Pull My Heartstrings

I just made an attempt here, it seems sort of choppy but, I tried... I am also going to try to draw the photo, for the songs and this story

“… And then I’ll get a huge house for you and me to live in. How does that sound to you?” A young man with short dark brown hair that reached down to gently sway in front of his tired light brown eyes quietly murmured. He was tall and lean, dressed in dark jeans, a black form fitting tee, and a black military style hat that sat upon his head.
He was gazing down at a very young girl lying in a white hospital bed. Her short dark brown hair was fanned out on the pillow below her. Her light brown eyes half closed in exhaustion. She was staring up at the older male, a bright smile played at her lips, “I like the sound of that March…” she rasped.
When she released a mighty yawn, the older boy known as March, stood up and began to tuck the blankets around the girl’s small frame, “Time for bed Lily… you need your rest. They’ll be coming in early to take some tests…”
While March tucked her in and fluffed her pillow, Lily quietly asked, “Did you bring your guitar?”
“… Of course I did… Do you want to listen to a new song I wrote?”
Lily nodded with a smile when March sat back in his chair and brought forth an acoustic guitar. He began to strum the guitar, the heart monitor easily blending with his playing, and let out a low melodic hum. Lily closed her eyes and slowly bobbed her head from side to side when March began to sing:

Do you remember that cold and rainy day as well my love?
I was standing in the rain all alone
Until you came along with your umbrella
And saved me from living on my own

The world so dark before
Suddenly showers me in light
The moment you appeared
And made everything alright

March beat on his guitar softly as he played, a smile tugging at his lips when he noticed how much Lily was enjoying the song:

Oh my sweet love it was you
Who rescued me that dreary day
With your promises of eternal love
And cordial blessed days

His strumming slowed down and his voice lowered. Lily’s eyes were drooping as he continued and March knew that the girl was about to fall asleep… As she began to nod her head, he quietly drew his song to a close:

Oh my sweet love stay with me forever
Please never ever let me go
Hold me tight and keep on shining
To prevent me from falling to the dark below

Oh my sweet love promise to fight my sorrow
And protect me from the freezing rain
For as long as you fight then so will I
Because it is your strength that keeps me sane

Lily’s head was bobbing forward and March couldn’t help but smile. Placing his guitar on the ground, he gently pushed Lily back onto the pillows and brought the blanket up to her chin. He leaned forward and placed a kiss to her forehead, “I’ll be back at the same time… goodnight Lily-bear…” March stood up and placed the guitar by the foot of the hospital bed before dimming the lights and pulling out an iPod to place on the table by Lily’s bed. He turned it on and put on a playlist… a playlist of all the songs he ever composed. When he finally left the room with one last look back, he closed the door and was immediately stopped by a nurse. March didn’t know the nurse, and that said a lot from someone who had been coming to the same hospital for almost three years. He knew every nurse and doctor by name and vice versa... so... this nurse was new...
He narrowed his eyes at the young nurse as she bats her eyes at him, “That was such a sweet song…” she sighed.
March blushed slightly and nodded. He tried to walk around the nurse when she stopped him again, “How long have you played guitar?”
“Since I was ten… I need to go attend my night classes now… I take it you’re new so I’ll let you know to leave that iPod on, it is the only way Lily will sleep through the night…”
The nurse stood up straight, “How can you tell I’m new?”
March rolled his eyes, “Lily has been under this hospital’s care for about three years.”
“Why is that?” The nurse was stalling him now…
“Lily… she has... a… a poor heart…” March wanted to leave quickly before the tears could begin to sting his eyes, “We’ve been waiting for a healthy heart to come in for her… but… every time there is one there is always a patient who needs it more…”
“Ohh, a heart transplant… it must be so hard waiting for your daughter’s chance to live normally, huh?” she leaned against his arm and began to gently stroke the lightly tanned skin, “You must be a strong father… and you’re single? I don’t see a ring.”
March sneered at the nurse in disgust, “Our parents died a while back lady… I’m her older brother… and I’d prefer you not use her disability as a way to get into my pants... so unprofessional... Now I have to go so if you’ll excuse me!” and he stalked off.

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March dozed off during his night class and was called out multiple times for it. The young male tried everything to keep from falling asleep but by the time the lesson was over, March was passed out. At the end of class, his professor made him stay to discuss the problem of him sleeping during class… March’s professor was surprised that March was even falling asleep during his admonishment of the boy sleeping in class. He was aware of his sister’s condition and the stress it put on March, but he wondered if March would be able to handle such responsibility and still come to school... the boy was reaching his limits...
They were in the middle of discussing his constant exhaustion when a vibration in his pocket alerted him of his phone. He held up a finger before answering the cell, “This is March…” he slurred slightly, his exhaustion getting the best of him at the moment.
“You need to get your a*s down here right now!” It was one of the nurses that took care of Lily.
March stood up in a flash, exhaustion be damned at the moment, “What’s wrong with Lily?!” he demanded.
“She woke up screaming and crying and she won’t stop! She’s panicking and her heart rate is going too fast. If this keeps up we’re going to have some serious issues! March you have to get back here!”
March snapped the phone shut and shoved it back into his pocket. He apologize to his professor and prepared to dash out of the door, but his professor caught his arm, “March, I have a car you know.”

