Through it All

Chapter 7

Cheyenne calls Ace's school and talks to his school counselor  Rebekah who is also a good friend. Cheyenne  explains what happened and asks if Rebekah can check Ace out of school and bring him to the hospital. Rebekah tells her they will be there in a little while.
Cheyenne texts Liz to let her know what is going on and why she left with Nate. She also asks Liz to pray for her to have the strength to get through this and to be able to do all she needed to do for her kids.
The waiting room is starting to fill up with people who have heard about Robert and Cheyenne's phone is going crazy with texts and calls. If it weren't for her kids she would just shut the phone off and ignore it all. She notices that Nate is still hanging around but just doesn't have the energy to deal with him right now. She just wants a few minutes to herself so she heads to the restroom at the back of the ER. Cheyenne doesn't want anyone to see her break down and she knows that she has to get away because in about 10 minutes her kids would be there and they would need her to be strong. She dreads having to deal with Robert's parents at the same time. So many people depend on her and right now she just wants to run away.
Nate notices Cheyenne heading to the back so he follows her to see what she is doing. He thinks she has hit her breaking point and doesn't want her to be alone when she breaks down. He has always joked around with her when things were bad and she looked like she wanted to cry. He doesn't know what to do when a girl cries so he usually just tries to make them laugh. She heads into the single restroom so he decides to just stand by the door to make sure she is okay.
Once inside the restroom the tears start to flood down Cheyenne's face. She can't believe that the person she loves most in the world is going to leave her. She slides down the wall and just lets the tears fall. Robert has been  her world for over half her life, how is she going to pick up the pieces of her heart, how does she tell their kids that there dad isn't going to make it, how does she look Ellie in the eyes and tell her dad won't be there on her wedding day or look at Ace and tell him that dad won't be there for any of his senior year? She wants to scream at God but doesn't because she knows that Robert would tell her that it is a part of God's plan and that there is a reason but right now she is angry that the man who own her heart is being taken from her. Cheyenne looks at her watch knowing that she needs to be out in the lobby when the kids arrive, so she gets up splashes her face with cold water and pays it dry. As she looks in the mirror she puts on the game face that she needs to get through the next few hours.

Nate stands up straight from leaning on the wall when the door starts to open. He gets a look at Cheyenne and just like he thought she has been crying. He starts to open his mouth when Cheyenne stops him, Nate I can't handle any jokes. I know that you think making me laugh will help but it won't, not this time. Thank you for bringing me here and staying but if you need to get back to work I understand. Nate just looks at her with his mouth open, he closes it and then finds his voice and tells Cheyenne  I am here because you are my friend and I told you that all you had to do was call of you needed me. I know that I haven't talked to you in a couple of months and I'm sorry but I'm not leaving you here alone to deal with everything. I know Robert and I don't see eye to eye and I will not make things difficult for you but I am staying cause whether you admit it or not you need me here. I am the only one besides Robert who knows that you take the whole world on your shoulders. Cheyenne looks at Nate and tells him thank you I need all the friends I can get right now. I am facing the hardest thing I have ever had to do. I have to tell my kids their dad is dying. Nate tells her that she doesn't know that the doctors haven't told her anything yet. Nate I do know that his body was crushed nothing can be done to fix all that damage the doctor was just trying to brace me earlier for that. I have worked ER and I know that it is going to happen unless God performs a miracle, and yes he can but I am a realist I take the facts and that is what the facts I have been given are telling me. Now I need to get to the lobby my kids should be getting here any minute.
As they walk through the hallway the doctor comes up to them and says I need to talk to you and ushers them into a small room. I have the results of your husbands scans. I'm afraid that it is worse than I thought, his body has been crushed from right  above the waist down. His vital signs are stable for now and we are moving him to ICU so that you and your family can be with him for what time he has left. I'm not going to give you a time frame because I do not know, it could be hours or days. Robert has been informed of his results and wanted me to tell you that he has declined any heroic efforts. He doesn't want to be revived if his heart stops or if he quits breathing. Are you in agreement with this? I have to ask because I don't want to have a problem when it happens. Cheyenne looks at the doctor and says I will honor his wishes and give him dignity in his last moments. Now if you don't have anything else my children should be arriving and I need to be there to meet them to tell them. The doctor tells Cheyenne that a nurse will come get them when they get him settled in ICU and that they will have the run of the place since there wasn't anyone else back there so they could go ahead and move to the ICU waiting room. Cheyenne thanks him and heads to the ER waiting room. Nate puts his hand on her back and she turns to him and says I can't handle you being sweet to me. I know that you are trying to help but I can't deal with it. Thank you for being here and staying with me but I'm barely holding on so please just don't. Nate just nods at her, nothing else needs to be said. He drops his hand and they walk to the waiting room.