All morning Paul, Jim and Mike had been in Mary's hospital room with her, constantly by her side in her last hours.

Mary meant everything to Paul, and the boy knew that once she was gone, he would be lost. He'd loose his only best friend.

Paul was never good at meeting new people, he preferred to just keep to himself and keep everything hidden away. He only ever told his mum about his feelings, though. The boy adored his mother, and to know that she only had a few hours left, at most, was something he just could not handle.

He hadn't eaten much in the last 3 days, ever since the ambulance came to their home, as he refused to leave her side until the very moment he lost her.

Because she was everything to him, and he didn't know who he would be once she wasn't there anymore.

Paul had cried most of his tears away, his red, puffy eyes (and tear stained cheeks) making that very obvious. But his eyes now looked drained of all emotion as he stared at her.

She spoke every so often, but only slight murmurs. The woman hadn't even been able to open her eyes for the last few hours, her muscles not being strong enough.

The McCartney's knew she hadn't long left at all.

"P-Paul..." The boy lifted his head up, which was previously staring at his feet, and leant over to grab her hand. "M-M-Mike..."

Mike, who was sat at the other side of the bed, also lifted his head up, moving his chair closer forward.

"Yeah, ma'?" Paul asked, trying to stop his voice from shaking.

Her pointing finger, in the hand Paul was holding, began to twitch, pointing in a certain direction that both of the boys couldn't make out. They eyed each other, wearily.

"What, mummy?" An 11 year old Mike asked, looking back at his mothers pale face.

"Bo...Box..."

They stared at eachother again in confusion, until Jim, who had been staring out of the window at the newly put up housing district round the back of the hospital, spoke up. The man turned his head slightly so he could see a glimpse of the rest of his family.

"Your mother has a gift for you." He spoke, slowly turning his full body around and walking forward. "Isn't that right, Love?"

"Mmm..." She spoke.

Jim walked over to the drawer on Mary's bedside table which was located next to Mike. He leant down, opening it up and taking out two small black boxes.

One had the word 'Mike' on, the other 'Paul', in a cursive white font.

"For, y-you b...oth." She whispered the last part. "My l-lovelies."

All the elder son could do was nod, as he heard her voice grow fainter and fainter as she spoke.

"Oh, ma'..." Mike said, taking the box into his hand. "You didn't have to..."

"D-Did." She argued.

Classic Mary, always putting up a good fight.

Paul took the box his father handed to him with his free, shaky hand. He nodded his thanks. He slowly placed her hand down next to her, as he now used both of his hands to open up the box.

He gasped, seeing two chains inside. One had the letters 'lo', the other 've', obviously spelling out 'love'.

There was a message calved into the roof of the box, which read.

Once you meet the person you trust the most, give them one of these necklaces.

It means that you'll always have a part of eachother.

~Ma' Mary 🤍

"Ma'... Thats a gorgeous idea." Paul whimpered out, running his fingers through the silver chain that said 'lo'.

They were both in the shape of two broken pieces of one heart, and when you picked them up and slotted them together, they fit perfectly.

Paul saw her lips twitch into the best smile she could show.

-

It was around 5pm, 4 hours later, when things really took a turn for the worse.

Mary hadn't really spoke much, a few whimpers leaving her mouth and her eyelashes fluttering. It was clear she was fighting to open them still. Paul hated to see her in so much pain, and felt his heart shatter a little more every second he was in that room.

Jim was crouched on the ground, running his hands through Mary's thin strands of black hair. Mike remained sat in the same blue hospital chair as before, his head hanging low imbetween his knees.

And Paul... Well he just stared at her, holding her hand in his own.

It felt like every memory of when he was a child came flowing back to him. His mother holding him after he'd fallen and grazed his knee. His mother buying him his first guitar and listening to him play, only a few months before his 13th birthday.

And the time Mary told him to be himself, and not care what other people think. That was the time Paul had confessed to her that he was gay, something he had never told anyone else. She was so proud.

Which is why when the dreaded monitor started to beep violently, Paul's heart began to beat faster and faster. The memories flowing back quicker than before.

"M-Mummy..." Mike whispered out. Jim began to sob, now gently stroking her cheek with his thumb.

"M-Ma'..." Paul spoke, tears managing to fall, even though he swore he had none left. "Ma..."

"I l-love you." She croaked out, her eyelids beginning to stop fluttering.

After a few seconds, the boy felt her hand go limp in his own, the tears falling faster.

And once the beeping stopped, that's when he felt his heart shatter completely, feeling as if he'd never piece it together again. The room fell silent apart from all the sobs, but Paul could no longer hear it, for the blood pumping in his head.

He leant forward, his own quivering lips placing a kiss on her palm, before placing it gently over her stomach.

Mike's head was buried in her side, the soft material muffling his sobs.

Paul took a few steps back, his eyes fixed on his mother's face. Nobody acknowledged that he'd stood up, but neither had he. The boy let his feet take him wherever, as he felt he was losing air.

He needed air.

And he needed it now.

With one last look at Mary, Paul turned around and ran out of the hospital room door.

His hand, now more shaky than ever before, reached to unzip his pocket, checking that the box was still there. Once sure, he zipped it back up safely, knowing that if he ever lost that box, he'd never forgive himself.

At the thought of losing the last thing Mary had ever given him, his feet sped up, his only goal now being to get downstairs, and reach the exit. From there, he didn't know or even care where he went.

He just watched his own mother die.

Paul started to scream-sob once more, practically throwing himself down the staircase.

Once into the reception, he ran past many doctors and nurses, most telling him to slow down, some asking him what was wrong. But his ears didn't register what they were saying, the thought of his mother too strong in his mind.

It wasn't until he was running through the car park and towards the housing estate at the back of the hospital that he noticed two nurses, (one male, one female) and another male paramedic chasing after him, concern on their faces.

"Kid, slow down!" The paramedic called after him.

'My l-lovelies'

Paul threw his body over a small wall that led out of the car park, running through a narrow ginnel and now into the same housing estate his father was staring at from the window only a few short hours before, only this time the night sky was darker.

The boy ran straight forward, turning to see if the hospital staff were still there. A sigh emerged from him as he realised they weren't.

But when he looked up, he felt his heart beat faster once again, as there was her room. The room Paul had spent the last 3 days in without sleep.

"N-No!" He called out, body immediately turning around and darting forward.

The both closed his eyes tightly shut, shaking his head to try and erase the memories."

"No!" He called out at himself once again, raising his both of his hands to cover his ears in a desperate attempt to stop the voices.

Paul didn't hear the recently built oncoming main road, which ran neatly through the new housing district. His mind was too busy thinking about the last 3 days to even think he may be running straight into a busy road.

When he felt the voices in his head abruptly stop, he immediately opened his eyes and uncovered his ears in relief, stopping where he was once running.

And by the time he noticed the silver Ford Focus about to hit him, it was too late.

The next thing Paul heard was the loud beep of a horn, a slight skid of wheels against the road beneath, until all he heard was ringing.

Then his vision blacked out completely.