Falling Apart, Together✓

Chapter Twenty-Seven

I was dying. I had been at the hospital for thirty-six hours and we were still not anywhere closer to going to the delivery room. I had been checked out repeatedly over this time and they assured me that he was fine and just taking his time. As if he didn't overstay his welcome enough already. Ransom had been amazing this whole time, always there when I needed his hand, or some ice, or something to punch. He took it like a champ.

At the forty hour mark, they did another check. "You're finally ready to push." My doctor informs us.

"What?" I say, exhaustion weakening my response. 

"You're ten centimeters dilated. It's time to go back to the delivery room." I smile at Ransom and he takes my hand, walking beside me as they wheeled my bed back.

...

"I'm going to need you to give me another good push Bentley." The doctor tells me. I felt like I had been going at this for hours and we weren't getting anywhere. 

I gave another push as a contraction wracked my body. "Ok. I can see his head. I need you to pause, don't push." When I was given the go ahead again I pushed and within two contractions our son was here. He was placed on my chest as Ransom cut the cord. 

I heard the nurses whispering but I couldn't make out what they're saying but I had black spots dancing around my vision, a rushing sound in my ears as the world turned black.

...

Ransom's POV

"What's happening?" I ask, panicking as I watch nurses and doctors rush around Bentley, working. 

"Sir, I'm going to take your son to the nursery to get him cleaned up and do all his measurements. But I'm going to need you to go to the waiting room for now." A nurse tells me as I watch her place my son in a crib to be wheeled out. 

"What's going on with my wife?" I ask desperately.

"We're not sure. That's what we need to figure out. As soon as we know anything we will let you know." I nod and allow her to push me from the room. I walk in a daze to the waiting room, seeing our whole family there. 

"Ransom?" My mom asks, walking up to me. My knees give out and I collapse to the ground and I start to cry. My mom holds onto me, cradling me as I cry. "What's going on Ransom?" she asks.

"I don't know. She passed out after he was born and there was a lot of blood and then they had me leave." I say, sniffling, trying to slow my tears.

"Oh Ransom," my mom says as I turn to look at Eliza and Archer. Eliza was trying not to cry so I got up and held her. She clung to me, staining my shirt with her tears, but I'm way past the point of caring. 

She let go and went to Archer. "I'm gonna go take a walk. I need some time to clear my head." I say. Mom nods before going and wrapping an arm around Eliza. 

I walk down the hall and to a stairwell. Once I'm inside and I know I'm alone I fall to my knees. "I don't even know if there is a higher power but if there is and you're listening, I'm begging you, please don't take her. She is light, the light that has flooded my darkest areas. She's everything to me and I don't know what I'd do without her. So please, please don't take her from me. I will do anything, be anything, just let her stay."

...

The ending was inspired by the third verse of Tim McGraw's "Don't Take the Girl". I'm not trying to make Ransom a religious man but I think at our darkest of times when we have no hope, we're willing to try just about anything.