Two Weeks Later

Nicki squirmed in her seat as she looked around the Dean’s office. Meeting important people always made her nervous. She heard the door open behind her and quickly wiped her hands on her skirt before getting up.

“Ms. Westmoore?”

She stuck out her hand. “That’s me. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Dr. Rosetti.”

The burly older man smiled at her. Nicki guessed he couldn’t have been more than fifty, but the stress of his job had aged him beyond his years.

“The same to you. Please, take a seat.”

She sat back down and flattened out her skirt. Tyler tried to tell her that it didn’t matter what she wore. But she was meeting the Dean of her college. She should look presentable. When she put on the skirt, he stopped arguing and tossed her onto the bed. He had almost made her late. Thinking about him put a smile on her face.

“So,” Dr. Rosetti began. “Your father has made me very aware of your situation.”

Nicki nodded her head, not knowing what to say.

“While I understand entirely why you wouldn’t want to finish the semester, I took it upon myself to speak to your professors. Each of them thinks that you’re a wonderful, dedicated student, and that just because you’ve had some setbacks in your personal life doesn’t mean you need to fall behind academically. Given the circumstances, they’ve all agreed to pass you and give you the credits for their classes.”

She could feel the shocked expression on her face. “What?”

“You will still receive full credit and passing grades for all of your classes. Unless you have any questions, you’re free to go.”

She shook her head. “No, no questions. Thank you so much, Dr. Rosetti.”

He stuck out his hand over his desk and she shook it. “It’s my pleasure. If you want to thank someone, thank your professors. Oh, on your way out check in with Miranda. She’ll help you make an appointment to see me before the start of the next semester.”

“Thank you,” she said again, opening the door to leave.

After making an appointment for the end of summer, Nicki bounced down the stairs and out of the building. She grinned as she saw Tyler, waiting by the passenger side of his car. Nicki wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him.

“I missed you!”

He laughed. “You were only gone for like, ten minutes.”

Nicki pouted. She was hoping he’d say he missed her too. He looked down at her and ran his fingers through her hair.

“I missed you too,” he said with a smile.

“That’s better,” she said. “You’ll never guess what happened.”

He stared at her, waiting for her to tell him.

“Not only do I not have to finish the semester, but they’re giving me all of my credits. I won’t have to make anything up.”

Tyler pulled her into a hug and kissed the top of her head. It gave her chills.

“That’s awesome. I’m so happy for you. See? Now you don’t have anything to worry about.”

“Yeah, nothing to worry about except for your stupid game. By the time this season is over, I’m going to have the blood pressure of a five hundred pound man.”

“You’re more worried about this than I am,” he said, brushing a piece of hair out of her face.

“That’s because you can’t worry about it. Me, on the other hand… I get to do all the worrying for both of us.”

“Hey,” he said softly. “Please try not to. I don’t want to ruin everything Dr. Sanchez has done for you. It’s just a game.”

After Jason’s funeral, Tyler had convinced Nicki to see a therapist to try to help her cope. At first, she hated the idea. It took days for him to finally convince her to go. It ended up being one of the best decisions of her life. Not only did he help her sort through everything that happened with Jason, but he took the time to address all of the other tragedies in her life as well. She had even gone under hypnosis a few times, to tap into the part of her brain holding on to the memory of the car crash.

Every time Nicki went she felt a little bit better, about everything. She didn’t have to rely on Tyler emotionally the way she did before. Dr. Sanchez asked her about him a lot; more than anything else. He had concluded that Tyler was the best possible thing for her, but constantly warned her that not all relationships lasted forever. Therein laid the reasoning behind the exercises he made her do to help her learn how to deal with things on her own.

“If it makes you feel any better, even if I didn’t know you I’d still be freaking out. Something about that sport, I’m telling you. It kills me.”

Tyler opened the door and gestured for her to get in. “It doesn’t really make me feel better, but I can lie and say it did if you want me to.”

She smiled at him and gave him one more kiss before getting in the car. Since the funeral, their relationship had been stronger than ever. Nicki got the feeling it had a lot to do with their fight and the week that followed. She had gotten a taste of what life was like without him, and it was nothing short of miserable. They didn’t talk much about it, but she knew Tyler felt the same way. Every night before they went to bed, he’d give her a squeeze and tell her he loved her. Nicki wondered if it was because he was scared he’d wake up one morning and she’d be gone again.

