Afterglow • Gideon Emery

19

The tv played some random romantic movie for Hannah to watch while she relaxed in Gideons chair laying on her side looking straight at Chloe laying on the couch, like always, writing in her notebook. She has a obsession with her notebook, it's better than a drug obsession at least. Hannah has Icebreaker laying by her side and Dempsey lied at Chloe's feet.

With a blue ink pen she wrote;

"This innocence is brilliant
I hope that it will stay
This moment is perfect
Please don't go away 'cause
I need you now
And I'll hold on to it
Don't you let it pass you by"

Then right under that;

"It's a state of bliss; you think you're dreaming
It's the happiness inside that you're feeling
It's so beautiful, it makes you wanna cry"

Surrounding the paragraphs she drew little hearts and glistening stars, just for the aesthetic of that page.

Jack had to leave Hannah Greece for his mission with Atlas, he left this morning. Gideon didn't go but he's in the control room with Irons talking to his people through his ear piece. Gideon is giving Jack, Illona, Will, and Joker their heads up and tips when they need it. Irons didn't give him the option of missing this one.

Hannah wasn't worried for Jack, she trusted her gut thinking that he will be fine. He always came back in one piece, even if he gets hurt he will make it out alive. He always did. "Are you going to talk to me or what?" She finally breaks her silence after a long silence with only the tv giving some noise. Hannah came here to see Chloe, not a stale romance movie.

Chloe looked up "oh—I—sorry" she closed her book and forced herself to sit up. "God this hurts—"

"I'd imagine so" Hannah crosses her arms "how far are you in?"

"I don't know...36...38 weeks?" Chloe tilts her head "Gideon knows more than me."

"If you're 38 weeks in then you need to get ready to live in the hospital for a while." Hannah said sternly "with a damaged breathing system surely it's not going to be a walk in the park." Hannah isn't the one for sugar coating, especially since Chloe's life is on the line, Chloe wanted to hear something sweet but that's not her reality unfortunately. She adds gently "I'm worried for you, Chloe."

Looking back at her mother, Chloe faked a smile "don't be" she says with her shining eyes, from either water or the light. "we will be just fine. Trust me."

"You will be as fine as a man falling head first off a cliff." Hannah hissed, this frightened Chloe a lot, what happened to Jack saying she was sweeter pregnant? Oh, that only applies to him huh? "for months you couldn't stand up without coughing up blood and you say you're fine? You stopped doing that thankfully, but are you really fine again?"

"Hannah-"

This must've been Hannah's hormones starting to kick in because she for some reason felt so much built up anger all of a sudden. Built up anger fighting with her sadness beast from inside. Her anxiety over thinking with itself ever since Chloe and Gideons incident almost the last year. And Chloe acting oblivious just triggered her harder. Hannah forced herself out of the chair and it confused her husky, regardless he jumped down and stayed by her side being the loyal dog he's trained to be.

Chloe looked frightened when she seen Hannah come up to her, grabbing her shoulders violently and holding her back on the couch. "Hannah.."

"You aren't listening to me Chloe!"

"There's nothing to listen to-"

"You're dying and you don't see it, we all do, what do you mean there's nothing to listen to?!"

Chloe swallowed, thinking of what to reply to her. Something sarcastic was what she thought of first. Speak like Hannah and you'll get a Hannah result, that's the motto. "I see it, I feel it, I hear it, and I'm fine with it." Chloe said calmly, she seen the tears fall from Hannah's eyes, then she started to think being sarcastic wasn't the best idea. "I'll happily die if it means I can birth my angel safely."

Hannah's eyes started to twitch, Chloe couldn't tell if it was from her building up rage or her building up sadness. Either way, her blood is boiling and she would easily kill someone right now.

Chloe started to second think herself after seeing her mother figure in her first stage of pregnancy and now she's stressing herself out. Because she's worried for her.

Hannah found it in herself to calm herself down, but she gave Chloe a threatening look with her relaxed face. She said calmly, "So...you're just going to give up like that huh? Bed bound everyday and eat once a day, now go to the hospital and just die out of nowhere. That's how you wanted to live your life?"

Now tears fell from Chloe's eyes, mainly because she hurt her mother, who she could never hurt intentionally. She was just trying to show her concern for her. Then again, what could Chloe do besides wait it out and see what happens?

"No...Hannah...I'm sorry..I-" Hannah crosses her arms looking down at her husky who stayed smiling to her with his tongue out. His smile didn't stop her from crying. "Please don't cry.."

Hannah stood up and walked towards her kitchen, this meant she's leaving. "Hannah please come back...don't leave me again."

"We all see what's happening Chloe...I need a minute." Hannah sighs quietly, "I love you, Chloe. I can't think of you dying on me right now...Icebreaker.." Her husky followed his owner out of the kitchen the Chloe heard a slam of the door.

She was right, she's dying, she's bounded most of her day and she barely breathes anymore, she eats once a day and that's not the worst part.

Chloe understood Hannah's worries, if she was in Hannah's shoes she'd act like a maniac at the thought of Hannah dying. Hell, she thought Hannah died when she was M.I.A with her husband and she didn't take that lightly at all. She thought that saying she didn't care if she died was kinda of a bad thing to say, especially to a new mom just starting to be affected by her hormones.

Looking down at her notebook she opened it up to a new page. Picking up a red ink pen she wrote;
"Keep holding on
'Cause you know we'll make it through
We'll make it through
Just stay strong
'Cause you know I'm here for you, I'm here for you
There's nothing you can say, nothing you can do
There's no other way when it comes to the truth
So keep holding on
'Cause you know
We'll make it through."