"You didn't let me finish. They're air-lifting her to Presbyterian. There's a patient on higher priority who needs her kidney."

"On whose fuckin' order?"

"Who do you think?" he replied.

"What do I think?" I yelled. "I think you don't understand the point of being her Power of Attorney! I think I'm her husband and I am about to fuckin' fail her by allowing the very thing I promised would not happen to fuckin' happen!"

"He's giving her kidney to Truscott's mother, Wanda," he said. "She's needed one for many years. It's his peace offering, Callum. Let him have this one moment of purpose. Real purpose. Scout will get her heart, but she's going to New York first. They'll bring the heart back here and then perform his surgery." He grabbed my arm, as if I knew where I was headed when I turned away. "There's no hope for her. She's gone, Son."

I jerked from his grasp. "Don't ever say that."

"You need to understand."

"I understand perfectly well, but don't ever say that about Everly."

I raced to the roof, my chest pounding as I pushed the doors open and caught the force of wind from the chopper in my face. And then I saw a moment of mercy.

"Nick!" I yelled, waving my hand until he saw me. "Nicholas!"

He climbed from the helicopter, and put his hands on my shoulders. All it took was a look.

"Get in."

One of the crew members was kicked to the curb and I took his place.

And there she was.

My limp little doll.

My Topolina.

My Farfalla.

My Peach.

My Everly Anne.

She was there, but her silence was deafening. Only the sound of a machine pumping air into lungs, rhythm into a distant heart remained. I searched my ribs for the tether. It coiled firm and true, breathing with the rise and fall of her chest, reaching for her cold hand that would never again gain the warmth of mine.

"Everly Anne." Her name didn't even sound the same, as if my mind had already began to travel away from it.

Suddenly, her vitals flat-lined, and the other medic rushed to help her, but I pushed him back.

"She's DNR."

"You don't even work on this crew," he yelled back.

I grabbed his jacket and shoved him hard. Nick turned in his seat and struggled to reach me through the skinny space.

"I said she's DNR. Let her go."

He twisted out of my grasp and I held my hand protectively over her chest. Nick watched with alarm.

"Callum," he said, "she's gonna die. Just resuscitate her now, and apologize later. You'll never forgive yourself if you let her die right now."

"There's no honor in that. I promised. I promised I'd let her go."

"She's your wife," he begged.

"You think I don't know that?" I snapped. "Just fuckin' go." He didn't waver. "I said GO, Nick."

As the sound of the helicopter took over, I found the too quiet in holding her hand. I pressed her fingers to my cheek and forced bravery into my words.

"Everly Anne." I could see her on that first day of class.