[ WP ] What happens when someone who lives like it seems they are unafraid to die ... suddenly discovers they CA N'T die ?

“ C ’ mon man! Live a little! ” She yelled from the rooftop “ Life ’ s too short to not enjoy it! ” Her husband just rolled his eyes at the endless stream of clichés and set off to stop her reckless behaviour before it went too far. 
 
 “ Lizzie, get off the roof, it isn ’ t safe… ” He started, only to be scoffed at by the 23 year old “ But the stars are so beautiful and the city is covered in snow and I just want to enjoy this while I have the chance! Carpe Diem and all that, so come on, have some fun ” 
 
 As she was talking he carefully headed up the fire escape, trying to avoid the icier patches, and reached the roof just as she finished her little speech. He gasped at how close to the edge she was. “ Lizzie, honey, walk towards me, it ’ s too slippery for you to be there… ” 
 
 “ Oh stop being such a spoilsport! It ’ s perfectly safe, see? ” She span around on the spot a few times to prove her point, before losing her balance and wobbling worryingly on the edge. Her husband ran forward to help her, but stopped when he realised how icy the roof actually was. She let out a sharp laugh as she steadied herself. “ See? Totally fine. ” She laughed again, exhilarated at the danger. 
 
 He took another step towards her, “ It ’ s not safe! You almost fell! ” 
 
 “ Almost! I didn ’ t, and even if I had, at least I ’ m having fun and living my life, not watching from the side lines like you! ” They both stopped, surprised at the harshness of her words. “ Paul, I ’ m sorry, I didn ’ t mean that. ” 
 
 “ Yeah, you did. That ’ s your problem, you always speak before you think, and act before you think and it ’ s not fair on the rest of us. You don ’ t care about your life, and that ’ s fine, but it ’ s affecting everyone else. Me, your parents, your sister. We ’ re the ones that will be left behind on the day that you go too far and fall off a cliff or something. And when that happens, you ’ ll be fine. You ’ ll be dead and won ’ t have to deal with the pain. But I will, and it ’ s too early in my life to live without you. So please, step away from the edge and we ’ ll discuss this inside. ” 
 
 She nodded, tears falling from her eyes as she stepped away from the edge… And slipped on the ice, flying backwards and towards the ground, still facing the building, the last thing she saw was Paul ’ s face, leaning over the edge, a picture of shock and horror. 
 Then everything went black. 
 
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 She opened her eyes, and slowly tried to bring her hand to the back of her aching head, but was stopped by the wires and IV ’ s. 
 She tried to raise an arm to rub the back of her head, but was stopped by someone placing their hand over hers. 
 
 `` Hey, hey baby, try not to move. You suffered a huge fall, you are n't strong enough'' 
 
 `` Mom? What are you doing here? Where is here?'' she asked, her eyes having trouble adjusting to the brightness of the room. 
 
 `` Elizabeth dear, you're in the hospital --'' 
 
 `` Dad? What?'' 
 
 `` -- Now can you remember what happened?'' 
 
 `` Uh, what happened? Um...'' she blinked a few times to clear her vision and looked between her parents. Her mother was sitting next to her, still holding her hand. Her eyes were raw and it was obvious that she had been crying. Her dad was standing at the end of her bed, trying to look composed and stoic, but Lizzie could see the love and relief on his face. She looked down at her body and was surprised to see her left leg in a cast, and her stomach wrapped in bandages. She moved her free hand to her abdomen in confusion, and looked back up to her father, asking a silent question. 
 
 He cleared his throat, `` Can you remember anything?'' he asked again, avoiding her gaze. 
 
 `` I fell. I was on the roof with Paul, looking at the snow and the stars, and he got worried and I turned to go back inside and I slipped and I fell.'' she looked around the room again `` Where is Paul anyway?'' she questioned, only just noting his absence. 
 
 Both her parents were silent as they refused to look at her, so she asked again, and was still greeted with silence, filling her with dread. 
 
 `` Mom? Mom, what's going on, where is he?'' her voice was shaky as she tried to get an answer. `` Mom, please!'' 
 
 `` The doctor should be here soon, we were told to wait for him before we told you.'' 
 
 `` Before you told me what? Dad, what's happening?'' 
 
 Her parents shared a look as she glanced between them frantically. Her mother gave an imploring look, causing her father to shrug dejectedly. 
 
 `` Fine. But if she gets upset, its your fault.'' He said in a low voice to his wife before turning back to his daughter. `` Sweetheart, when you fell, Paul was in such a hurry to get to you that he ran down the fire escape... The icy fire escape, and he slipped'' 
 
 `` But he's okay right? I mean, I fell six stories and I'm okay, so he's fine from just slipping over right?'' 
 Her parents were silent again 
 
 `` Right?'' 
 
