BIRDIE

The bearer of bad news.

Dan's POV

I hate hospitals. They make me feel dirty which is ironic since they're insatiably clean but I am in fact filthy right now. I haven't had time to clean given the circumstances, so forgive me fellow nosey fuckers,

My hand locks with her limp one. She lays peacefully in the hospital bed, a stark contrast to what she'll be feeling when she wakes up. It's been two days. I got here this morning, but in all fairness I was locked in a janitorial cupboard. I had to pick the lock because apparently no one could hear me. There was a search part for me apparently, I never felt so special but that was quickly overridden realising the weight of the situation in play. Part of me hoped I dreamt it, a horrible nightmare that my mind regularly defeats me with, but no.

I don't think Simon knows yet, and if I could just find a phone then I would call him. The nurses in this place won't let me use theirs, painting me with whatever stereotype they've concluded. Fine, I no longer find them cute.

Get a grip Dan, time and place man.

I don't want to leave her side but she'll be here when I get back. I hope. Riding to my feet, I face the arrows on the hospital floor, navigating me to the nearest exit. A few members of staff and the general public do a double take on my appearance, shying away from me.

Don't worry ladies, I'm not a threat, despite the blood all over me, I promise it's not what it looks like. I don't give a shit but it kind of makes me feel like a monster and I don't need them adding their two pence opinions when I already feel like a monster as it is.

I swallow whatever self tarnishing image I have for myself as I reach the cool air outside. I feel even more gross out here, the breeze pummels against my skin making Valerie's blood flake off of my forearms. I search around in the smoking area and see a dude in a hospital gown, must be pushing 40 at best but he looks like shit. Perfect. I waltz up to him and he gives me a polite nod.

"Hey man, could I—"

"I don't have any spare." He churns out as he exhales his pocket of smoke.

"Not what I was gonna ask." I groan, balling my fists and flexing my jaw.

I am a lot of things but I am not a dirty smoker. At least not on a school night.

He meets my eyes and raises a suspicious brow.

It's okay mate, I don't want you to lend a kidney.

"Do you have a phone I could borrow?" I ask politely since my other tones of voice haven't gotten me what I've wanted this far.

"What do I get for it?"

"Fuck me, my virginity? Why are we negotiating over a phone call?" I bite out, towering over him.

"Cause' you wanna use me minutes." He snipes with a wicked curl to his lips that don't meet his eyes. "They cost money, you know. I can't afford to top up."

Top up? Who the fuck is still on pay as you go?

He waves his Nokia brick in front of my face tauntingly and I snatch it out of his hands.

"Hey!"

"Yeah yeah, keep your catheter on." I growl waving him off and walking away. He can't catch me anyway in the hospital wheelchair he sits his fat arse in, anyway, they aren't self assist.

I punch in the phone number I vaguely remember and bring it up to my ear hearing the calling tone hum through the fossil device.

"Simon?" I rush out hearing the phone connect.

"Dan? What the fuck is going on? Where's Valerie? Why haven't I heard from her OR you in two fucking days!?" He barks down the phone and I slowly bring it away from my ear.

Say what you want about the dude, but I still shit myself when he raises his voice. I can't help it, I cower like a scolded child. Which I'm about to be.

I take a deep breath and close my eyes.

"She had the babies."

"W-what?"

"She—"

"When?!"

"Simon."

"Why didn't you call me !?"

"Simon."

"How are they? Fuck, is she okay?"

"SIMON!" I snap.

The line goes eerily quiet and I don't know how to proceed other than bluntly.

"Oh god... oh Jesus... did they... did they die?" He barely croaks and I can hear how his throat tightens at the other end, choked on emotion.

"I don't know."

"What do you mean you you don't know?!"

"Matt took them." I say simply.

"WHAT?!" He roars and I'm certain I can hear something crash the other end.

"She was in the basement, so I went to get lunch. When I came back she was in labour and I don't mean like contractions and shit, I mean she was having the babies then. I couldn't call an ambulance because I had no service. So I delivered the babies. Evelyn wasn't breathing, so I did CPR. She came around and when I looked over at Valerie she wasn't breathing. I couldn't wake her up. I ran upstairs shouting for someone to call an ambulance. Chantel from intelligence called one. I went back down and Matt stood over her. I went for him but the man doubled down and knocked me out. When I woke up I was in the janitors cupboard, locked in."

He meets my silence with hysterical hyperventilation. So I go for broke and continue.

"I was locked in for over a day, I picked the lock and got out. I went to the basement and saw all the blood but no sign of Valerie and the babies. I found chantel and she told me the ambulance crew took her but she didn't know she had the babies. I got to the hospital and they told me she haemorrhaged. She had surgery this morning for some tearing and she's been out since. Simon I'm so fucking sorry—"

"Where's Matt now?" He says darkly.

"I don't know, I haven't had the time to set up a search party or even call anyone."

"I'll handle it. Stay with her." He responds with that murderous tone.

"Yes sir."

The line goes flat and I pull the phone away from my ear and see the message flash on the screen telling me I've run out of minutes.

Fuck.

I toss that useless prick in the wheelchair, his phone and dart back inside towards Valerie's room. I barge through staff and patients as I weave through. Her privacy curtain comes into focus and I pull back the curtain.

I blink trying to convince myself that I don't see an empty bed before me.

No, no no no!