Ground Zero by EndMaster R

“No, Eliza. I’ll stay here. I left that world a long time ago and I wouldn’t know what to do up there even in the unlikely event that civilization has been rebuilt in someway. This is my life now. Down here, with you. I’m sorry if I get a little irritable sometimes, I don’t mean to.”
”I know you don’t, sir.”
“Would you stop calling me that? I told you to call me by my name!” you laugh, knowing that she won’t do it. Sometimes you wonder if it’s a glint of defiance on her part, indicating she isn’t as “submissive” as she would appear.

In any event your mood improves again and life continues…

30 years pass…

You stay in bed a lot. Eliza takes care of you like she always has, but even she can’t stop the ravages of time, although it’s not from trying. Eliza has medical knowledge, but not the proper equipment to sustain you. It would be only prolonging the inevitable anyway. You’re human and she isn’t. Hell, you always felt that if it hadn’t been for her in the first place, you probably wouldn’t have lived this long.

The day finally comes when you can sense your heart beating its last beats, your lungs starting to draw their last gasps. You’d call Eliza to be with you, but of course she’s already there. She’s always there.

“Eliza, I…can’t go on anymore…I wish I could…but I’m not made of the strong stuff you are…”
“You should rest sir, don’t try to speak.” She says while sitting by the bed holding your hand.
“…you…know…I never said it…that much…but you know I love you right?”
“I know sir…I love you too...”

And she finally calls you by your name.

With those words still ringing in your ears, you begin to get sleepy and close your eyes. As your mind has its last pleasant thoughts of Eliza, you feel one last taste of metal on your lips…and something wet splashing on your cheek…

Was that a tear? No…it couldn’t be…

Could it?