“Thanks for coming with me,” she said, leaning over to kiss his cheek.

Tyler grabbed her hand. “Of course. You come everywhere with me. It’s the least I could do.”

Nicki smiled and looked out the window, rubbing her thumb against Tyler’s hand.

“So are you sure you don’t want me to come with you to your appointment? I can talk to Claude,” he offered.

She had an appointment with Dr. Sanchez at 5:30. Tyler usually came with her, but he had to be at the Garden at two. Tonight was game seven of their series against Flyers. If they won, they got to battle it out against the Blackhawks for the cup.

“No way in hell,” she said sternly. “I’ll be fine. I’ll have Freddy drop me off and I’ll just walk to the Garden after. It’s like, two seconds away.”

Tyler squeezed her hand. “Okay,” he mumbled.

“What’s wrong?”

“I dunno. Nothing.”

She turned to look at him. His face said otherwise.

“Seriously, Ty. What is it?”

He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye.

“You’re probably gonna think I’m crazy, but I just have a really horrible feeling about tonight.”

Nicki furrowed her eyebrows. “About what?”

He shrugged. “No idea. The game, you? I don’t know. Something just isn’t sitting right with me.”

“You’re not supposed to be worrying, remember?” she reminded him. “And I don’t think you’re crazy. The night Crosby hit you I had the same feeling. But I get it a lot. It usually ends up being fine. Don’t sweat it, love.”

Tyler sighed and nodded. Nicki brought his hand up to her lips and watched a smile spread across his face.

** * * * *

“Are you sure they can’t get someone to play for you?” Nicki asked. “I’m really comfy.”

He wrapped his arm tighter around her and chuckled. “I wish. I’d be perfectly fine if I never had to get up again.”

“So would I.”

Nicki’s breath on his neck sent a shiver through his body. He figured that after a few months things would start to simmer down. If anything, they had intensified. Tyler could barely touch her without getting turned on. He couldn’t help himself. Judging by the way Nicki was acting, she had the same problem.

Tyler stared up at the ceiling, trying to calm himself down. A hand found its way underneath his pants. That wasn’t helping. He turned his head to the left to look at Nicki. She gave him the look.

Every time she was in the mood, she would give him that look. It tied his stomach in knots. He never knew exactly what kind of mood she was in. Sometimes she was soft and romantic. Other times she was ravenous. Tyler liked each and every one of them.

He groaned and leaned his head back. She had the softest hands.

“Nicki, I can’t,” he said as she started to unbutton his jeans. “I need to save my energy for the game…”

She crawled over him so that her face was right in front of his. She grabbed his lower lip with her teeth and pulled on it gently, teasing him.

“I don’t think we’re on the same page,” she purred into his ear, sending another round of chills down his spine.

Tyler collected himself enough to speak. “What do you –“. He never got the chance to finish.

He let his mouth hang open as his eyes fluttered shut. “Shit,” he whispered.

Nicki ran her hands up his stomach as she moved her head up and down. It didn’t take long for her to pick up a rhythm. Tyler bit down on his lip and instinctively lifted his hips to meet her. He didn’t mean to; he knew most girls didn’t like it. It ended up enticing her instead.

He grabbed a fistful of her hair and pushed a little harder. It was like she didn’t have a gag reflex. Tyler felt his muscles start to clench and moaned, trying to tell her he was close. The words didn’t make it out.

When she stopped he covered his face with his hands. “How do you do it?” he asked her. He really didn’t understand how she was so good at it.

“I guess we each have our talents, huh?” she said, winking at him.

Tyler let out a breath. She had her talents alright. He figured she did it trying to satisfy him. It only made him hungrier.

As if she was reading his mind, she spoke again. “There’s your motivation,” she said. “If you thought that was good, wait until tonight.” She paused. “If you win.”

He shook his head. “That’s about a million times more inspirational than any one of Claude’s speeches.”

Nicki laughed. He loved her laugh; the way it lit up her entire face. He grabbed her around the waist and pulled her to him.

“Careful, love. Sometimes you forget how strong you are,” she said, giggling still.

He loosened his grip on her. “Sorry. Are you okay?”

Nicki nestled her face into his neck, showering him with small kisses. “Of course I’m okay. I’m with you.”

** * * * *

“Hey Segs buddy!” Brad yelled as Tyler walked into the locker room. Tyler ignored him. “Oh, come on. Are you still mad at me?”

