Author’s note: This part of the story is flashback of the past after Riley’s accident.

“I’m sorry, there’s not much else we can do,” the doctor spoke sympathetically at Nick, whom was sitting on a chair with his face buried in both the palm of his hands. “We’ve done all that we could. If she had gotten here just…”

“No!” Nick stopped the doctor while getting up. “Don’t…don’t say it, I don’t…I just can’t…just don’t say anything else”

The doctor nodded her head and readied herself to walk away, not capable of feeling any sort of uselessness in helping the young man that obviously was very much in love with his patient whom was now dead.

“Can I see her?” Nick called out to the doctor, whom was already a few feet away from him.

The doctor walked back to Nick, still looking sympathetic. “It’s not customary that we allow…Mr. Carter, I think it’s in your best intention that you just go home. You’ve had a long day and…”

“Please can I see her?” he pleaded, trying to remain calm as to not let the doctor see him cry. “Even for just a second. Please? Just one second!”

“Mr. Carter…”

“Please! I just have to…just one second is all I’m asking, I mean, is that too much for you to grant? I’m…I’m never ever going to see her again; the least you can do is let me see her just one last time. Please?”

“The body’s been…” the doctor stumbled in her own words.

“Her name is Riley!” Nick said angrily. Mo<“I’m sorry Mr. Carter but I can’t grant you your wish,” the doctor stood firm on her ground.

“Would it be okay if I ask you a question?” Nick sighed

“Of course, Mr. Carter”

“Is there any one in your life that you know you can’t live without?” Nick asked bluntly without looking straight into the doctor’s eyes.

The doctor staggered at Nick’s question, “Y…yes,” she stammered.

Nick nodded his head while smiling, but the sadness and disappointment in his face was not erased, “I really do honestly hope that you will have that person in your life for the rest of your life so you won’t look back on this day and be able to relate to how I’m feeling right now. So that you’ll never know what it feels like to know that the one person you love more than anything in the world…the one person who has completed your life in every way imaginable, is out of your life for good and no matter how hard you try, you can never bring back the time when you can hold them deep within your arms and tell them how much you love them. Because let me tell you something, to lose someone that means more than life itself, it feels like someone just came to you and sucked every dream, every hope, every wish, every life that’s in you,” and with those words, Nick began to slowly walk away towards the elevator that will ultimately lead him to the exit out of the hospital and face the world alone, once again.