My Baby Girl

Falling Slowly

*Ashley's POV*

"She's going to need stitches." The doctor says, after examining Everleigh's head injury.

"As far as internal injuries go, I don't see any physical symtoms, but a fall like that could really do some serious damage especially because she's so young and her brain is still developing. We need her to stay after for further examinations." The doctor yells over my daughter's shrill cries. She hasn't calmed down at all. I try to calm her down by crooning and stroking her light blonde hair. I try telling her that everything will be ok, but nothing's working. Tyler stands beside me, trying desperately to help me. Nothing is calming Everleigh down.

"We need to take her back in the operating room and give her anesthesia so she'll be out cold and completely unaware during the stitches."

"C-ca- can't you do it here?" I ask, gulping to keep from crying. I cradle my daughter in my arms.

"Unfortunantly not. At this rate, there's no possible way to calm her down, and the procedure needs to be done as soon as possible before she loses too much blood." The doctor says sadly. My mind whorles. I can't let them take my baby girl! Tyler puts his hand on my shoulder and gives it a squeeze. I hold Everleigh tight in my arms, unwilling to let go.

Nurses come flooding in with a stretcher on wheels. They try to pry Everleigh away from my grip, which launches her into more hysterics.

"No I want my mommy, I want my mommy!" She screams. Her breathing gets choppy and she struggles for air. Her sobs are cutting off her oxygen supply and make it impossible for her to breathe.

"Come on sweetie." The nurse says, attempting to take Everleigh away from me. She kicks and screams more, kicking the nurse square in the rib. I try to lay her down on the stretcher, but she clings onto my neck, refusing to let go.

"It will be ok." I reassure her. Tears blur my vision and I struggle to hold them back.

"I want my mommy!" Everleigh screams again. I try to kiss her hair which is now mostly caked in blood, and loosen the grip on her shaking hands. She screams louder than ever and reaches her hands out in a desperate attempt to grab my neck again. I watch as the nurses and doctor wheel my baby girl away.

"I want my mommy!" She screams as she disappears down the hall. The tears that threatened to come, fell freely over my cheeks. I threw my hand over my mouth and fell into Tyler's strong arms. He placed his hand on the back of my neck and pressed my head deeper into his shoulder.

"shhh." He says, his soothing voice calming me. "It's going to be alright. Everything is going to be alright."

***

tick-tick-tock the clock on the wall moves slower than ever. My elbows are against my knees and my hands are clasped together. Tyler sits beside me, his arm draped over my shoulders. I'm still wearing my dry cover up and flip flops, with my sunglasses on my head. I stare intimately at the door, waiting for someone to burst through with Everleigh.

"Ashley, she's ok." Tyler reassures me. I look up at him with tears in my eyes.

"No it's not, ok? What kind of a mother am I?" I sigh and cover my eyes with my hands. I don't want anyone to see me cry.

"Ashley, how could you say that? You're an amazing mother!" Tyler gloats.

"No I'm not." I say, and look up for a brief second.

"What kind of a mother lets her child run free like that around a pool deck? What kind of a mother let's her three year old even close to the water with out supervision?"