfounded. "But Kev, what about -" he looked at his body, "What about the plug?" he asked.
"You have eighteen hours left to live, Nick, I am not letting you spend it sitting here, staring at your fucking body."
Nick hovered for just a moment, then he let out a sigh, and followed me out the door. I was a man on a mission - what mission, exactly, I didn't know, but I knew one thing: there were a million and three things we could do, no way in Hell's bells was Nick going to wallow in his misery. I was going to find something that would distract him for eighteen hours and if, at the end of that, he ... he ... died, then at least he died happy instead of floating around miserably.
I was marching past the nurse's station when Nurse Becky came out of a locker room. She almost ran into me. She looked up with tears in her eyes. "I'm sorry," she gasped and she started to turn to go, but I grabbed her by the elbow.
Nick's eyes grew wide. "Don't let her go!" he begged.
"Where are you going?"
"I traded a few hours with another girl," she answered quietly, "So I could be with him when..." she paused.
Nick's eyes were watery, "Yeah I want you there when I..." he stopped and stared at her.
Becky's eyes shifted to the ground. "I don't want him to be alone."
"I'll be there," I answered.
Nick looked at me, "But I want her there," he said.
And something about the tone of his voice... But I couldn't put my finger quite on it. I looked at Becky... and an idea occurred to me. But in order to talk her into it... I'd have to tell her everything. I looked at Nick for the briefest of moments, then turned back to Nurse Becky.
"Do you believe in miracles?" I asked her.
Becky stared at me. "I've seen unexplainable things happen," she answered.
"How about ghosts?" I asked.
"Kev?" Nick eyed me, "What're you doing Kev?"
Becky shrugged, "I- I don't know..." she stared right into my eyes. "Why?"
"I was just about to go for a walk," I said slowly. I stuck out my hand, "Care to join me?"
"Kev?" Nick looked utterly confused. "Kev? What'cha doing?"
"I've got some stuff to tell you," I said. Becky took my hand and I led her to the elevator.
Nick zoomed after me, "Kev! She's gonna think you're crazy! ...Kev!!"