“You don’t just go talking to your teammate’s sister and not tell him about it. I wanted her to stay away from you. It’s my fucking sister.”

For the first time since Tyler had known him, Brad became serious.

“I don’t know how many times I can apologize. I’m sorry. Listen, I know it’s fucked up. And you’re probably going to want to kill me after I tell you this.”

Tyler glared at him.

“Segs, I really like Candace. A lot.”

“What?!”

Brad looked down at the ground. “I know you haven’t been coming out with us lately, but ask any of the guys. Since she started talking to me, I haven’t even tried to get with anyone. I know she’s too young. And she’s your sister. But please, man, I’m begging you. Just let me talk to her.”

Tyler thought it over. He had never seen Brad so emotional about anything.

“Fine. I’ll think about it. Let me talk to her first.”

“Thanks, Seggy. I know you don’t want to believe me, but it means a lot. Are we good?”

He nodded. “Yeah, I guess we’re good.”

Brad grinned and punched Tyler’s shoulder. “Good. Cuz I’ve been dying to ask you about your pre-game speech from Foxy… or lack thereof,” he said, chuckling.

“Dude, how the fuck did you know about that?”

Brad burst out laughing. “Oh my God, this is too good. Freddy walked in on you guys. You didn’t know?!”

Tyler shook his head. It was like Freddy tried to catch them in the act. There was no way he didn’t know by now to just stay the fuck out.

“I’m a little jealous,” Brad said. “I bet if we all got that before a game we’d be fucking untouchable.”

“Got what before a game?” Dougie asked as he walked in. He got the attention of the rest of the team.

Great.

** * * * *

“I’m glad to hear you’re still doing well.”

Nicki nodded at her therapist. He was really nice, but always so formal. She thought therapists were supposed to be easygoing.

“Yeah, everything is going fine. I mean, the only thing I really had to stress about was school, and that worked out better than I could have imagined. I’m looking forward to having so much time to myself, to regroup.”

“That’s very good. Have you considered getting a job to keep yourself busy?”

“I’ve considered it. I really want to work on my portfolio for school, though. Maybe even get an internship at a design company.”

Dr. Sanchez crossed his legs and smiled at her. “I think that’s a great idea.”

“Thanks,” she said. She couldn’t help but be awkward with him.

“So, how are things in your relationship? Does that have anything to do with why you’re feeling so good about yourself?”

Nicki knew it was coming. Every single time.

“It probably has a lot to do with it, yeah.”

“And Tyler is treating you well?”

“Of course he is. He always does. Why do you ask?”

Dr. Sanchez put his hands in the air, retreating. “Just asking.”

Nicki put her hands underneath her thighs. She was getting impatient. She just wanted to go to Tyler’s game, even if it didn’t start for another hour.

The last few minutes of her session dragged on painfully. Anxiety had gotten the best of her, and of course Dr. Sanchez had noticed. She tried to explain to him that she was just nervous about the game; that hockey in general just made her nervous. It always had, and it always would. He finally gave in when she didn’t offer up any other answer.

When Nicki stepped out of the building, she was greeted by the setting sun. It instantly brightened her mood. Every single sunset made her think back to that night in California with Tyler. The day her life had completely turned around. She took a moment to relish it. It helped her find her center. Win or lose, in four or five hours she would be at home with him.

She turned the corner and started her short walk to the Garden. It was only a fifteen minute walk, but it wasn’t through the best part of Boston. There weren’t many people on the streets. They were all either at the Garden or setting up in bars to watch the game. The sun went down before Nicki reached the halfway point.

The darkness was putting her on edge. She walked into a Dunkin Donuts to get an iced coffee. Being around people for a little while would help ease her nerves. She hated going places alone; especially in the dark. Nicki stayed in the restaurant while she drank. They wouldn’t let her in the Garden with it, anyways.

Nicki noticed out of the corner of her eye two men staring at her. Great. They were wearing Flyers jerseys, and she was sporting Tyler’s. She tried not to let it bother her. When she finished her coffee she got up and left, sending Tyler a text to let him know she was on the way.

She began to feel panicked. What the hell was wrong with her? She tried to tell herself there was no reason to be worried. She didn’t even know what she was worried about. Quickening footsteps behind her made her grow increasingly uneasy.

“Hey, beautiful,” a voice called.

Please don’t be talking to me.

“Hey! Seguin! I’m talking to you,” he shouted.

Fuck.

