Shipwrecked: She Let Grandpa Die for Him

Bryce's POV

I knelt beside Grandpa's cold body as icy waves crashed over the boat, each one washing away another shred of hope.

"No, Grandpa. Please don't leave me…"

His breathing was faint, and he struggled to utter a few words, as if trying to comfort me. "It's okay, Bryce. Don't cry."

I wiped away my tears and forced a smile.

Just then, a violent coughing fit broke out nearby.

Desmond Cruse clutched his chest, his face pale and his brows furrowed as he gasped for air. "Lauren, this medicine is making me choke. I can't swallow it…"

My wife, Lauren Raleigh, had crushed Grandpa's heart medication into a fine powder using a glass and mixed it with the little fresh water she'd managed to make, all to help Desmond take it.

But the powder irritated his throat. He broke into a coughing fit, sending the liquid spilling from the corners of his mouth.

Seeing him struggle to catch his breath, Lauren snapped, "Stop forcing yourself!"

Without a second thought, she took a mouthful of the liquid herself and fed it to him mouth-to-mouth, forcing him to swallow the medicine.

After their lips stayed pressed together for several seconds, Lauren finally remembered I was there.

She cleared her throat awkwardly and explained, "Desmond was coughing too hard. If I hadn't given him the medication this way, he would've coughed it right back up. It's an emergency. Try to be understanding."

But that was Grandpa's life-saving medication. How could Desmond spit it out?

My chest tightened until I could barely breathe.

When I saw the thin layer of powder left at the bottom of the glass, I clung to it as my last hope.

Setting aside all pride, I crawled toward Lauren and begged in a hoarse voice, "There's still a little left at the bottom of the glass. Lauren, please leave it for me. I need to give it to Grandpa."

Lauren hesitated. Then, Desmond let out a low groan and clutched his chest. "Lauren, my chest still feels so tight. Will one dose of medicine really be enough? I'm afraid it'll start hurting again tonight."

He didn't have to spell it out, but I knew what he wanted.

I turned to him and pleaded, "I can give you my jacket to keep you warm. Without the cold, your heart condition might ease up. Please, just let me have the medicine…"

Before I could finish, Lauren cut me off coldly, "Listen to yourself! If keeping warm were enough, nobody would need medication.

"Bryce, how can you be so selfish? The rescue team will be here tomorrow, and I've already reserved the most advanced heart stent for Frank. What more do you want from me? You really don't appreciate anything I do for him.

"It's freezing out here. What if Desmond suffers permanent heart damage? He'd have to live with it for the rest of his life!"

When Lauren saw Desmond curled up on the deck, drenched in cold sweat and writhing in pain, she hurried over and helped him into the cabin.

A sudden chill ran through me, and a sense of dread settled in my gut.

I slowly turned around. Everything had gone quiet, and Grandpa was no longer breathing.

Tears streamed down my numb face, leaving cold trails on my skin.

With nothing left to hold on to, it was time for us to go our separate ways, Lauren.