Jelsa Infernal Ice

Chapter 16: Shattered

There were guards stationed at every entrance, but Anna continued to run through the halls, trying to search for Jack. She was losing her breath, her tears were obstructing her view, but she didn't stop. It killed her to leave her sister back at the hospital wing, but she needed to find Jack, she needed to tell him what was going on.

Her feet brought her to the front gates, where she finally found Jack and Kristoff. She began to sob as she ran over to them, helplessly screaming through her strained voice, knowing that they couldn't afford to lose time. The two boys turned around at the same time when they heard the princess call their names.

"Anna!" Kristoff exclaimed, catching his wife before she fell over. "What happened?"

Anna gripped onto Kristoff, breathing weakly though her mouth as she tried her best to stay on her two feet. She turned to Jack, trying to prevent more tears from flooding her eyes.

"Jack..." she breathed behind her tears. "You have to come..."

"Wait, what's going on?" asked Jack, looking at her. "Where's Elsa?"

"Hospital..." Anna cried. She felt like she was about to faint. "She needs...she..."

"Hospital?" exclaimed Jack. "Why is she in the hospital?"

"The baby," sobbed Anna.

Jack felt his body freeze. The way Anna said the word 'baby' sent a sickening jolt through his body. Anna continued to cry as Kristoff held her up. Jack looked at her for a few seconds, feeling his emotions drain with fear and anxiety.

"Anna," breathed Jack. "What's going on?"

"The baby, Jack," Anna cried again. "It's...it's..."

Before Anna could finish, Jack grabbed his staff and flew past Anna and Kristoff, zipping though the air faster than he has ever gone before. A terrible, dark feeling pierced through him, a feeling he has never felt before in his entire life as an immortal. It was as if the entire world stopped, freezing time into an abyss of misery.

He flew past the guards and soon burst into the hospital wing. There, he saw Elsa, pale and cold as a broken statue, laying quietly on the hospital bed. He saw very small signs of movement coming from her rigid breathing. Her small hands were resting on top of her stomach.

He watched as tears fell from the corner of her eyes. That's when he knew something was wrong.

The sight of her absolutely killed him. He has been there with her through every painful day, and he knows what she has been through, what she had suffered through throughout the pregnancy. He knew that he wasn't able to do anything, that he wasn't able to take the pain away, and that's what hurts him the most. If there was any way to take her pain away, to have him experience it rather than her, Jack would do it in a heartbeat.

The doctor, three nurses, and Elsa, who were the only ones in the room, all looked towards the door when they heard Jack come in. The moment Elsa looked at him, her heart rate accelerated; the monitor beside the hospital bed began to blink rapidly. Her heart began to clench when their gazes met. The look in his eyes made her lips tremble as she felt tears begin to rise again. She didn't want to hurt him by letting him see her like this - weak, fragile and fighting to stay alive.

"Jack," Elsa whispered through the remaining strength she had. Her eyes were bloodshot, and her cheeks were tear-stained.

The monitor didn't cease to stop. Her heart began to pump harder against her chest. This still felt like a nightmare, and it was just terrifying that she had to bring Jack into this, that she will have to witness him go through the heartache that she was feeling right now. She didn't want to tell him, of course not. The last thing Elsa ever wanted was for Jack to get hurt, to be the one who will hurt him.