Goodbye

Lukas walked into the black room, shutting the door and the light out behind him. The operating lights illuminated her still body laying on the table.

Carefully, silently, he approached her.

Her eyelids were closed while a pained frown lingered on her face.

Lukas trembled at the sight.

"Was it painful?"

Lukas knelt by her side and caressed her face gently, his eyes especially tender.

"Why are you frowning? Was it really that painful? Or-"

'Did you regret it? You could have lived for much longer, if it wasn't for me.'

Teardrops slid down his face, blurring his sight. He let them fall, unhindered.

He reached for her hands that lay at her sides and held it to his face.

The warmth of the living had not yet left her.

"Now that I think about it, I've never asked you about your family. Were you alone like me?"

He continued to talk, refusing to let the silence take hold of him.

"Where were they when you were in hospital? Did they leave you?" He stroked his fingers through her greying hair. "Looking like this, it's as if you haven't left yet. As if you're only having a painful dream."

He laid his head on the table and smiled at her.

"Would you be dreaming of me? If not," Lukas smiled drowsily, "Would you allow me to dream of you?"

As his muscles relaxed, the pain returned in waves that were twice as powerful than before.

They raged at being ignored for so long.

"Ugh-!"

He clutched at his stomach and his hand met with a gooey sensation.

He lifted his hand weakly and saw it covered in his blood.

'I might be able to be with you after all.'

His vision waned and flickered like the feeble flame of a candle.

Lukas felt the energy drain from him and his body slumped over.

In his final moments of awareness, the sound of a door crashing into the wall reached him.

Light flooded the room once more. Multiple shoes squeaked on the polished floor in their hurry to reach his side.

"Lukas!"

"Bro!"

"Lukas?!"

It seemed that people were calling out to him.

Something within him stirred slightly but he had no energy left to reply. At this moment, all he wanted was to rest.

His eyelids that slowly surrendered to the fatigue drooped and finally closed.

His world turned dark in an instant and he was left with nothing but a peaceful void.