 `` Sweetie, he slipped from quite far up and he landed on his neck. Apparently it was very quick, he did n't feel any pain.'' 
 
 `` No... No, you're lying.'' she giggled `` He's fine, you're just trying to trick me into behaving better. He's fine, he- he's got to be. This is just a trick right? Just a trick...'' 
 
 `` Lizzie...'' 
 
 `` No!'' She was shouting `` No you cant call me that! Only he can call me that you understand?'' 
 
 `` Elizabeth, he's gone'' 
 
 `` No, he ca n't be gone. He, he cant be'' she was sobbing, unable to believe it. `` How can he be gone while I'm fine? How does that work? He's the sensible one...'' 
 
 Her father moved to the other side of her and placed a hand on her shoulder comfortingly. `` I know this is hard...'' 
 
 `` You know? You do n't know anything, your wife is still alive and well! Just leave me alone. Both of you, just leave.'' 
 
 Her parents hesitated, unwilling to leave her alone. `` Please! Give me some time to get my head round this. Go and wait for the doctor or something...'' 
 
 They left slowly, and closed the door behind them, leaving her to her grief. 
 
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 She was awoken by a knock on her door. 
 
 `` Go away'' she groaned, her voice hoarse from crying. 
 
 `` Not happening'' came a male voice as the door opened. `` So I see you're awake Mrs Wilson. I'm your Doctor, my name's Dr. Calipz. Let me tell you, you gave us quite a scare there, we thought you would never wake up! I mean, by all rights you should n't have!'' 
 
 `` What does that mean? I should n't have?'' 
 
 He lost the casual tone in an instant and his voice turned serious. 
 
 `` Your injuries were, severe. It ’ s astounding that you survived the fall at all, considering most 
 people would die on impact, especially hitting their head as you did. And even if they survived the fall, with a head injury like yours, they most certainly would n't wake up. You're a very lucky woman.'' 
 
 She scoffed. `` Lucky. To survive where my husband did n't? That's not luck, that's hell.'' 
 
 She swallowed, before closing her eyes and composing herself. 
 `` You said you thought I would never wake up. How long was I out?'' 
 
 Dr. Calipz gave a small smile. `` A long time.'' 
 
 `` But how long exactly?'' 
 
 `` Two months'' 
 
 She gasped. Two months? That could n't be right. That was a long time... She'd missed Christmas, she'd missed New Years, she'd missed Pauls birthd -- oh. 
 
 `` Two months? Are you sure?'' 
 
 `` Yes Mrs Wilson, I'm sure. I do know how to measure time.'' 
 
 `` Talking of time, how long do I have to stay here?'' 
 
 The doctor smiled at her `` We'd like to keep you in for observation for a while, but if you're all good, you'll be gone in no time.'' 
 
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 She left the hospital two weeks later, released back to her and her late husband ’ s apartment. It took two months for the pressure of life without Paul to get too much. He had been the main breadwinner, now she had to survive on her tiny paycheck. He'd always been the sensible one, looking after her and she did n't know how to cope without him. How was she meant to go on without the love of her life? 
 
 She fashioned a noose from some rope they'd got for a camping trip, that now would n't happen, and wrote a note for her parents. She placed it on her bed, attached the rope to the ceiling, before getting on a chair, placing the noose round her neck and jumping. She struggled for breath and clawed at her neck, half regretting her actions, half hoping she'd see Paul again. She did n't know which half was winning as everything faded to black. 
 
 And then became light again. She was still hanging there, still gasping for breathe, and still alive. She looked at the clock, it had been hours since she'd strung herself up, and yet she was still alive. She clawed at her neck again, trying to remove the noose that was n't working, before swinging her body back, trying to get a foothold on her bed and consistently failing. 
 
 It was half an hour before she managed to get loose. She had managed to untie the nooseenough to slip her head out, and she fell to the floor, gasping for breath. 
 
 She poured herself a drink as she sat at her kitchen table, trying to work her mind around what had happened. That was the second time that she'd survived an event that should have killed her. That was the thought that was running through her mind, but she did n't know if it was just a coincidence, or something more. There was really only one way to find out, but was she really prepared to risk being wrong? She was n't in the same place as she had been a few hours ago, but she had to know. 
 
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 Two hours and five bottles of pills later, she discovered it was n't just a coincidence. She was either very resilient, or immortal. 
 
 Immortal. The thought was laughable, the stuff of fantasy novels, not real life! And yet, how else could she explain what had happened? 
 
 She decided to keep her theories to herself, she knew she sounded crazy! And how would she explain how she had come to that solution? 
 
 It had to be kept secret. She did n't know how, or why she was like this, but she did know her life was about to change drastically, and she better be ready when it did. 

