Becoming Rory

chapter eighteen

Thirty-four weeks into the pregnancy that turned everyone's life upside down, Noah sped to the hospital.

As soon as he had gotten the call, he almost dropped the phone. He couldn't believe it. He felt like he was in a dream, or rather a nightmare. Needless to say, the call wasn't exactly a happy one.

He was in a haze as he left the apartment and through the streets. He felt like he was walking through jelly, like time had slowed and there was nobody else in the world. The traffic seemed insane, though it was the same as any other day. He grew impatient as he waited in the middle of the street, unable to do anything about it. All he could do was wait and hope that nothing happened before he got there.

He wasn't sure what he could do when he got to the hospital, but he could be there for the people that mattered most to him.

Finally, he got to the hospital. He parked the car, then entered. He couldn't believe that he was there, about to confront one of the hugest situations of his life. He almost didn't want to enter, for he felt like if he didn't go inside, nothing would go wrong.

Alas, he did go inside. He entered the clean, sterile building, but he couldn't help but imagine all the blood that had been poured out onto that linoleum floor. He feared that soon, the blood poured onto the floor would be that of someone that he cared about. He needed to know what was going on, he needed to get the news.

He walked into the waiting room filled with the families of other victims of the same crime, scanning for the person that he had been dreading getting the news from. He walked towards her.

His ex-fiancée stood as she saw him approaching, red eyes from crying all the tears she had left to cry, arms wrapped across her protruding belly where she held their inborn child.

"How is she?" Noah breathed, "Is she any better?"

Rory shrugged, seemingly wiped of all energy, "I don't know," She said, throat dry, "I'm waiting on news from the doctor,"

Noah nodded, then sat down next to her. They sat in silence for the entire time, not knowing what to say. They sat next to each other, taking comfort in the presence of others, but not needing to talk about it. At least, not before they knew what they were talking about.

Just then, a doctor came around the corner, "The family of Sadie Copeland?" He asked, staring down at his clipboard as he read the name.

Rory sprung from her seat, walking towards him quickly with Noah following closely behind. He held his breath while they waited for news, looking towards Rory, who's expression was already distraught. He couldn't imagine the way she must have been feeling. If he was feeling as emotional as he was, he couldn't imagine what it was like to be in love with the person who laid in a hospital bed.

"Are you her husband?" The doctor asked Noah, who shook his head and pointed at Rory.

"She's my wife." Rory breathed, her throat obviously sore. "What's going on?"

The doctor took a deep breath, "I'm so sorry, but we were unable to save her. We did everything that we could-"

"What?" Rory cut him off, calmly at first, as if she was in shock, "What?" She yelled out to no one in particular. She stumbled backwards, but Noah caught her before she hit the floor.

"Despite our best efforts, she died on the operating table. There was nothing we could do. I'm so sorry," The doctor continued, then departed as soon as he finished delivering the news that would ruin their lives.

Time stopped. The earth stopped spinning. It was all over. They were all over. Rory's life was over. Sadie's life was stolen. There was nothing they could do. There was nothing they could do, she would stay dead. She was dead.