"You stay awake, do you hear me?! Don't you dare close your eyes! Please!" I sob.

I hold his face and press my forehead against his as I cry. His arms weakly hold me, and his kindness only makes guilt punch my stomach and tears fall faster and faster in huge, wet drops.

"I'm begging you, Zeke. Do you hear me? I'm begging. Please, please, be okay. Come on! You promised, Zeke! You promised you would never leave me!" Tears wet my face and fall on my jeans. "I've lost everything, everyone else. I can't lose you too. I can't..."

Zeke's eyelids fall lower and lower until his eyes close completely. His arms fall limply on either side of me and he takes his last shallow breaths.

"No, no, no. Zeke..."

My hands fall from his face leaving fingerprints of blood. He slumps on the ground. I don't speak.

I don't know how long I sit there, staring at Zeke's body, not sure what to do next, and feeling so ... broken.

Then Zeke's eyelids start to flutter open and his heart starts beating under my trembling hands.