“Patient has no heartbeat!” a nurse’s voice rang out.
Mitchell’s eyes widened in terror. He didn’t spare Maggie another glance as he bolted into the room.
“No, Nora! Don’t do this! Nora, please, I’m begging you, don’t die!” Mitchell clutched my hand tightly, his voice breaking as tears streamed down his face. “It’s all my fault! I was wrong! I’m a monster! I don’t deserve to live. I failed you; I failed Mom and Dad. Nora, please, just wake up. I’ll do anything. Anything! Don’t leave me, Nora. Please. You’re all I have left. If you want me to die, I will! Just… just wake up. You deserve to live!”
1/2
Chapter 6
Meanwhile, Maggie slipped away in the chaos, disappearing without a trace.
+20 Bonus
Mitchell was pulled aside as the doctors worked frantically to save me. He slumped against the wall, his body wracked with sobs, all his composure shattered.
As they worked to revive me, I silently wished they wouldn’t. I was so tired–so tired of all of it. But maybe there was still
something unfinished, something holding me back. Against all odds, they succeeded, and my soul was pulled back into my body.
When I opened my eyes, the first thing I saw was Mitchell. He looked haggard, unkempt, and utterly defeated, as though the life
had been drained from him.
When he noticed I was awake, his eyes lit up with a glimmer of hope. “Nora.”
I turned away, pulling my hand from his grasp. I couldn’t look at him. The weight of everything was too much.
“Nora…” His voice was pained, a raw whisper. “It’s all my fault. I was blind–I believed the wrong people. I’m sorry, Nora. I’m so,
so sorry. See? I found the necklace. Let me put it back on you. Please.”
I shook my head, my voice cold and detached. “I don’t deserve to wear it. I don’t want it.”
The light in his eyes dimmed, and he gripped the necklace tightly, his hands trembling. “No, Nora. Don’t say that. I don’t deserve
to be your brother. You’ve done nothing wrong. It was all my fault, my blindness, my stupidity. I failed you in every way. I’m so
sorry, Nora. Please, forgive me.”
I lowered my head, saying nothing. I knew he wanted me to forgive him, but I couldn’t bring myself to.
“I know I’ve done a terriblbe mistake, and I’ve caused you so much pain. I’m the one to blame. You don’t have to forgive me. I’ll
never forgive myself. But please, let me take care of you. Let me make it right. I just want you to get better.”
Mitchell became unusually meek, carefully watching my every expression, but it didn’t bring me any sense of satisfaction.
He stayed by my hospital bed around the clock, tending to me with painstaking care.
It was as if he’d started remembering the things I’d begun to forget–my favorite things, moments from our childhood, and the
promises he once made to me.
He often shared stories from when we were kids, but as he spoke and noticed my lack of reaction, his eyes would redden once
more.