She turned around. It was the two guys from Dunkin Donuts. Nicki tried to quickly decide whether she should run as fast as she could or stop and talk to them. She doubted they were dangerous, but if they were, running would piss them off. And she certainly wouldn’t outrun or overpower them. She stopped and waited for them to approach her.

“Holy fucking shit. You’re that pussy’s girlfriend.”

Nicki could smell the booze on his breath. She leaned back, crinkling her nose.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she said. “I don’t even have a boyfriend.”

“Oh, yeah? So why are you going to the game alone?” the other one asked.

“I’m not. I’m meeting up with my friends. They’re already there,” she lied.

“Bullshit. Stop lying, bitch. I know who you are.”

“I’m sorry, I really think you have me confused with someone else.”

She turned to walk away. A hand wrapped around her shoulder and turned her back.

“Okay, that hurt. If you guys don’t leave me alone, I’m calling the police.”

One of the guys put his hands up and backed up a step.

“Hey sweetie, no need for that. We’re just trying to be friendly. It’s not every day you meet the girlfriend of the NHL’s biggest faggot.”

“How many times do I have to tell you? I’m not anybody’s girlfriend.”

She was starting to panic again. They weren’t going to leave her alone. She glanced up and down the street, hoping somebody would see her and help.

“You’re starting to piss me off. All you fucking Boston chicks are the same. So if you don’t have a boyfriend that means you wouldn’t mind blowing me real quick behind the dumpster, right?”

Nicki felt her blood pumping. She would love nothing more than to send a foot into both of their groins, but she knew it wouldn’t make anything better. She glanced around again. Thank God. There was a group of guys in Bruins apparel walking up the street. When they got close enough, she would sprint towards them.

One of the men caught onto her. “You think those assholes are gonna come over here?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Yes you fucking do slut,” he said, spitting at her. It missed her.

She couldn’t wait any longer. She screamed for help.

“That’s it you piece of shit. Let’s see how good Seguin plays when he finds out his little bitch girlfriend’s in the hospital.”

Nicki went to run away, but he grabbed her by the arm. The other one crashed against her. The force knocked her to the ground. She watched as they sprinted away. Something didn’t feel right…

The group of guys came running towards her. One knelt down beside her and put a hand near her stomach.

“Holy shit,” he said, eyes wide. “Phil, call 911. This girl just got stabbed.”

** * * * *

Tyler looked around the Garden as Rene Rancourt sang the national anthem. Nicki wasn’t in her seat. Maybe she got stuck with Dr. Sanchez. He couldn’t help but remember the feeling he’d had all day, but he pushed his thoughts away. It was game time.

Halfway through the first period, Tyler scored. He threw his arms up and celebrated with his line. If they kept playing at the same pace, they’d be fighting for the cup in no time. He skated towards the bench to change out, expecting to get at least a high five or two from the rest of the team. They all just stared at him.

He slapped his own hand. “Thanks guys. I know you’re all so proud of me,” he joked.

No one laughed. “The fuck’s wrong with you?”

“Segs,” Milan started. Claude cut him off. He screamed to the refs for a time out.

Tyler looked around at his team. Claude put a hand on his shoulder.

“Tyler, I wasn’t going to tell you until after the game. But I can’t fuckin’ do it to you.”

He felt his heartbeat picking up. What the hell was going on?

“It’s Nicki,” he said. Tyler felt the color drain from his face.

“What about her?”

“I don’t know the whole story, but she got hurt, Seguin. Bad. She’s at Mass General.”

“What do you mean she got hurt? Is she okay?”

Claude shook his head. “They don’t know if she’s gonna pull through. Please, Tyler. Stop asking questions. Just go.”

** * * * *

Tyler went barreling through the doors of Mass General. Bill was waiting for him in the lobby. He had called on his way over. Apparently, everybody had known but him.

“What happened?” Tyler asked. His legs could barely hold him up. He leaned against a wall.

“I don’t exactly know. All the police know is what the people who found her told them. She was unconscious by the time they got help. Apparently two men in Flyers jerseys were harassing her. One of them stabbed her.”

Tyler tried to absorb what Bill had just told him. “She got stabbed?”

Bill nodded. Tears welled in the corners of his eyes. “It doesn’t look good for her, Tyler. She lost a lot of blood. The doctors couldn’t tell me anything.”

He rubbed his forehead, trying to concentrate. “Where is she?”

“Tenth floor. We can wait up there if you want.”

