Essence sat in the over warm room and held Pene's hand. Their children moved quietly about the room, each attempting to provide their mother comfort in their own way. They had gotten her up into her favorite chair, wrapped her in the fuzzy blankets she loved and moved her over to the window so she could see the sun rising over the wall. They had done everything that she had wanted.
Now he needed only to wait. The dead cannot consent. In fact, they don't have any rights at all. A body became the property of the loved one. She would no longer be able to refuse him. His medical kit was tucked away in the closet where she would never see it. He pulled the kit out when her final breath left her.
It took only a few minutes to administer his treatment. The pause and waiting after felt like a life time. Then she gasped at the air again and her eyes flicked open. She looked up at him and the instruments that he still held in his hands.
"You had no right," she whispered as she pulled her hands away from his and clutched at her chest.
"I honored your wishes," he said.
He stood and carefully gathered his tools and instruments back into the kit. After tucking it all back into the closet, he said "I let you die."
"We talked about this." She wouldn't look at him now, instead staring at the ceiling where her children had hung small glowing stars to comfort her.
He nodded. There was nothing left to say. He got up and started to leave the room.
"What now?" she asked.
"Now?" He looked back at her. "Now you honor my wishes and live."
"How long?" she asked.
"I don't know," he admitted.
Her hand trembled as she smoothed her hair back from her damp brow.
"And when it comes time for me to die again?"
"Then I suppose we will have another talk," he said, then stepped out of the room.
She stared at the door.
"Mother?" Emanuel whispered.
Pene glared at him.
"You had no right," she whispered.
Emanuel nodded and followed his father. He couldn't think of anything to say to her.
