“You will”, Shane sobbed quietly.

“…You came all this way…”, Carmen murmured quietly, “…I’m sorry…”.

Her eyes half-closed and Shane held her hand tighter.

“God, no, Carmen!”.

“…To touch you… and to feel you…”, Carmen muttered, her almost closed eyes wandering all over Shane’s face, “…To be able to hold your hand right now… You know what that means?”.

Shane sobbed, then dried her eyes with the back of her hand, hastily. She shook her head rapidly.

“…Do you know how much I love you?”, Carmen said, slowly, and smiled again.

“Keep look at me, okay?”, Shane said, “Look right into my eyes, baby”.

Carmen’s eyes shifted to something behind Shane. Something. Or someone.

“Someone’s out there…”, she breathed out.

Shane turned around hastily. She saw nothing, but her heartbeat grew faster, faster, faster. She stared at Carmen, tears falling freely.

“Don’t look at them. Please, don’t you look at them!”.

“Is this what happens?”, Carmen asked, turning her eyes back to Shane.

Shane swallowed hard. She grimaced and sniffed.

“Yes. This is what happens when you’re delirious… or dying”.

“I’m not afraid. When they ask me… what I liked the best… I’ll tell them… it was you…”.

Carmen closed her eyes.

Shane screamed her lungs out till it filled the empty street.

”…I’d do anything, anything you can dream of
I’d do anything, anything for your love
For your love
For your love…”

***

A week later

Shane was motionless on a chair. Her shoulders were slumped, her face pale. The black circles around her eyes were the obvious sign of her lack of sleep. She wanted a beer. She wanted a cigarette. She wanted everything able to make her feel better.

She wanted Carmen.

She needed her.

Her tired, blood-injected eyes stared at the floor of the almost completely silent room, enlightened only by the dim light of the beside lamp.

“I cant see you…”, she murmured flatly, “…But I know you’re there”.

She caught a slight movement, out of the corner of her eye, and looked up.

Tasha stared at her, black in the darkness. Her beautiful face looked sad.

“I’m sorry”, she said, simply.

“Get out”, Shane replied, tiredly, shifting her gaze back on the floor.

Tasha didn’t move.

After a long time, Shane spoke again and when she did it, she didn’t look at her.