Tyler nodded and followed Bill to the elevator. It felt like everything was a dream. A horrible, nightmarish dream. He still hadn’t managed to process what happened. Twenty minutes ago, he was scoring a goal in his game. Now he was waiting to find out whether or not his girlfriend would live through the night.

They sat in the lobby of the tenth floor. Tyler stared at a wall. He noticed both of his legs were shaking.

“Why don’t you call Freddy?” Bill suggested.

He hadn’t even thought of Freddy. He would want to be there. Tyler got his phone out of his pocket and dialed his number.

“How are you calling me right now? Where did you go? Did you get hurt or something? Nice goal, by the way.”

Tyler tried to find the words. “Nicki got stabbed.” There was no nicer way to put it.

“What the fuck are you talking about?”

His voice cracked as he answered. He didn’t know how much longer he could hold it together.

“I don’t know what’s going on, man. All I know is she’s really hurt. I’m at Mass General with Bill. Tenth floor. If you can come…”

Freddy interrupted him. “I’m on my way.”

Tyler sat back in his seat. He put his head between his legs and his hands around the back of his neck. He tried to breathe, but it wasn’t coming easily. He felt a hand on his back. He had no idea how Bill was keeping himself so calm.

Thoughts swarmed around his head like bees. He tried to push them away, but they always came breaking through. Tyler tried to imagine a world without her. Never waking up to her messy hair, never watching her cheeks turn red when she got embarrassed. Never feeling her lips against his…

He finally lost it. He watched the tears as they fell to the floor. What good was it going to do to hold it in? It wasn’t going to save her life.

** * * * *

“No, they don’t know if she’s going to be okay,” Freddy said into the phone.

He had called Jackie. He knew how much Tyler’s family loved Nicki, and he doubted Tyler was in any shape to call them. Freddy entered the elevator and pressed the button for the tenth floor.

“We’re getting in the car now,” she said. “Make sure Tyler’s okay Freddy. Please.” Her voice cracked.

“Jackie, be careful driving. If you’re upset, let Candace take over. If Nicki…” he didn’t dare go there. “Tyler doesn’t need to lose anybody tonight.”

“Tell him we love him.”

“I will.”

Freddy stepped out of the elevator and looked around. He heard people talking to his left, so he headed in that direction. On the right was a lobby. He spotted Tyler and Bill.

“Hey,” was all he said. What else was there to say?

Tyler looked up at him. His eyes were bloodshot. Freddy never thought he’d see the day that Tyler actually cried over something. He figured if anything warranted tears, this was it. He’d had a quick cry himself on the way there, but he knew that he had to be there for Tyler. That’s what Nicki would want.

** * * * *

Tyler was exhausted. He hadn’t spoken in hours; none of them had. It felt as though they had been sitting there for months. At every hour mark, Tyler got up and paced around the hallways, hoping that it would somehow spark something and make the doctors come out and talk to them. It never worked. He heard voices coming from down the hallway and looked up.

It was his team. He completely forgot that they were playing a game.

“We won,” Chara said. He knelt down by Tyler, still taller than him. “We did it for Nicki.”

Tyler tried to force a smile. Chara got up and Tyler looked around the room. They had just won the eastern conference, and everybody looked miserable. They weren’t even wearing the shirts and hats. Milan seemed to figure out what he was thinking.

“We came right here,” he said.

He managed to choke out a thank you. “Tell me about the game,” he said. Anything to keep his mind busy.

They’d shut out the Flyers. After Tyler left, they had a renewed hunger. They weren’t going to leave the Garden without a win.

Two more silent hours passed before the doctors finally came out. There were three of them. The middle one spoke first.

“We’ve stabilized her, for now.” Tyler let out a breath, even though he knew that wasn’t going to be the end of it. “We still aren’t sure if she’s going to make it through the night. There were some complications.”

“What complications?” Bill asked.

“I’ll explain,” said the doctor on the right. “When she was stabbed, the knife punctured her appendix. It burst, and the toxins spread rapidly through her body. We managed to remove it, but some of the toxins are still moving through her. They can be deadly,” she said, pausing to let the final doctor take over.

“At one point during the surgery, we did lose a heartbeat. We resuscitated her, but her heart is extremely weak.”

The first doctor spoke again. “When she fell to the ground after being wounded, she hit her head on the sidewalk, resulting in a severe concussion. A slight swelling in her brain caused her to become comatose. Even if she does make it through the night, there’s a chance she may not wake up.”

