Page 94 of Her Sloth

And then the doctor’s words come back into my mind.

“What if she dies and you weren’t there?”

24

CASS

PLAYLIST: HALO – BEYONCÉ

The tires screech.

I brake the last possible moment.

Jump out of the car.

Race through the doors.

Up to the ICU.

Through the doors I am not allowed in.

I don’t care.

Someone tries to stop me.

A nurse I push out of the way.

“WHERE IS SHE?” I shout, running from room to room, unit to unit, but she isn’t anywhere.

No! She has to be here somewhere!

Panic surges through me.

I’m too late⁠—

Too late.

I’m so stupid.

I stand in the middle of this wide corridor and glance around as my chest compresses my lungs from all sides.

She isn’t here anymore.

I—

NO!

Breathing is impossible.

I gasp for air, but no air is reaching my lungs.

I’m suffocating.

Everything zones out.

I fucking destroyed everything.

I destroyed everything because I put a ghost from the past over the only real thing I had.