Free I Know Who Holds Tomorrow by Francis Ray

“Something … e-else.”
    Fearing that he would become agitated she rushed to reassure him. “Anything.”
    â€œK-keep Manda.”
    She blinked. She hadn’t expected that, but having him talk to her was a good sign he was getting better. She’d promise him anything to get him well. “I promise. Just rest. Don’t worry.” She blinked back tears.
    â€œZ-Zach?” Wes rasped.
    â€œI’m here.” Zachary leaned his face closer to Wes’s. “Just rest. Save your strength.”
    Wes struggled to speak. His gaze clung to Zachary’s. “R-remember … you promised.”
    â€œI remember. Don’t worry,” Zachary assured, his voice thick, his hand clamped around the bed rail.
    Wes seemed to relax, his eyes closing, then suddenly his eyelids shot upward. The alarm sounded on the heart monitor. He gasped, then gasped again. He didn’t seem to be able to catch his breath.
    â€œWes!” Madison cried.
    â€œNurse!” Zachary yelled, but they were already running into the room.
    â€œWhat’s happening? Please tell me what’s happening!” Madison begged.
    One nurse began adjusting the bed rail. Another listened to his chest with a stethoscope. “Please leave.”
    â€œNo, I’m not leaving.” She wanted to go to Wes, but Zachary held her back. “I’m not leaving him. Wes!”
    He gasped, struggled to speak.
    Wrenching away from Zachary, Madison rushed back to the bed. “Wes, what is it?”
    â€œMine. M-Manda … my child.”
    Madison jerked upward. “Wh-what?”

    â€œM-Manda’s mine.”
    Dr. London came barreling though the door. “Get them out of here!”
    The beeping went into a long, eerie wails. “Code blue!”
    Someone pushed them outside. People ran past them. The curtains were jerked closed. Madison was unable to make her legs move any farther. Surely she had misunderstood him. He hadn’t said what she thought he had. As soon as he was all right, he’d explain.
    Zachary kept his eyes on the door of the room. Through the thin partition of glass he could hear Dr. London shouting orders. Zachary’s clenched his fists. “Fight, Wes, you can beat this. There’s never been anything you couldn’t do when you set your mind to it.”
    He kept that thought for what seemed like an eternity until the door opened and Dr. London came out. Shoulders slumped, his face tired, he approached Madison. “Mrs. Reed, I’m sorry. We did everything we could. We’re going to have to call it.”
    â€œWhat?” She blinked, finally drawing her fixed gaze away from the door to Wes’s room. “Call what?”
    â€œHe’s gone,” Dr. London said.
    â€œGone? He can’t be gone! We were just talking,” she said, as tears slid down her cheeks. “He was trying to tell me something and he got it all mixed up.”
    â€œWe’ve done everything we could. His heart is just not responding. There’s nothing on the monitor.”
    Madison wildly shook her head. “No! You have to go back in there and keep trying.”
    â€œPerhaps you’d like to lie down,” Dr. London suggested, reaching toward her arm.
    Madison drew her arm out of his reach and stepped back on wobbly legs. Her chest felt like it was being squeezed by a giant fist. “I don’t want to lie down! I want to talk to my husband! Why can’t you understand that?”
    Zachary heard the hysteria rising in her voice, and clamped down on his own grief. “Dr. London, his parents are outside. Would you please tell them? I’ll stay with Madison.”
    â€œAll right,” Dr. London said; his voice sounded as tired as he looked. “I’m sorry. I’m going back inside to call the code as over, then I’ll go speak to his parents.” He went back into the room, then came back out moments
later and walked toward