Tyler felt himself shaking. Somehow, he felt even worse than before. There was no way this was really happening. He looked up at the doctors.

“Can we see her?” he asked, voice weak.

“Only family members,” the first doctor said coldly. They spoke about Nicki like she was just some specimen on an operating table. There was no empathy, no care.

Bill stood up. “Let’s go, Tyler.” He turned to the doctors. “Where is she?”

The woman doctor spoke up. “Her charts listed only one living relative.” She looked at Tyler.

That infuriated Bill. “He’s her fiancé. With all due respect, doctor, he’s coming with me. I feel bad for the person who tries to stop him,” he snapped. Tyler wondered if Nicki told him that his mother used the same excuse when he was in the hospital.

She gave Bill a look, but didn’t say anything. Freddy gave Tyler a pat on the knee before he got up.

“We’ll be here,” he said, speaking for everyone there.

He followed Bill and the doctors to the room she was in. Nothing could have prepared him for what they found.

Nicki’s skin was so pale that it was nearly translucent. All of her veins were visible through her skin. Dozens of wires were hooked up to her chest, all leading to different beeping machines. The worst part was the breathing tube taped down over her mouth. Tyler felt bile rising from his stomach and ran into the adjoining bathroom. He couldn’t even remember the last time he’d thrown up. The sight was too much to bear.

When he walked back into the room, Bill was sitting in a chair facing Nicki, back to him. He saw his shoulders shaking and stayed back. Tyler leaned back against a wall and let himself slide down onto the floor. He stayed there for God knows how long. Bill finally got up. He faced Tyler. His face was shining with tears.

“Do you want a minute by yourself?” he asked Tyler.

“No, you don’t have to leave.” He didn’t care if Bill saw. Or heard. Nothing mattered much to him at that moment.

Bill took a seat in a chair in the far corner of the room and Tyler sat down next to Nicki. No matter how horrible she looked, her face was still soft and pretty. He put his hand on her cheek. Her skin was freezing. Tyler felt a lump forming in his throat again. He shook his head. She had actually died. What if they hadn’t been able to bring her back?

“Nicki, don’t do this to me. I just got you back,” he said, choking on his words. “You always tell me how much you need me. I’ve never told you how much I need you.” He brushed his fingers through her hair, smiling slightly through the tears. “I’m sorry I’ve never had the guts to tell you this when you’re awake. You’re the girl that I want to marry. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I want to have kids with you, as many as you want. I don’t care. I want to retire someday and leave everything behind except you. We can move to Greece, and watch the sun set every night. We can do whatever the hell you want. I’ll be the happiest person in the world, as long as you’re with me. Fuck, Nicki. I can’t do this without you.”

He leaned forward and put his head in his hands. He might be too late. What if he never got the chance to tell her all of that? If she died not knowing how much he loved her…

“Is all of that true?” Bill asked.

Tyler forgot there was someone else in the room with him. He looked up at Bill and nodded.

“I gotta tell you, Tyler. I’ve always liked you. If she pulls through, I’ll give you my blessing. You don’t have to ask. But you better be fucking serious, or I’ll make you sorry you ever went near her.”

“Do I look like I’m joking?” he asked.

Bill smiled. “No, I guess not. I don’t mean to upset you. You’re both just so young. You think you want something and then – “

Tyler cut him off. “I’ve never been so sure of something in my entire life.”

“Good, then.”

Neither of them spoke another word.

Hours later, Bill was passed out in his chair, snoring loudly. Tyler hadn’t moved an inch, except to put his hand over Nicki’s. He mindlessly traced over her veins with his finger. He watched her chest move ever so slightly every time she took a breath. It looked so unnatural.

He had no idea what time it was. The sky was still black outside the window. It had to be almost sunrise. Tyler took his hand off of Nicki’s and walked over to the window. Seconds later, one of the machines went off. He turned quickly and looked. No. It was the heartbeat monitor. He pressed the red button on the side of her bed and sprinted into the hallway for help.

Two nurses and a doctor came running into her room as Bill finally woke up. Tyler watched from the doorway as they ripped open her hospital gown and readied the defibrillator.

“Clear!” one of the nurses shouted.

He looked away as they brought it down to her chest. He felt like he was going to be sick again. When he found the nerve to look, he saw the neon green on the monitor form a straight line. The beeping stopped.

“We’re losing her!”