When Breath Becomes Air Audiobook Novels & Stories

I close my eyes as I breathe her in, filling my lungs with her heavenly scent. I’m about to pull away when I feel her small hands on my chest, and I freeze with my lips still against her forehead. She hesitantly runs her hands up my chest to connect behind my neck, and my lungs start to burn as I realize that I had been holding my breath.

Not even of seeing Jack. “And then I registered a man’s voice and thought you might’ve been talking to Grandpa—or thought you were.” Cassidy shrugged. “You took off running, or again, thought you were, trying to get back to the people you love who love you, and then Heather said you collapsed on the ground, and a few seconds later you opened your eyes, gasping for air. Aaron was breathing for you the whole time, so it doesn’t make sense to me that you felt like you weren’t breathing. You had air in your lungs.” Cadence did remember that part—the not being able to breathe part. She looked at Jamie.

The gasps coming from me sounded horrible and fear made me panic harder, and panicking made it harder to breathe. Strong arms encircled me and held my shoulder, a distant voice speaking very calmly and instructing me to inhale. I was still gasping, my fingers white from fisting too hard while a soothing hand landed on my chest, and I could hear the word, “Breathe.” Being repeated rhythmically and in what felt like hours, cool, fresh air rushed into my lungs and my gasping ceased.

Trembling as if I was submerged in the water. My lungs were filled with a foreign air, not sure what to do but it felt like death was upon me. The voice faded and soon I could feel my tense body relaxing like the serene waters of the sea. The ocean waves dragged me towards the shore and before I knew it. I could breathe. Fresh air sipped in my nostrils filling my lungs deflating and inflating "She's stable...doctor, remove the oxygen cylinder" I heard a deep voice say. It wasn't scary but somewhat serene and confident

I felt like my chest was getting tight, my breathing was becoming erratic as I felt like I could pass out suddenly when my door opened, hands pulling me up out of the car, steadying me next to it as his voice began breaking through the muffled barrier that seemed to have been up. "..lax, just relax, try to breath Liv, count with me okay. 1... 2.... 3.... 4.... 5.... Breath in, 1... 2... 3.... 4.... 5.... breath out. That's it Liv, there you go."

“Here.” I took it, my fingers brushing his. The glass was cold against my palms. “Drink,” he said softly. I did. The water tasted like air thin, strange, not enough. “Slow your breathing,” he said next, his voice low and even, like he was talking to a child. “In. Out. In. Out. Good. You’re safe.” I tried. I wanted to believe him. I counted my breaths the way he told me. Slowly, my chest loosened, the shaking eased, and my pulse stopped screaming in my ears.

I struggle to keep my eyes open and rest on him as he motions for me to follow him. "Breathe in and out." It sounds a bit clearer now, and I try to draw in a breath and then let out an exhale. He bobs his head. "Yeah, just like that. You're okay. You're doing well. Breathe in and out." I follow his directions again, and I can feel my lungs expanding. "You're doing well. Keep doing that." He continues talking me through it until my breath starts evening out, and I can finally feel alive again.

“You can’t call me that.” “I just did.” He leaned over me. “Hands on your ribs.” I lifted my hands awkwardly to my sides. “No,” he murmured, and his fingers brushed mine, positioning them lower. “Here. Feel what moves.” I tried to breathe, but it came out shallow. He noticed. “Exhale slowly through your mouth.” I obeyed, lips parting. The sound left me soft, shaky. “Again. In through the nose. Fill the ribs. Feel them expand into your palms. Slower.” He paused. “Good. And exhale.”

I claw at my throat when the whip snaps again. Strong arms wrap around me and pull me flush against a large, strong chest. “Hey. It's okay. It's not happening. We're home. We're safe. Breathe, love. Breathe. That's it. Good boy. Take another breath. That's it. Breathe, baby boy.” Walker says softly, coaxing me to breathe, slowly pulling me back to reality. I squeeze my eyes closed, gripping his sides with shaking fingers. My chest slowly rises as I take in one lungful of air after another.

Merigold says. I can’t breathe. I start to wheeze and cough. I’m not getting any air. I gasp. I cough. I bend over and grab the chair to support myself because I feel like I’m going to fall over. My vision is getting blurry and I see dark spots. I hear Merigold yell out “ Axel, help.” But I can’t move. I can’t even say anything. I just need to breathe. I gasp again to try to get more air but just cough harder. I know something is going on around me but I can’t focus on it. Merigold is in front of me but I feel a hand on my back-patting it. “ Kelley, I know it is hard but I need you to take this.” She places an inhaler in my hand. I shake my head. I don’t want someone else's medicine. “ It is