I swam toward her with powerful strokes, fighting against the numbing cold. When
I reached her, I wrapped my arm firmly around her waist and kicked toward the
surface.
Breaking through, I gasped for air, pulling Olivia's head above water. Her face was deathly pale,
her lips tinged blue. She wasn't breathing.
With renewed determination, I fought the current, swimming one-armed toward the shore
while keeping her head above water. The riverbank was rocky and steep, making it difficult to
climb out with Olivia's limp form.
Finally, I managed to drag her onto a flat section of the bank. Water streamed from her unmoving body as laid her down.
"Olivia!" I called, tapping her cold cheek. No response.
I immediately began CPR, pressing rhythmically on her chest before tilting her
head back to breathe air into her lungs. Between compressions, I used her phone to call emergency
215
Dr. Fletcher's expression was sympathetic. "It means that although we've revived her body, her
will to live is gone. She's retreated so deeply within herself that she might never resurface."
The words hit me like a physical blow. I stared down at Olivia's still form, trying to reconcile
this broken woman with the fierce, protective mother I had come to admire. "There must be something you can do," I insisted, my grip tightening on her hand.
"We'll continue to monitor her and provide supportive care," Dr. Fletcher replied. "But
ultimately, the decision to return must be hers."
I looked down at Olivia's face, peaceful in its emptiness. What could have driven such a strong woman to such despair? What had happened after Matriarch Evelyn's funeral to push her over the edge?
"I'll stay with her," I decided, pulling a chair close to her bedside.
Dr. Fletcher nodded. "I'll have a private room prepared."
As the nurse wheeled Olivia toward the room, I followed, still holding her cold hand in mine. My heart ached with a mixture of emotions I hadn't expected to feel for another man's wife.
What could have driven such a strong woman to such a desperate act, leaving her with no desire to continue her existence?