I held her hand so tight as they wheeled me toward the operating room. This was probably the
scariest thing I had ever been through in my entire life. I was accident prone as a child and had been
bumped, scratched, cut, and poked my entire life, but none of that could have prepared me for this
moment. This was major.

The gurney slowed and I gripped her hand tighter. I knew it was time that she had to leave me. I
looked at her, trying to hide the fear, as tears ran down her cheeks.

"Don't cry, baby." I stated, reaching up, wiping the tears from her face. "Everything is going to be ok."
I was trying to hard to be strong for the both of us. I wasn't strong. I was just a frail man, who had
been eaten away by this disease.

"I know it will be, Zack." She rested her head on my shoulder, kissing my neck softly. "I love you." I
heard her whisper.

"I love you, too, Kaylen" I gave a weak smile, as the gurney started to move again.

I held her hand until her fingers slipped from mine. A chill flooded my body as we entered through
the doors. This wasn't where I wanted to be, at all. I wanted to be healthy and at home with my wife,
wrapped up in her arms, warm in our bed. Instead I was in a cold, strange, room about to be put on
a hard metal table, and cut open.

All of a sudden all this didn't sound as great as it did when Dr. Masterson had told me about it, but I
knew that it was the only that that could possibly let me watch my daughter grow up. It was the only
thing between life and death right now. Still there was no guarantee.

I felt the coldness of the hard metal through the sheet against my back, as the shifted me over. I
cringed as the coldness flooded throughout my body. Closing my eyes, I said a prayer that, no matter
what, Kaylen would be alright. That's all I wanted.

I had tuned out the sound of the chatter among the nurses that surrounded me. Next thing I knew
they were putting a mask over my face and telling me to count backward. I couldn't even think to,
before I felt myself slip into unconsciousness.

It was like a deep sleep. One where you could care less what was going on around you. You didn't
know anything was happening. Internally it was different. I could feel my own body. I knew something
was wrong when I felt all form of life, leave me.

I was dead.

-♥-

I open my eyes to find myself surrounded by white luminosity. There are clouds. What is this place. I
hear someone say my name and I look in the direction from which it came. I saw my grandfather. I
suddenly realized where I was. It was heaven. What am I doing here. I don' t belong here. Not yet. I
sat up and looked at the frail old man standing next to me.

"What is this place?" I was still skeptical about what I thought it might be. I wanted answers. He
smiled.

"It's Heaven." he replied. Just as I had thought. I didn't want to be there. I wanted to be back with
Kaylen. That was my place. I had to take care of her. I promised. I shook my head in disbelief.

"I'm not supposed to be here." I proclaimed. He shook his head and smiled.

"No, You're not." He said. "It's not your time yet. You have to go back." He took my hand into his,
leading me toward a brighter light than the one that surrounded me. We stopped as we reached it.

I looked through the glow and all I could see was my frail body lying on an operating table. Doctors
and nurses all around me. What this the way I was supposed to die? I looked over to my grandfather.

"I can't leave yet." I stated, letting a tear fall from my eye. He smiled.

"You don't have to." He extended his arm toward the light, as if granting me access to pass.

I took one last look at him.

"I love you, Grandpa. I'll see you later." I proceeded toward the light, falling into it.

The next thing I heard what the loud beeping noise fill the room. They finally got me steadied back
out. I was alive again, and I had seen Heaven.

"He's steady." A nurse yelled throughout the room. Thank God. I don't know what Kaylen would have
done without me.

-♥-

I woke up in recovery a while later. Kaylen sitting by my side. I looked over and gave her a weak
smile. She leaned over and kissed my forehead. I squeezed her hand a little, giving her a weak smile.
I didn't want to tell her what had happened. I didn't know if she knew or not, or that I would want her
to know for that matter.

I shifted a little, then stalled when a pain shot through my right side. I had never felt anything so
painful in my life.

"Easy, there, Rock star." she said with a smile. "You're gonna be lied up up for a little while." she said,
helping me get turned a little. "I'm gonna take real good care of you." I smiled.

"As long as I get to spend time with you, I don't mind being run down." She leaned down kissing my
lips softly.

I had been through Heaven and Hell all in one day. Literally. I had a good feeling about the surgery
and a part of me felt that it was gone, but there was another part telling me that it was going to beat
me. That was the part I tried not to think about. I was trying to be strong. Not for myself, not for the
doctors, not for anyone but Kaylen and this baby.

Notes

Sorry It took so long for the update. I promise I'll keep it updated as often as I can. Please forgive me. I hope you guys enjoy. More is coming, I promise.