~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Nick watched Kati struggle for a breath, coughing, straining to speak to him once more.

"I can't do this Kati!" he protested. "I can't....I need you....for as long as I can have you." He rested his head against her breast. "Please. Stay with me."

Kati lifted her hand and managed to touch his lower back and stroke him briefly.

"Nick. I can't go on. It hurts too much. I don't want to live like this. I don't want to go back to the hospital and live on machines. I want to be with you, forever, but God has other plans. So I'm making damn sure my last moments are with you, and they are the way I want them. Nick, I love you."

Nick sat up, the tears falling freely down his face.

"I love you too. I don't want you to go."

"I know." Kati began to cry and Nick wiped her tears away. "Give me the picture." Nick handed her the photo they kept on their dresser. It was taken by a tourist that happened to be on the beach during their first wedding. They had realized who it was getting married and offered to send several photographs to them since Kati and Nick hadn't bothered with a wedding photographer. It was Kati's favourite photo of her husband. "Now the pillow..." Kati coughed violently again. "..please. God now. End this for me." she begged once more.

Nick lifted a pillow from beneath Kati's head and held it on his lap. He stared at it for a few minutes and then leaned over to kiss Kati. "Are you sure?"

She nodded and coughed before speaking once more. "You're sick now too, aren't you?"

"How could you tell?"

"Your eyes. You've been holding it in, not wanting me to worry about you."

"You always know what I'm thinking."

"I'm thinking I would do this for you. Please Nick, I'm ready."

"Isn't there some other way?" Nick begged, trying to prolong the inevitable.

"No, it's the quickest way. The only way. Please!"

"Wait just a minute, I have a small idea."

Kati shook her head weakly. "I can't wait, we need to do it like we planned."

"I'm going with you." Nick said, suddenly.

"No!" Kati mustered up as much rage in her voice as she could. "No Nick! You can't!"

"I'm sick too. I'm going to die." Nick took her hands in his and held them tightly. "So I'm going with you."

"Nick, you have medicine, things to help you get better."

"Medicine didn't help you get better." Nick muttered. bitterly.

"My system is weaker than yours, my illness is more advanced, you can live."

"I don't want to live without you Kati, I can't!" Nick felt his warm tears falling on their joined hands.

"Nick, I won't let you. I want you to live and love again. I won't let you do it." She fell into a coughing spell and left the rest unspoken.

Nick feared Kati was getting hysterical so he silently agreed to her demands, but as she drifted off to sleep, Nick whispered, "You can't stop me, Kati. I love you too much."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Later that night, after making sure Kati was fast asleep, Nick covered her gently with a warm blanket and picked her up easily in his arms. He had already made sure everything was left for their families to find. Their wills, their bank statements, wallets, everything. Nick imagined things would be hard enough for them once the news got out. The news of what he was about to do to his wife and himself.

Nick carried Kati to the shore, her weight so slight she was no effort for him. The water was gently lapping at his bare feet and Nick stood for a moment, embracing the feeling. Kati stirred a bit in the cool breeze but remained asleep. He gazed down at her, bursting with love. Nick looked up once more, staring out at the distance waves, mesmorized by their beauty. A quick peek at the sky told him it was time.

"Kati, I love you." Nick kissed her closed eyes softly and took the first steps into the water.