4:03am
He could have sworn he saw her flatline right before his eyes. Panic swept through him as for a split second he thought the worse, but then looked at the monitor again. They didn't have much tiime; Katelyn's was quickly running out. They had to find a way to stop this. Robbie rushed back over to her side where she lay on the table, her body still jerking uncontrollably. He took her hand in his.
"Don't you dare die on me, Katelyn." Robbie fought to keep the emotion out of his voice. "We're going to find a cure for this. Keep fighting!"
All Katelyn could do was look up at him, but Robbie wasn't sure she was even really seeing anymore. Katelyn was in nothing short of pure hell. She wasn't sure if she was alive or dead, and if it was up to her, she'd vote for the latter. No longer could Katelyn feel the sting of the initial attack; instead all she could feel were the flames that were now licking at her from all sides it seemed like. She could feel her body convulsing violently, but she no longer felt connected to her own body. The only thing she could register was pain, and the pain was so intense, her mind could not wrap itself around it. Why were they not putting out the flames? Katelyn wanted to scream, and she didn't care if it put Robbie in pain, but she couldn't find her voice box. That had probably been charred, too. Her entire body felt like a huge pile of ashes, and she did not know why she wasn't dead yet. There was nothing else she wanted but for it to end, one way or another.
Robbie rushed back up to the computer where Alpha stood. "She's dying. There has to be something we can do!"
Alpha turned, holding a paper in his hands. "I found the cause of her condition. And possibly a way to stop it."
"What is it?" Robbie took the paper, but was unable to decipher it.
"It's a parasite. It attacks the heart first, then eventually shutting down all other organs. The best way to describe it is it feels like one is literally burning alive." Robbie looked back over at Katelyn. They had to get it out, and fast.
He turned to Alpha, determined look in his eyes. There was no question, not even a doubt. And time was up. "Do it."
Alpha went to get the necessary tools, and Robbie again took Katelyn's hand. This time, he couldn't hold back the tears. "You listen to me. You do whatever you can to keep your heart beating. Alpha's gonna.."-he had to choke back a sob-"..he's gonna fix it."
Alpha began with trying to extract the parasite. As soon as the needle punctured Katelyn's skin, she let out an agonizing scream. Robbie held her hand, muttering over and over for her to keep fighting. He was almost rocking back and forth.
Please don't die, don't die, don't die...
Let me die, let me die, let me die...
It felt like years had passed before Alpha finally pulled away, and the look on Robbie's face was a mixture of shock, disgust, and pain all rolled into one as he took in the sight before him. That nasty pest that was the cause of all of this.
"Get that thing out of here," Robbie ordered, a sob in his otherwise low, dead voice.
Katelyn seemed to visibly calm down almost immediately, but it wasn't over yet. "Alpha, the morphine."
One minute, Katelyn felt like a pile of ash. The next, she felt something wash over her entire body, and she could not comprehend it. It felt pure, it felt amazing, like a wave of cold water, pushing the flames away. So this is what death feels like, she thought. But then, her vision seemed to clear, just long enough for her to see Robbie's face. He was smiling down at her, and ugh, wipe that stupid grin off your face. She didn't understand why he was looking at her like that. Her mind now was foggy, the pain of the fire nothing more than a dim memory now. She felt heavy, and Robbie's face faded away as Katelyn closed her eyes and welcomed the peace and quiet of unconsciousness.
"Sleep,sweetheart. You'll be alright now."
The topic of my time unloading trucks came up this evening. It wasn't the easiest time for me, and I'm still not sure how I survived. I don't choose to remember that time, as I've purposely forgotten about it. Did I learn from my mistakes? Yes. That time is a part of my life, and although it's in the past, that doesn't mean I have to take those memories, nor do I want to. The pain and the toll that job took on me was getting to be too much, and there's no way I would have been able to hang on much longer. When I slept, this scene came to me. It's a scene I'd had tucked away for a very long time, it's not fine-tuned, and definitely not going to be the final draft, but it's how it played out in my head tonight. It reminded me of my situation then; the pain and the near agony of defeat. When it was all said and done and I managed to crawl up out of the hole I'd been in, I felt I could breathe again. The weight I wasn't even aware I'd been carrying had been lifted off my shoulders. I never stopped fighting; I knew what I wanted. Katelyn is a character I created so very long ago, and I've always looked up to her.
Aside from that, I keep fighting. I worked hard to be where I am, and I still thank God for what he has given me. When I lose touch and forget, I always get a reality check. I'm still grateful to be where I am. A year ago everything seemed unsure. Now I am getting that second chance. 9 months now, and I'm still going strong.
And there's no sign of me slowing down.
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