Out of Time

    They had been friends for a while. Ever since Lucy had been assigned Maggie’s new biology lab partner. Maggie had thought her quiet at first, but that was okay because Maggie could talk for both of them. Lucy had ginger hair and wore gold circular glasses. Maggie had mousy brown curly hair and a purple nose stud, that she would immediately put back in after being told it’s against the school rules.

     Maggie was lying with her head in Lucy’s lap. They were watching The Great British Bake Off, Lucy’s favourite comfort show. It was softly raining outside. The perfect afternoon.

     Lucy’s tabby cat, Midge, came waddling into the room and attempted to jump onto the bed. The two girls watched in bemusement as Midge jumped about two centimetres in the air and fell on the floor in defeat.

     Maggie bent down to pick Midge up and plop her on the bed, Lucy was laughing behind her hands. 

     “Do you want any snacks up there? I’ve got cookies or brownies or vegetables if you’re feeling healthy?” Came Lucy’s mum’s voice from downstairs. 

     “No thanks, we’re okay.” Lucy called back.

     “Remember, door open, girls!”

     “Ugh, yes mum, it is open!” Lucy shouted back, before burying her face in her hands, while Maggie giggled into her thighs. 

     Midge the cat had finally settled down on Maggie’s feet and promptly fell asleep, snoring quietly. 

     “I still can’t believe Paul gave two handshakes in that last round! Abby’s bake wasn’t even that good, I could have done better.” Maggie started saying while Lucy laughed.

     “Oh yeah, I’d love to see you bake Torta Setteveli.” Lucy replied, rolling her eyes, smirk playing on her lips.

     “I could easily do that.” Maggie mock-sulked, same smirk on her face. 

     “Of course you could, love.” Lucy bent down to kiss Maggie. 

     Maggie felt as if she were on top of the world as she looked up at the person who made the world go round, the person who brought light into a dark world. As she gazed into Lucy’s leaf green eyes, she thought to herself,

     Everything is exactly as it should be.

***

     “Call me when you get home, okay?” Lucy always said this and Maggie always rolled her eyes and promised she would, but secretly, Maggie loved that she cared so much.

     The door closed and Maggie left the short driveway, with a dopey smile on her face. She only lived a couple streets over, so she started the ten minute walk home. 

     The street was remarkably quiet for rush hour, but that could have been due to the snow covering the ground. The usually plain street looked like something out of a movie. The setting sun cast a glow over the windows, illuminating Maggie in a soft golden light. 

     As she walked, she thought about Lucy. She thought about how when Lucy smiles, she has only one dimple on her right cheek, and how when she’s talking about something she’s really passionate about, her hands do all sorts of crazy gestures. Maggie thought about how when Lucy finds something really funny, her eyes actually sparkle, like proper cartoon sparkle!

     This is what Maggie was thinking about when she stepped out to cross the quiet road and this is why she didn’t see the car turning the corner.

***

     Lucy ran through the hospital. She ran into several people before finally reaching the nurses station, leaving behind some very disgruntled doctors.

     “Magnolia Abbott! I’m looking for Magnolia Abbott!” She said, breathlessly, tears stinging in her eyes, threatening to fall at any second.

     The nurse pointed to a room on the left and Lucy went to run in, but was suddenly overwhelmed. She didn’t know what she was about to see, but she knew she was entirely unprepared for it. Fearfully, she stood outside the glass and looked in. 

     What she saw made her chest tighten and her breath stop. Maggie was lying in a bed, unconscious, with tubes coming out of….everywhere. She was plugged into so many machines, it made Lucy’s head spin. She looked so frail, dressed in a plain white gown. Someone had cleaned the dried blood off her and bandaged up the cuts and scrapes. Lucy was grateful, at least like this, she could be sleeping. 

     For a moment, Lucy pretended she was. Lucy pretended she would wake up any second and laugh at them all for looking so sad and serious.

     Unfortunately, this moment was short lived as Lucy looked over to see Maggie’s mum and brother. Tears were streaming down both of their faces. They were looking at the doctor, who was talking, but neither of them looked like they were taking anything in. 

     Lucy tentatively opened the door, to hear the end of what the doctor was saying,

     “—she will never wake up. I’m sorry, she’s brain dead.”

     That was it for Lucy. She fell to her knees. Maggie was her entire world, she couldn’t be gone. She simply couldn’t. There is no life without Maggie. 

     Lucy crawled along the floor, until she reached the bed. She grappled for Maggie’s hand and held on for dear life. The doctor was still talking,

     “—recommend turning off the life support. I know this is difficult for you—” Lucy stopped listening. What could he possibly know about how difficult it is? He didn’t know that Maggie was the sun. She shone so bright you couldn’t help but love her. He didn’t know that Maggie was the good one. Maggie was the one that was supposed to do something with her life. Maggie was the strong one. Lucy knew it should be her in that bed. 

     Someone was pulling her up, but Lucy couldn’t let go of Maggie’s hands and eventually the person stopped trying. 

     Maggie’s mum was now talking to the doctor, she had decided to take her off life support. 

     Lucy’s heart was destroyed and she looked up at the doctor, tears streaming down her face, and managed to whisper,

     “Please don’t do it.”