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Carl was sitting on a bench outside Ellie’s hospital room, tapping his foot. She’s gonna be ok. She’s Ellie, nothing can keep her down.
He stood up suddenly when he heard the door open. Dr. Medicine walked out of the room and closed the door behind him.
“Is she going to be ok?”
The doctor shook his head slowly. “I give her a couple hours at most. I suggest you go talk to her.”
Carl was already in the room by the time he finished speaking. It was a small room, a single bed with a table next to it, a heart monitor on the table, and a chair in the corner under a window. In the bed was Ellie, his wife, his best friend. She was looking out the window with an expression of concentration.
Carl took a step towards her and she turned to face him. Ellie’s frown turned into a smile, her smile, the one she always wore. It was a genuine smile, not like the one Carl wore. He pulled the chair up to her bed and sat.
She held his hand firmly.
“It’s ok. I lived a full life.”
He shook his head. “No, you’re not done. I-I had plane tickets to Angel Falls, we never went to paradise falls. You’re not done, Ellie, you’re–”
“Carl. Stop. Do you remember when we first met?” He nodded. “I was in our house, this was before it was our house of course, it was old and broken, adding to my Adventure Book when this red balloon floats through the door, up through the hole in the second story floor, and onto the ceiling. What follows it? A nerd wearing an aviator helmet and goggles. You startled at everything, it was adorable.
“There was a plank going across the hole your balloon was above. It told you to go get it. I didn’t think you would, but you did. The plank broke and you fell.” Ellie laughed until it turned into a cough.
“You somehow found out where I lived,” Carl continued the story, “and scared the living hell out of me when you popped your head through my bedroom window. You came in and showed me your Adventure Book.” He pulled the book out of his bag and laid it on the bed.
They sat in silence, a comfortable one broken only by the beeping of the heart monitor and the chatter from the other side of the door, as they flipped through the pages, as they looked at what they had wanted for their lives.
“You have to let me go, Carl.” Ellie interrupted them.
“What? No, I can’t.”
“You have to. I’m not leaving until you do.”
“But–”
“Please. I need you to let me go.” She pushed the book back towards him. “It’s time for you to move on. It’s time for you to have your own adventures.”
Carl closed his eyes. How was he supposed to just let her go? His life started when he met Ellie, what was going to happen if he lost her. And how was he supposed to move on without forgetting her. He couldn’t. He needed her.
He was pulled out of his thoughts by a hand on his. He opened his eyes to see Ellie smiling at him again, the same genuine smile. He held back a sob and nodded.
Ellie closed her eyes and let out a final breath. The steady beeping of the heart monitor turned into one long beep. Carl stood and walked out of the room as doctors rushed in. He left the hospital and took the bus home, sitting in his chair. He turned to see Ellie’s empty one before finally letting it out and crying.