Broken (Broken #1) by A. E. Murphy Page A

him he looks
peaceful, but I look more closely and my throat catches. I
can’t see his chest rise and fall, no wait there’s a twitch in his
arm. I let out a sigh, of course I’m being silly. I touch his
arm to wake him and tell him about my stupid thoughts. I touch his
hand; it’s cold, not like ice, but cold like we have been for a
walk down the beach in winter and need to wrap our hands round a
cup of hot chocolate to warm them. His skin has an almost
pearlescent look to it. It’s too pale.
    “ Caleb,” I
whisper and push myself off his chest. “Caleb?” I notice his arms
by his sides rather than holding me which is odd for him. “Caleb,”
I say louder this time and push his chest.
    He doesn’t stir. That’s odd.
Maybe he’s still sick.
    “ Caleb!” I
say even louder and tap his cheek. His head rolls to the side, he
doesn’t make a noise. My heart hits my ribs and sharp tingles
spread through my chest. “Caleb!” I shake him violently this time
and switch on the lamp.
    “ No.” I
whisper and place my hand an inch from his mouth whilst staring at
his chest. This isn’t happening. He’s not… “CALEB!” I grab both of
his shoulders and shake him vigorously. “CALEB! Please. This isn’t
funny!” His eyelids don’t even flutter. Oh my god. He’s not
breathing.
    I place my trembling fingers to
his neck.
    “ NO!” I
scream, my eyes burning and my lungs constricting. “Baby, please,
wake up now.” No. No. No.
    I kick the blanket from the bed
and cry out at the mess on the sheets. A choked sob sticks in my
throat and my body trembles as I try to comprehend what I’m
seeing.
    I pull at his
body, he still feels warm but he is a dead weight in my arms. No
this can’t be happening. You can’t be dead. We have to get married
today, you have to see your child be born. I’m going to be all
alone.

    “Wake up!” I
scream, ignoring the pain it brings to my throat.
    Ambulance I
need to phone an ambulance but I’m torn I don’t want to leave him
but I need to get my phone from my bag down stairs my legs feel
leaden as I stumble down the stairs. It’s going to be fine they
will help him, they can bring him back I dial the number my fingers
quick and clumsy on the small buttons.
    “He’s not
breathing I can’t wake him,” I sob to the woman on the phone but
she isn’t understanding me, she tells me to stop take a breath
think about what I want to say and repeat slowly.
    “ What
happened?” She’s asking me. What do I tell her? I tell her whatever
it is I’m seeing, my address and his name. She’s still talking but
I can’t hear her, I need to do something.
    He’s… no… he’s not dead.
“You’re not dead! Wake up. Wake up right now. This isn’t funny.” I
breathe into his mouth while pinching his nose. I throw my phone
and start doing chest compressions. Come on baby. Come on. “Please
Caleb. Please.”
    His lifeless face doesn’t
twitch, my heart shatters. He’s not dead. He’ll wake up and start
laughing.
    Minutes pass before I hear
sirens and rush down stairs to open the door. I don’t wait for them
to come in before I run upstairs and continue forcing him to
breathe.
    I peel open and eyelid, a
glassy lifeless pupil stares back at me, the iris bigger than I’ve
ever seen it. My lips tremble and a cry escapes me.
    My body burns. “Please Caleb,
don’t leave me!”
    The paramedics come inside and
I’m pulled out of the way. I watch them work on him, and I’m
escorted to the side as they begin CPR and defibrillation. I watch
on helplessly as they pass electric currents through his heart.
They work for what seems like only seconds instead of the minutes
that actually pass.
    I’m so sorry a woman says as
they call his death.
    They call it.
    They just call it.

    “ NO! Keep
going!” I yell at them but no one listens. The police arrive and
one of them tries to take me out of the room. “He wouldn’t leave
me! He’s fine! People just don’t die in their sleep!”
    “