Nothing Else Matters

It�s cold. The midwinter wind is blowing roughly around the small town. The only noise that can be heard on the streets is the screeching of tires and the panicked scream of a young man. - A short story about love and anger in the time of a traumatic acc

 

It’s cold. The midwinter wind is blowing roughly around the small town. The only noise that can be heard on the streets is the screeching of tires and the panicked scream of a young man. He is currently witnessing his worst nightmare. His wife, the mother of his three year old son, the love of his life lies lifelessly on the ground. The drunken driver of the car that just hit her sped off as soon as he realized what he had done. The young man kneels down by his wife, unable to stop his tears from falling. Her beautiful face is covered in blood, her eyes are closed and she doesn’t move when her husband desperately tries to awaken her. He shakes her shoulders while begging her to wake up through his sobs. Joyful memories of them together play in his mind. It’s almost like torture for him to know that the memories he has might be the only ones that he will ever have. The thought of losing her, the only person whom makes him complete feels so awful that he doesn’t even want to let it cross his mind. The thought that she won’t be able to be there when their son grows up and that their son won’t get to grow up with her by his side. That they’ll never have more children like they always planned. As that thought wander across his mind a fresh batch of tears appears in his swollen eyes. He can’t loose her. He won’t loose her. Unfortunately, fate doesn’t always agree with your hearts desires.

 

Regret. It’s what a lot of people deal with in this room: the waiting room of the hospital. For the young man it is the room where he gets to regret his foolish argument with his wife just hours before he awaits news on her wellbeing. The picture of her emotionally hurt face plagues his mind as he thinks back to their fight. Early in the morning of this Friday four weeks before Christmas he got a phone call from his boss. The company he works for was offering him a giant promotion and two times his salary per month. The only catch was that he had to move across the country. He was flattered by the proposal, but he had to discuss the matter with his wife before giving his boss a response. At night, after he and his wife putted their son to bed, he told her about the generous offer. Her immediate response was to ask about their son. He had grown accustomed to the town they were currently living in, close to all of their friends and family. The husband argued back that they could really use the money. Their family wasn’t poor, they could easily pay all of their bills and still have a little bit more money to spend as they wished, but he had always wanted to give his family everything they would ever want and need. The words she uttered after his last statement still rings in his ears: The only thing that will ever matter is that our family is together. I don’t care if we don’t have a penny to our names, as long as we love each other; nothing else matters. Only a person like his wife could be so unselfish to always put what others wanted above her own wishes. The young husband will forever want to take back what he responded to her loving statement. He told her that love is great, but it can’t buy you anything. The look she gave him at his answer was a look of pure disappointment. Then I guess it doesn’t matter to you anymore how much I love you. And with that she ran out the door. He didn’t think twice about following her. He had to let her know that her love means more to him than anything in the world. But by the time he caught up to her, it was too late. Now, placing his head in his hands he lets a few silent tears fall as realization overtakes his body. This is all his fault.

 

An hour has turned into six as the young husband has yet to find out if his wife is alive or not, if she’s okay or not, if she’ll come back to him or not. Their son is coming to the hospital to join his father. At the little boys’ tender age of three, he is already quite intelligent and understanding. An almost unnoticeable smile graces the mans face as his thoughts are consumed by his son. Their son. He is the perfect combination of the young parents. He is smart, caring and adorable like his mother, dependable, protective and interested in sports like his father. Nothing less could be expected as this little child was a gift from their love. Even though their son might’ve been unplanned, he was never unwanted. The young husband breaks himself out of his thoughts and looks around in the waiting room. The doctor still hasn’t given him any sort of information on his wife’s condition. All he wants to do in this moment is to hold his wife and tell her that everything will be okay. Pain fills his heart as reality sets in. He might not ever get to hold her again.

 

The young man’s embrace with his son gets interrupted by the doctor’s soft voice telling them to come with him. The husband picks up his son and does as he’s been told. They walk down the long, depressing corridor in the ICU of the hospital. The doctor stops them by a green door. He tells the broken man to prepare himself to face his newly operated wife. The doctor had managed to save her life and the young husband thanks the doctor before slowly opening the door. A lump forms in his throat at the sight of his first and only love. He shifts his sons’ position on his hip trying to keep the little boy’s eyes away from his hurt mother. Although his action gets the young child to focus on something else for a few seconds, the constant beeping of the heart machine that is hooked up to his mother gets his attention. His big brown eyes fill with tears and he starts to call out for her to wake up. His father can’t hold back his own tears as he watches his tiny son try to awaken her. She remains still and silent and both of the boys cry harder. They hold each other as they cry for the woman they both love, with all of their heart. 

 

The crying never seems to end as the young husband sits holding his wife’s unmoving hand. Yesterday the doctor gave him the news. The worst news he has ever gotten in his life. The doctor told him that if the young woman didn’t wake up within the next twenty-four hours, then there was no hope left for her and she would be taken off of life support. The husband has sent their son home. The young boy doesn’t need to witness when his mother takes her last breath and leaves their life forever. Once again the young husband’s mind fills with memories of his wife: her perfect smile, her perfect laugh. His tears fall harder and faster as he glances at the clock above her bed. His wife has three hours left in this world. He tightens his hold on her hand and lets his head fall to rest beside their entwined hands. He whispers a soft please wake up and cries a little harder. That’s when he feels it. Her fingers slowly squeeze his hand. The young husband’s head immediately shoots right up and he looks at her perfect face. Her eyes are gently opening and a small smile graces her beautiful lips. The young husband is no longer waiting for her to leave him. She whispers a soft I love you, and with those three small words; his promise of hope is renewed.

Reviews

[Vartul]

Hmmm. Good.but could have been better.You're surely a good writer, and i like the way you narrate and describe the story. The state of the husband has been depicted wonderfully.The ending though, was expected.I know,this ending is good,and all stories are not supposed to have a twist in the tale, still...
nevertheless, good job,keep going!