#today's prompt was a great opportunity to revist this fic c':

[lookbluesoup]

Whumptober 22 - Hallucination

Something bright stung Nate’s eyes.

He tried recoiling at first, the color painful after so long draped in gloom. It grew brighter. Perhaps this was the next life, come to claim him.

‘Honey.’

Nate’s eyelids were heavy, but he forced them open into a squint at the familiar voice. She’d come from somewhere up ahead, and she was out of focus, haloed in bright orange. And then he didn’t care if he was dead. He didn’t care if he could stand. She was here, she’d come back to him, it was her. “Nora-” Nate rasped.

She knelt before him, ‘Get up, Nate.’

He didn’t question it. He tried to listen, but lead anchored each limb, and his crippled body could not obey. “Ho-ney,” his voice churned with gravel, “I, love ygh - I’m sorry.” Bile clogged his swollen throat, and Nate garbled for his voice back. “I-I’m so, so, sorry…”

‘Shh shh shh - it’s okay.’ A sad smile carried her words. ‘I love you, too. Now come on.’ Her fingers tousled his hair, a touch he’d missed so desperately bringing warmth back to Nate’s extremities.

But they still would not heed him. “I can’t.” Nate groaned, wanting nothing more than to cleave to his wife’s sides.

‘Get up, Honey.’

Stay with me. Please. “Don’t leave.”

‘There’s no more time.’ Her lips painted his cheeks. His forehead. His nose. They warmed every inch of his face as she pulled him against her chest into a longing embrace, “Come on. You’ve got a son to find, remember? You’ve got to get up. You’re not going to die here.”

Then nothingness consumed him.  ->

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reference - syccas-stock