I Personally Cremated My Husband Chapter 04
The military officers exchanged uncertain glances.
“Dr. Lytton,” I said, stepping quickly to block her path. “Do you have any idea how cruel it is to put his family through this again? Galen is dead…”
Rosalia glared at me, pitching her voice for the crowd. “Dead? Mrs. Hickson, don’t you want to give Galen a chance? What if he’s actually still alive?”
With the entire crowd watching in dead silence, I had no choice but to step aside and let her open the casket.
The second the lid was up, Rosalia rushed forward. But as soon as she saw Galen’s face, she checked her watch, frowning.
Shielding her hands from the onlookers, she pinched the spot right above Galen’s upper lip, hard. When he didn’t twitch, she dug her fingernails deep into his wrist.
Galen didn’t move a muscle. His face stayed pale and lifeless.
“This is impossible,” Rosalia muttered. She leaned in close to his ear, whispering frantically. “Galen! Wake up!”
Nothing.
Rosalia went white. It was impossible. The medication should have worn off by now. Why wasn’t he waking up?
I caught the flash of panic in her eyes and kept my voice low. “Dr. Lytton, are you satisfied now?”
Rosalia gripped the edge of the casket, the last of her color fading. Suddenly, she yelled, “Galen! Wake up! It’s time!”
Ignoring the shocked stares of the crowd, she pressed her face close to his. “Galen, you need to wake up,” she pleaded through her tears.
Seeing this, Petra and Marco stumbled forward. Petra pounded on the side of the casket. “Galen! Open your eyes and look at me!” she screamed.
Marco leaned heavily against the wood, sobbing as he yelled, “Galen! If you don’t wake up, they’re going to burn you alive!”
The three of them swarmed the casket. Rosalia leaned in tight, desperate for any sign of life, while Petra and Marco cried and screamed until their voices went hoarse.
Inside the casket, Galen didn’t move.
Rosalia’s legs gave out, and she nearly hit the floor. Seeing her collapse, all the blood drained from Petra and Marco’s faces, too.
Suddenly, Petra pushed herself up. She pointed a shaking finger at me, her eyes full of pure fury. “It was you! You did something to him, you monster! You killed my son!”
Marco joined in, screaming at the top of his lungs. “She’s right! She wanted him dead all along! She killed him because she was terrified he’d wake up!”
Slumped weakly against the casket, Rosalia added her own accusation. “Mrs. Hickson… the medical tests couldn’t have been wrong. What exactly did you do to Galen?”
I looked up. I didn’t argue. I didn’t try to defend myself. I just wept.
I swayed on my feet. “How can you say that? Petra, Marco… Galen was my husband. I loved him deeply.”
I looked around at the crowd, letting out a heavy sob. “How could you… How could you accuse me of something like this? I just wanted him to have a dignified, honorable funeral. Is that a crime? I haven’t done anything wrong!”
With those words, I let my knees buckle and collapsed to the side.
“Mrs. Hickson!” Two nearby soldiers reacted instantly, catching me before I hit the pavement.
Lawrence was furious. He glared at Petra, Marco, and Rosalia, who had completely lost it. “Enough!” he roared. “How much more of a scene are you going to make? Are you trying to push Delia over the edge and keep Galen from resting in peace?”
He stepped forward, shielding me behind his body. “Ever since Galen’s accident, Delia has been at his bedside day and night, crying her eyes out. She swallowed her grief just to handle the paperwork. She stepped up and pushed through pure agony to fight for the honors Galen deserved!”
His anger only grew as he pointed at the open casket. “And you? What have you done besides cause chaos and deeply hurt this poor girl? Is this how you treat Galen, with him lying right in front of you? Is this how you treat Delia?”
David stepped up with a heavy sigh. “Mr. and Mrs. Hickson, Dr. Lytton—you’ve disappointed us. You’re disrespecting a hero’s memory.
“Somebody, escort these three out. Take them somewhere to cool off so they stop disturbing the deceased.”
Several soldiers moved in immediately, firmly but politely grabbing my in-laws and Rosalia.
“No! I’m not leaving! That’s my son!” Petra fought back, but the soldiers held her fast.
Rosalia went completely pale, her lips trembling as she tried to speak. But under Lawrence’s ice-cold stare, she couldn’t get a single word out and was practically dragged from the room.
The chaos finally settled.
Leaning heavily against a female soldier’s shoulder, I took a deep breath and forced myself to stand straight. I looked up, managing a bitter smile. “Sir, I’d like a moment alone. To say my final goodbyes to Galen.”
Lawrence looked at me with deep sympathy and nodded. “Take your time. We’ll be right outside.”
Lawrence looked at me with deep sympathy and nodded. “Take your time. We’ll be right outside.”
The crowd slowly cleared out, giving me some space. Finally, it was just me and the heavy, dark casket sitting at the entrance to the crematorium.
Alone, I pushed the casket toward the empty conveyor belt. In the dead silence of the room, the rumble of the wheels rolling across the floor was unmistakable.
Then, a faint click came from inside the casket. Fabric rustled, followed by a sudden, sharp gasp for air.
The lid shifted, pushed up from the inside to leave a narrow gap. A heavily veined hand gripped the edge of the wood.
A cough broke the silence.
Galen was awake.