Alaska

Chapter Twenty-One

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

It was as though a large iron fist had rocketed into Lexi's stomach.  She felt her heart skip a few beats, her arms beginning to shake and her baby making jerking motions inside her belly at the raised adrenaline in her body.  She couldn't believe what she had just heard.  She immediately thrust her hand into Ashton's, who stood beside her, dumbstruck.

The plump woman, who had curly blonde hair moaned and began bawling into her hands, and her husband reached down to console her.  Jason's bottom lip quivered, and fat droplets of tears streamed down his smooth and patchy red face.

Suddenly, there was a rushing sound coming from behind them and Violet sprinted into the reception, pushing a stroller energetically.  Her brown hair was standing on ends and she was sweating at the forehead.  It seemed like she had rushed to get to the hospital.

"What's happening?  What's going on?!" She spluttered.

Lexi's mouth was dry, but her throat made a gurgling sound and tears stung her eyes.  She turned around and leaped into Violet's arms, sobbing profusely and imagining the pain Ariel was going through at the very moment.

"The baby died!" She yelled, hysterically.

Violet's orange eyes widened and her grip on Lexi tightened.  She gulped loudly and her breath rattled, in shock.

"What?!" She gasped.  "How can that be?!"

There was a pause as everyone cried.  Ashton, looking grim, reached down into the stroller and picked up his sleeping niece, who looked so much older, now that she was already a month old.  She had wisps of blonde hair on her head and her cheeks were chubby and plump.  He rocked her gently as his black hair swept past his face.

Jason sniffled, roughly wiping his tears.

"There was a c-complication," he repeated, hollowly.  "The baby was born as a still-born.  We never saw him move."

Lexi's stomach lurched and she let out a dry muffled sob into Violet's shoulder who also began crying.

"Can we see her?" She asked, gently and barely audible.

Jason scrunched up his face, took a deep trembling breath and nodded, pointing to the first door in the corridor beside him.

Violet and Lexi exchanged worried glances, their faces blotchy and tear-stained.  Ashton nodded at Lexi, whilst he swayed with Julie and the two girls paced into the room.

It was dark and the only source of light came from a wall-lamp behind the hospital bed.  Lexi could see a great lump covered beneath a pile of sheets and quilts.  The lump was in the shape of a ball and it was trembling and whimpering.

"A-Ariel?" Lexi called, quietly.

There was no reply.  More sounds of whimpering and crying was heard.

Lexi and Violet took seats on the uncomfortable plastic chairs on either side of the bed, and they both reached up to touch the quivering lump.

"Ariel?" Lexi called again, louder this time.

A scuffling and sniffling was heard, and then a paunchy, red-eyed and frazzled Ariel emerged from under the covers.  Her face was wet and her bright red hair was sticking to her freckled face, and her grey eyes were puffy and glassy.

"I d-don't understand," she moaned, staring at the pale colours of the sheets.  "H-he was my s-son.  He w-was m-m-my b-boy.  He's d-dead.  H-he was alive j-just hours ago."

Lexi tried hard not to lose herself.  She moved her hands to her round and hard belly, cradling it maternally, trying not to think of what she would do if she was in Ariel's situation.