Death.. A miracle of love…

She’d brought him in, her husband of 65 years.. 90 she’d turned & 85 he would soon be or wouldn’t, he fears..

His heart was racing, blood pressure low.. She said, ‘you’ll be just ok honey.. you aren’t even as old as me, don’t you know’..

Seems like an infection, causing septic shock.. Source isn’t too clear yet, fever & high white count, so far lungs & urine normal look..

Headache, nausea, neck stiffness too.. Aggressive hydration, empiric antibiotics, a spinal tap after brain imaging we might have to do..

He needs to be on isolation.. As it could be a pretty serious, contagious infection!

The blood pressure wouldn’t respond to fluids or albumin.. Tachycardia was worse & lethargy set in..

Transferred he was soon to the ICU.. he was quite unstable.. She said, alright I’ll take off, will be back tomorrow, to see him sometime, in the afternoon if I’m able..

Well… he’s on 4 pressors now & on a breathing machine to keep him going.. We’re doing everything we can, but he seems to be deteriorating..

‘Oh he’ll be fine, I’m going home, I have faith and nothing’s bigger than that.. 90 I am!’ , brisk small steps she took & stepped out giving my shoulder a pat..

5 minutes after she’d left, code blue was called.. We initiated resuscitation, he won’t make it knew all of us & she was informed..

Returned she like a boisterous storm.. Denial & anger no more, bargaining to please somehow keep him breathing & warm..

Pulse dropping to 20s & 30s.. She no more was hoping to see him live up to his 90s..

She said, ‘we’ve been together forever’, he’s no doubt her present & all of the treasured or even forgotten past.. ‘He’s my husband, my only friend’.. she was explaining & he took his breath… last..

‘No children we have, no other family or friends.. he left me alone here.. there’s just no one else’..

Fell as as she spoke.. hugged, held, embraced her..couldn’t.. just couldn’t anymore… couldn’t hold back my emotions any longer..

She was gone too.. just in a moment.. Even death didn’t do them part.. miracle we all wished for him.. & yes for both of them it somehow happened!

-ELIXIR VITAE – A Story of her Love, by Pallavi Aneja MD

Disclaimer: All characters in the above text are purely fictional, from the book- ELIXIR VITAE- A Story of her Love. Resemblance to any character, alive or dead is purely coincidental.