A little too late

Chapter 64

I frantically run into the emergency room. Jack has to be okay. He has to be. I keep repeating that phrase over to myself in my head. What if he’s hurt? Or worse, what if he’s dead?

I run over to the receptionist.

“I need to see Jack Harries” I demand urgently.

She looks at me up and down, “You family?”

I start to worry for a moment but then relax when I realise that I don’t need to lie about my identity.

“I’m married to him” I spit out at her. Once again she looks at me from head to toe. I know what she’s thinking, I’m too young to be married. I flash her my ring finger to hurry her up.

She bites her lip and pulls a frown before muttering, “Wait here”. Bitch. How does she not see the urgency of this situation?

She gets out of her chair and wobbles off to a back room. I bite my lip and look around me impatiently. I’m surrounded by crying children and people with bones sticking out. The thought of all these people being injured makes me sick. And through it all, I just can’t help but think, one of these people may be responsible for hurting my boy Jack.

My thoughts are put at ease when I see Finn run up to me. He’s talking to the nurse at the same time and I hear him cursing at her.

“Yes that’s his fucking wife” He tells her off. He grabs my hand and pulls me through the corridors. We leave the nurse behind which honestly doesn’t bother me.

As we practically run to Jack’s room, I ask Finn, “What happened Finn? He was in a car accident? Is he okay? How bad is he hurt? When can we get him out of this place?””

He’s taken a back by my million questions. He tries to remember what I asked but he forgets. His face is stressed and worried. I can tell that he’s been crying and that makes me question the severity of this car accident.

“A car hit him while he was on his penny board. Stella, you need to see him, now!” Finn says urgently, not even answering my questions. I curse out loud. Why the hell was he penny boarding?

Finn pulls me around another corner and I finally see Rebecca sitting outside a room crying. I immediately panic and look over to Finn. I look back over to Rebecca. Standing across from her is a man that I’ve never seen before. Likewise to Rebecca, his face is in his hands and he is crying. He glances up for a second and the resemblance hits me immediately.  I look at Jack’s father for a good minute. He looks so much like his sons it’s actually ridiculous. He doesn’t say anything and Finn doesn’t bother to introduce us. Instead, Finn pulls me into a random room.

The moment I walk in my heart shatters. Lying on the bed is my baby. His leg is up in a sling and his arms are both plastered up. I can barely see his beautiful face behind all the cuts and bruises. His eyes are completely swollen and I can tell that he is struggling to keep them over let alone breathe. Sitting by his side is his little sister. She’s talking to him about how much she loves him. Her words break my heart. I can tell that for her sake, he is trying to stay awake and listen.

When we walk in, Finn interrupts her.

“You ready to go outside?” He asks her as he walks up to her. Jack tries to turn his head to find where the voice is coming from but the pain is too much. Instead, he closes his eyes and a tear strolls down his face.

“Stella?” He mutters out in pain. He waits for Finn to reply as he is not aware that I’m in the building. Finn moves away from his little sister and comes to me. He grabs my hand and pulls my hand towards Jack as he tells Jack, “She’s here Jack”.

I walk over to Jack shaking. I put my hand on him and make sure he can see me. Even though tears are streaming down my face, I give him a supportive smile.

“I’m right here baby” I reassure him. His face lights up. I almost forget that we aren’t alone but then Finn speaks up.

“Say bye to Jack” He tells his little sister. His little sister bursts out into tears. She walks up to Jack and kisses him on the cheek.

“I love you Jack” She repeats over to him. I smile at how much his little sister loves him. She will be seeing him soon but she still reminds him that she loves him. It’s just beautiful.

She finally lets go of him and runs over to Finn. He picks up his little sister and she cries in his arms. Finn starts to walk out but then stops and touches Jack’s leg.

“I love you man” He tells Jack. I look at Finn strangely. Why is everyone telling Jack they love him?

I barely hear it, but Jack replies, “And I love you”.

This brings tears to Finn’s eyes and he storms out with his little sister in his arms. I stand there awkwardly for a moment before I then grab a chair and move to sit next to him.

“Does it hurt?” I ask him. I’m half afraid of his answer and I think he can tell that from the sound of my voice.

He doesn’t even answer my question but he gets straight to the point, “Stella, I don’t have much time. You need to hear what I have to say”

He struggles to talk and I feel like telling him to shut and rest. But to be honest, I’m curious as to what he has to say. Finally, I process what he just said and ask him a question.

“Wait, what do you mean you have not much time?” I ask. I start to cry as I start to realise the answer to my own question.

“No” I repeat over and over as the reality hits me.

“No, Jack, no” I beg of him. He doesn’t reply and I realise that I’m right.

“Don’t think about it Stella, it hurts less that way” He tells me. I cry and grab on to him. He winces as I tighten my grip and I realise that I’m just causing him more pain.

“Jack, you’re going to die, how can that not hurt me?” I state the obvious. I finally say out loud what I’d been thinking and the very thought kills me. I burst out in tears once again. I can’t lose him.

I watch as his eyes tighten in pain. This causes me more pain and I cry even harder.

“You can’t leave me” I beg of him.

He tries to shake his head but stops when he realises that it only causes more pain.

“Listen to me, you’re going to be alright. You will be alright” He repeats over to me.

“Not without you” I remind him.

Once again, he struggles to talk, “No, Stella, you can’t say that! You’re going to go on and live. You need to, for our baby”

I clutch my stomach as I think of the baby. At the moment, it’s the least of my worries. When I don’t say anything, he continues to talk.

“I don’t care whose it is Stella. Whether it was truly mine or not, I would raise that child as my own. You’re baby is my baby and that baby needs it’s mother. Do you understand me Stella?” He says.

“And it’s father. The baby needs its father. I need its father.” I tell him, practically begging him not to go.

“No, Stella, don’t say that. Just listen. I love you with all my heart. You are my everything, never forget that. But I’m going to go. The accident, it was bad. And I won’t make it. But you know what, you will. And you need to live. And move on. Stella, you have such a bright future ahead of you. And for our baby, you need to be strong. Promise me that you’ll be strong Stella?” He begs of me.

I finally understand what he needs to hear. I look at him with tears in my eyes. I don’t want to have to let him go, but when I see him in pain I can see it’s my only choice. And more than this, I can see that he wants the best for me and the baby.

I swallow my gut and whisper, “Yes, I promise”

He finally smiles at me. Through all his pain, he manages to give me one last cheeky smile. The thought breaks my heart.

“I love you” He whispers to me. I quickly repeat over his words and his smile grows a little bigger. And with that, he slowly closes his eyes for the last time.