Bring Me To Life

The arrival

Ben's Pov

My heart raced, and anxiety gnawed at my gut as I stood outside Jenn's hospital room. The fear of losing my beloved wife was like an anchor around my chest, threatening to pull me under. I couldn't bear the thought of a life without her.

The tension in the room escalated as two more doctors rushed in, their hurried movements intensifying my panic. They swarmed around Jenn, their faces etched with worry as they fought to save her. My hands trembled, and the monitors painted a grim picture. My world began to blur, and I fell to the floor, consciousness slipping away.

Three agonizing hours later...

I woke up, disoriented and weary, confined to a hospital bed, but this time, in my own room. My heart ached with a heavy, oppressive weight, and my body felt numb.

Summoning every ounce of courage, I approached the nurses' station. My voice quivered as I asked, "Is my wife okay? Her name is Jennifer Lopez Affleck." The nurse nodded and quickly checked her system, but her gaze conveyed the message I dreaded.

"Sir," she began, her voice laden with sorrow, "I am so sorry, but Mrs. Affleck passed away during surgery." The words hit me like a sledgehammer, and my chest tightened as if an invisible vice was crushing my heart.

"What..." I whispered, fighting back tears. The world felt like it was closing in on me. Desperate, I reached for my phone and called Matt.

"Hello?" Matt's voice came through.

"Matt... I'm at the hospital... Jennifer went into labor, but she... she didn't make it," I choked out, tears streaming down my face.

"What? Ben, what hospital are you at? I'm on my way," Matt replied, his voice laced with urgency.

"I'm at West Hills Hospital," I said, my voice trembling.

"Okay, I'm on my way," Matt promised, and then he hung up.

Returning to my room, I allowed the tears to flow freely, lost in a whirlwind of grief. I clung to my phone, sifting through pictures of Jennifer, each one intensifying the pain in my chest.

Matt arrived at the hospital within twenty minutes, his presence offering some solace. Words were meaningless in that moment, and he understood that. He enveloped me in a comforting hug, and I clung to him, my emotions too raw for speech.

Several hours passed, and my tears showed no signs of stopping. An unbearable ache gnawed at my chest, and suddenly, a sharp pain shot through me, making it hard to breathe. I closed my eyes, attempting to maintain composure, but it was the most severe anxiety attack I'd ever experienced.

Fast forward a week...

The day of Jennifer's funeral arrived, a somber occasion attended by friends and family. We gathered around her burial site, the grief palpable in the air. The kids and I wore black, hiding our emotions behind sunglasses. My heart ached, and I did my best to shield my children from the depth of my sorrow. They, too, were mourning, but losing their mother was a different kind of agony.

The children took turns saying their final goodbyes to Jennifer. It took immense courage, but Samuel, in particular, was overwhelmed with grief, his sobs echoing in the quiet cemetery. I held our baby girl in my arms, and Violet comforted Sam. Sera, Cy, and Max held each other's hands as they bid their mother farewell.

I watched the scene, my heart breaking with each passing moment. Losing a friend was one thing, but losing a mother was an entirely different level of pain.