The Prime Minister and Her

My Wife

Carlton smiled when he heard the sounds of his wife and daughter's laughter coming from down the hall. He had just popped out for a minute to grab himself some coffee and Dani some yogurt. When he walked into the hospital room, he saw Dani giggling as Cassie tiredly tickled her stomach. 

"Alright, I think it's time for mummy to sleep," he said, as he set down the breakfast at a table. "Oh, no, Carlton, it's fine," Cassie tried to tell him, but her droopy eyes were giving her away. He hummed, then told her, "No, time for a nap."

He took Dani from the bed, then sat down next to Cassie with her in his lap. "Say night, night to mummy," he told her. She gave a tiny wave and said, "N'a ma." She's been getting to say "ma" recently and it's made Cassie incredibly happy. 

"Night, baby. I love you," she said. She ran her hands over Dani's cheeks and arms and started tearing up, but Carlton didn't notice. "I'll wake you up in an hour, love," he told her. She nodded, but as he was getting up, she said, "Carlton."

He looked back at her and said told him, "Yesterday was one of the greatest days of my life." He smiled and told her, "Mine, too. Go to sleep and you and Dani can play later." Dani waved at her mommy as Carlton carried her over to the table and Cassie waved back. 

For the next hour, Carlton drank his coffee and fed Dani yogurt, while also reading the paper. When his phone alarm went off, saying it was time to wake his new wife, he got up and sat down next to her on the bed. 

"Hey, sleeping beauty," he said, "time to wake up." He moved his hand over her head, but she didn't wake. "Mrs. Carlton," he chuckled, "it's time to wake up and eat something. Come on, darling."

He took her hand...but she didn't take it back. As a matter of fact, she wasn't moving at all. "Cass," he said, putting his hand to her cheek. "Cassie. Hey, wake up." He lightly shook her. "Cass...Cassie, please..."

His heart started hammering in his chest. "N-No," he whispered with tears falling down his cheeks. "Cassie, don't do this to me!" She stayed motionless. Lifeless. He let out the most horrific sob, then just yelled from the top of his lungs. 

Dani started crying, but Carlton didn't hear her. He had his face buried in Cassie's unmoving chest letting out the most gut wrenching sobs. "No, you can't leave me!" He sobbed. A few nurses barged in and saw the scene in front of them. 

One went over to Cassie and the other to Dani. Carlton sat back enough to where they could check her vitals...but the nurse sadly shook her head and told him, "I'm sorry." The confirmation just seemed to shock him because he sat there completely stunned. 

"Mr. Carlton?" The nurse softly asked. She turned to Cassie and was about to put the blanket over her face, but Carlton suddenly barked, "Don't touch her! Don't you dare touch her!" The nurse backed away, then quickly went to go get the doctor. 

"Cassie," Carlton whimpered. "Cassie, no. No. No. No. No." He got in the bed with her and held her close to him. "Cassie, please. Please. Wake up, baby, wake up." He kept begging her and begging her to wake up. 

But she never did. 

He ended up holding her for over an hour. He was talking to her as if she were still alive, but the doctor was telling the nurses it was a coping mechanism. 

"What am I going to do, what am I going to do?" He asked her. "I can't live in this world without you, I can't. We only got married yesterday, how am I--...how am I suppose to...oh, God." He started crying again.