Dried and Dying Roses (BWWM)

Forty One: She Tries... and Fails

Forty One

The books only made it even more of a reality with their ominous hardbacks, or the flimsy paperback ones. Some of them overplayed the whole pregnancy thing, while others made it seem as if it were no big deal, and that the little person growing inside of her didn't call for as much worry as parents made out. The websites were the worst-she hadn't thought that was possible- they scared Isaline most of the time, so she only went on them usually to see what size her baby would be for each respective week

As she flipped the page, her the instrumental trill that was her cell phone ringing cut through the silence. Without looking, Isa pressed down on the button that lowered the volume on the sleek phone, silencing it temporarily before it could wake up Nicole who was curled against a pillow on the opposite side of the bed, figuring it was Adrian who was calling her at almost two in the morning.

Isa had woken up around one, poking around for a snack, and couldn't go back to sleep so she decided to read until she fell asleep, explaining why she was awake.

The phone rang six more times before Isa let out an irritated sigh, picking up the device, "Yes?"

"Isa, Grampa is in the hospital, you need to come up here," It was Matthias speaking to her in a shaky voice so full of fear that it scared Isa a little bit.

Instantly, she was hopping out of bed, and pulling on a pair of pajama shorts, sliding her feet into her house shoes as she spoke to her oldest brother, "Alright, I'm on my way. What happened? Isa he okay?"

Matthias let out an unstable breath and Isa could just imagine the look of distress that would be on his handsome face a he spoke to her, "He...He had another heart attack, but this time he went into cardiac arrest. Granny found him on the floor in the living room, and I don't know if he's alright, honestly, and the doctors don't seem too optimistic."

"Shit," Isa hissed as she stumbled over her overnight bag, "On my way, Matty, I love you."

By the time she hung up, Nicole was sitting up in the bed, "What's wrong?" She asked Isa, watching as she flew around the room looking for her keys.

"My grandfather is in the hospital," Isa told her friend as she snatched her purse up from the corner of the room, "I'm on the way out."

Nicole hummed in understanding as a frown made its way onto Isa's face, "Do you want me to come with you?"

"No, no it's fine, Nic. Thank you," Isa whispered, giving her a small, distracted smile before running out the house and to her car.

The two hour ride to the hospital consisted of Isa trying to calm her racing heart and be optimistic. Her grandfather would be fine, she knew it. He survived one heart attack without a hitch, he'd survive this one too.

No need to worry.

She still did; Matthias had said no one was optimistic, but she wouldn't let that get her down. Someone had to have faith. That someone would be her. She'd get to the hospital, and nothing at all would be wrong with her loving grandfather. Nothing at all.

She had to tell herself that to keep going.

When she walked into the waiting room in the hospital, that optimism she was clutching onto started to dwindle. Her brothers, her parents, two aunts and three uncles all were in various stages of grief. It had to be bad.

"Where's Nana?" Isa asked, trying to keep the shaking from her voice.

Her father was the one to answer her, his hazel, bloodshot eyes meeting hers, "She's in the room with Dad. Come sit down, baby."