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“Lily, calm down!” March ran into Lily’s hospital room after plowing through a few nurses on his way. He stopped by her bed and gently grabbed her shoulders. Lily was sobbing uncontrollably and she wasn’t responding to anyone or anything. He remembered the last time she was like this and did the one thing he knew would calm her down. March gently took her face in his hands and touched their foreheads together. Taking a deep breath, he softly began to sing:

Ooooh baby listen as the birds sing
The wind blows and the bells ring
Here below we can watch as the sky above
Erupts in a colorful explosion
Just for us

Ooooh baby look at the trees sway
See how the animals come to stay
With the flowers, who watch with a smile
As we dance to the happiness around us
Forgetting about all the bad around us

Ooooh baby can’t you see
How much you really mean to me
I’d capture all the happiness
And bring it all for you just like this
To keep that precious smile on your face

By the time March had finished singing, Lily’s eyes were quickly fogging over with sleep. She leaned forward against March’s shoulder and emitted a sigh. It grew quiet and it was then that March noticed the iPod wasn’t playing. With a furious growl, March situated Lily in her bed and put the IPod back on, putting the playlist on repeat once more. He turned around and glared at the handful of nurses in the room before he shooed everyone out. Once he shut the door, he let out a menacing growl, “Who is their right mind decided to turn off that IPod?! All of you know that she doesn’t sleep peacefully without that playing!”
The nurses looked around before all eyes settled on the new nurse, whose eyes were on the ground. March was about to stomp up to the infuriating woman and give her a piece of his mind, when the hallway began to spin. March was falling back against the wall, holding his head and moaning softly as he shut his eyes. The nurses kicked themselves into action; March was soon unconscious on a futon that was set up to rest right next to Lily’s bed.
March woke up late the next morning to the feel of Lily’s fingers gently threading through his hair. He sat up slightly, but she put a gentle pressure on the side of his head, “Rest brother... you need to rest...” her voice quiet... and somewhat weak. It was still soothing to his ears though.
“But... what about class... and I gotta go to work... and...” March wasn’t able to finish his rant, for Lily’s fingers were gently massaging his scalp, slowly lulling him to sleep.
“Go to sleep March... your professor is giving you time off from school... the same with work...” Lily rasped, “Sleep now... stay with me for a while and sleep... you’re working yourself to death...”

~*~*~*~*~*~A Few Years Later*~*~*~*~*~*

“March there is nothing we can do... Lily... we... we can’t get a heart... and we just... can’t let her suffer anymore... Please understand what I am saying March... I think it’s time now...” The nurse broke into tears and suddenly wrapped her arms around March’s torso, pressing her face into his shirt, “We can’t get a heart for her in time March! But we can’t torture her like this!”
March was stunned into silence. The nurse, she was one of the originals who were like a mother to Lily... to hear her crying when over the years she was the one scolding him for crying... it wasn’t reassuring at all. Lily’s heart was on the verge of collapsing. The machines were now what have kept the young girl alive and it seems that now... it was finally time to let go...
The nurse continued to cry and March held her close, feeling like he was slowly cracking to pieces himself. As if his whole being was slowly disintegrating into nothing...
When March entered the hospital room he stifled back a sob. The many years he had to sit in this room... he never wanted to believe that this time was going to come. He watched Lily on the bed, the machines hooked up to her... The machines were what were left of her... March was aware of this. Lily was only hanging on by a thread... but he refused to pull the plug. He had faith that his sister would live... that a new heart would beat within her... that she’d be able to live a healthy life again...
“I was just being selfish...” March whispered. He walked up to the bed and gazed down at the chalky pallor of Lily’s skin, the dullness of her once luminous hair, the dark circles under her eyes... he reached out to take her hand. They were chilled. Lily was losing her strength... and she wouldn’t be able to survive if she wasn’t hooked up to the machines. March sat down on the bed and laid a hand on Lily’s cold, white cheek. He sniffled slightly when she didn’t respond to the touch. With a soft sob, he gently whispered:

Sitting on the sand we gently embrace
Enjoying the gentle breeze
And the warmth from the orange sun
Without a worry
Weighing us down

His voice was broken but he carried on, positioning himself so that he could lie down on the bed, resting his head on Lily’s stomach:

We curl up together
Inseparable
The water gently approaching
Almost hesitantly slow
To lap at our entangled legs

The tears cascaded down his face and March took Lily’s hand, pulling it against his face, trying to remember the soft feel of her skin:

A tear falls down your cheek
As the sun slowly sets
I ask you what is wrong
And I hear the heartbroken reply
“Tis gone now, our time is up...”

But though the sun has set
Our time will never end
I will always hold you close
Never again to let you go

March slowly lifted his heavy body up to a sitting position. He leaned forward to place a gentle kiss to Lily’s forehead, his lips lingering for longer than need be. When he pulled away, he began to lean towards the back of the bed:

Forevermore... so please... Hush my darling
There is nothing you need to fear
Because we will always be together
For all of eternity

March’s hand wrapped around the plug hooked into the outlet behind the bed and he softly sobbed... before pulling his hand back...

BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP

Author's Note

If you even felt a twinge, I'd feel extra happy. The whole point is to obviously make you feel some kind of sadness, hopefully I achieved that in some way, shape, or form.

And the songs that March sings are on my account, and they are, in order:
You Saved me My Love
Your Precious Smile
Eternity