The Garden of Eden

I watched as the doctor plunged a needle into the patient's hand. The injection was slow and steady. The patient was unconscious. She was a young lady. She had cuts and bruises everywhere. I overheard the doctors saying she had been in an accident! Three doctors operated on her. I didn't understand what they were doing, but I knew; if they failed, she would die!

I watched silently through the glass of the operation theatre, as the doctors operated on her. Blood was everywhere! I did not like seeing blood. I turned around and walked towards the couch behind me and sat down. There was no one around. I rested my head on the couch and closed my eyes.

I saw myself running through a beautiful garden. All types of flowers grew around me. The sky was blue as ever and the sun shorn bright! That was when I saw him. He stood there turned away from me, looking at the clear blue sky. I walked towards my husband and held his shoulder. He turned to face me.

He looked as handsome as the first day I had met him. If I didn't know better I would have said he looked younger, but I knew that was impossible. Just yesterday we had celebrated 10 years of our life together. I stared at his handsome face remembering how much we had enjoyed. We had gone out for a movie and then had gone dancing. We were out till past midnight. I smiled.

"Rick," I whispered his name.
"What are you doing here, Jen?" He asked.
"I came looking for you," I replied.
Rick shook his head. "You shouldn't be here." He said.
I was confused. "Why?" I asked.
Rick looked into my eyes and gave me a painful smile. "You know why." He said, as he pulled me towards him and hugged me tight.

I tried to remember as I hugged him. Where was I? Was this a dream? I remembered the hospital. I was watching an operation and then I had walked towards the couch! Maybe I had fallen asleep! Yes, that must be it! I shut my eyes as I held on to Rick. He didn't move or say a word, but hugged me silently. That's when I saw it. A bright light speeding towards me!

"No!" I screamed as I opened my eyes! I looked around. Rick was gone! The garden had disappeared. I was back in the hospital, sitting on the couch. I panicked! I stood up and ran back towards the operation theatre and stood near the glass. That was when I noticed it! The patient was slightly light skinned with long black hair. Her face had blood all over it, but I knew who she was! A tear escaped my eye as I realised who I was staring at. She was me!

I remembered it all! It was our anniversary. Rick and I had gone partying. We had had a few drinks. I wanted to take a cab but Rick had insisted he was good enough to drive. We had come half the distance, and that's when a truck had come out of nowhere and hit us! Rick! Where was he?

I ran out of the operation theatre to the main hospital wards. I ran from room to room searching. Rick was nowhere to be found! Finally I had nowhere to look, except the morgue! Tears rolled down my cheeks as I feared the worst. Rick was no longer alive! I walked slowly towards the morgue. A new body had just arrived, and a few nurses were examining it. I walked closer. It was Rick.

"They were in an accident." I heard one nurse say to the other.
"They?" The other asked.
"His wife was there too. He died on the spot, but the wife is still alive. She's being operated on right now!"

Rick had died on the spot! I was devastated. I slowly made my way back towards the operation theatre. As I peered through the glass I realised that the operation was almost done. The patient was starting to breathe again on her own; I was starting to breathe. No! I said to myself. I refuse to be alive without him; without Rick! I wiped my tears and looked back at my body that lay on the operation table. I looked around. Earlier there had been three doctors working on me but now, I saw a fourth figure.

He was not a doctor. It was a dark shadow lurking around my body. The reaper? Angel of death? I blinked and looked again. He had his back turned to me. I couldn't see his face but then, he spoke.

"If I look you in the eye you will die," he said. "But right now I can cure you. You will be drawn back into your body."
"I don't want to live," I said. "If you are going to send me back, I want Rick back too!"
"That's impossible," he said. "He was too broken; even for me to fix."
"Then I've made my decision!" I said.

The dark figure turned towards me. I looked towards him, as I felt the power slowly drain out of me. Finally, I looked him in the eye. The last thought I remember was seeing his big yellow eyes; before shutting my own eyes, and starting to drift away.

I opened my eyes. I was back in the garden. Rick was still hugging me tight! I pulled back and looked into his eyes.

"I am staying!" I said.
Rick smiled at me. "You are beautiful as the first day I met you!" he said.
"And you are the most handsome man I have ever seen!" I replied, smiling.

The pain was gone, the scars had disappeared; the shadow was no longer there. The beauty had returned; the love of my life was standing next to me! I looked up at the clear blue sky.

"Thank you!" I whispered. This was much better than everything I'd ever had!