Until The End

It'll Be Okay

We get up and walk around the mall a little more and go back to the car.

As we drive home, she sits there quietly.

"Everything okay?"

"Yeah I was just thinking."

"About what?"

"The baby."

"We can't have it anymore."

"I know. I was just thinking of names."

"We could always try again after you get better."

She smiles.

"We'll try after I get better."

She holds my hand.

"It would've been nice."

"I know, babe."

She sighs.

"What names were you thinking of?"

"Maddison, Charlotte, Rose, Sophia."

"I like Sophia."

"I do too."

"When you get better, we'll have our baby and we'll name her Sophia."

"Okay, baby."

We drive a little longer, in silence.

"Does your tattoo hurt?"

"Not too bad, I've had worse."

She laughs.

"So what's the meaning of it? The words?"

"Do you know the story behind the Cherokee rose?"

"I do not."

"Well when the Spaniards took over and made the natives walk across the desert. The mothers would lose their children along the way because of starvation or just heat exhaustion. So the mothers would cry and the elders would make prayers for them, and it's said that their tears fell and flowers grew from where their tears landed, the Cherokee rose. So my tattoo means that whenever there is a tragedy, there is something beautiful to be found."

I kiss her hand.

"I love it."

She smiles.

We pull into the driveway and I park the car.

We get out and go inside.

She sits on the couch and turns on the tv.

"Do you need anything?"

"I'm fine, babe."

"I'll be in my study. Holler if you need me."

"Will do."

She flips through the channels.

I go into my study and turn on the computer.

I start typing my next case when I hear "babe" faintly and a soft thud.

I go back to the living room.

I see her on the floor, in pain.

"Babe, are you okay?"

I pick her up and hold her for a minute, no response.

I go back to the car and put her in and drive as fast as possible to the hospital.

I pull up again and run inside to find a nurse.

"Help me, please!"

A nurse comes out with a wheelchair and we put her in it.

I go to park the car and run back to the emergency room.

I go by my wife's side as they try to revive her. I squeeze her hand.

"Don't leave me now, please."

She starts breathing again.

She gasps for air and squeezes my hand.

"We'll need to put her back on chemo, the cells are responding towards her body in a negative way."

"Anything we need to do, we'll do."

They move her to her old room and the nurse puts the IV in again.

She sits there, quietly.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine."

"How do you feel?"

"Like shit."

"I'm sorry, baby. I wish I could take your pain away."

"I do too."

She turns her head away.

I kiss her hand.

"Daryl could you go get me some water, please?"

"Yeah babe. I'll be right back."

I walk down to the cafeteria to buy some water.

"Sorry son, you'll need to go home. Visiting hours are over."

I rush back to her room to see her asleep.

I write a note and put it by her flowers.

"I'll see you tomorrow morning. I love you."

I leave the note and close the door softly.

I hear her say "Daryl."

I open the door again and see her reading the note.

"Yeah babe?"

"It'll be okay."

She smiles.

I quickly go over to give her a quick kiss on the forehead.

I close the door and walk back to my car.