The Book of Us

Midnight Trauma

Nathan and I dance out of sight, behind the band, just slowly, blocking out the world.
When the 'grand dance' ends we sit back down.
At the after party i get my second taste of champagne. This stuff is better. It like eating a bubble-mint chocolate, but better, nothing else notable happens that night and I'm very tired by the time jwe all go home.
I go back the Graces place to spend the night.

*****

That night, there was a scream. And blood. And a siren. There were tears involved as well. It was all so quick. How's it happened? Kirsten's screams ring out in the silence of night at about 11:30pm Grace and I were the first to wake up, seeing her on a pool of blood in her bed. I called an ambulance while Grace calmed Kirsten down a bit. Mark and Nathan have both come to and are trying to help.

"Hello this is emergency services. How may I help you?" The lady's calm voice chimed out of the phone. So calm I wanted to stab her. So calm that I wanted to slap her and tell her that bad things happen and she should realise that.

"Hi umm... my friends step-mum has woken up bleeding and we don't know what has happened."I frantically say back to her.

"I need you to calm down and tell me your address, so that we can send an ambulance and then tell me where she's bleeding."

"We are at 11 Wilson street, Jandakot."

"Ok an ambulance is on its way. Where is she bleeding,"

"Somewhere on her lower body. None of us can really tell."

"Could she be pregnant?"

"Yes. She's about two and a half months pregnant."

"You must promise me you WILL NOT tell her what I'm about to tell you. Do you promise? Because stress can make the bleeding worse"

"Yes" I'm getting really scared now. And I'm shivering.

"She may be having a miscarriage. Has the ambulance arrived yet?" She says. Changing the subject quickly. I have no words. I just stare at Grace. Kirsten has calmed down considerably now.

"Not yet" I tell the woman on the other side of the line. I hear sirens and the ambulance pulls up outside the house. "It's here" my wavery voice says into the receiver.

"Be ready to let the paramedics in so they can get her in the ambulance." She says and then hangs up to take another call. I go down to the front of the house and wait

It takes an unbearably long time for the paramedics to carry Kirsten into the back of the ambulance. They let Mr. Edgley in after her, but before the doors shut he shouts to us to stay at home and not to do anything stupid.
"Well it's just us and our non-stupid ideas of keeping our minds busy. Any ideas?" Grace asks.
"Forget it" Nathan mutters and leaves to go to his room

*****

The next morning, Mr Edgley come back to the house tired with puffy eyes, like he's been crying. It's an rainy, awful day, especially for late September. "She's gone, dead". Mr Edgley says, wiping his eyes.
"Mum!" Nathan shouts "No!" He punches the wall, leaving a hole in it.
"There was some complications with the baby," Mr Edgley stutters through tears, "she went into an early labour. The baby got stuck and she died, the baby is in intensive care." Grace in silent throughout his all, she looks like she's about to throw up.
"The baby lived..." I'm not sure if she asking a question or making a statement but she then runs into her her dad's arms and starts to cry, Nathan is crying too, although he's trying to hide it. I start to cry with them. Why does this happen, how can a woman die on the eve of her wedding. How? I wrap my arms around Nathan. And we just stay there a while. All of us crying. Just there.
"Go to the hospital," Nathan whispers. He pulls away and holds me by the shoulders so tightly it hurts, and I'm scared he's gone insane. "Go to the hospital and see her, Mum wanted her to be named Annalise. Tell them that. I need to go," he's so fast that I barely make sense of it all. Then her runs to his room, taking his phone and calling someone. "Ruben? It's Nathan meet me..." I don't hear the rest of it.

If I knew what was going to happen that night, I would've stopped him, I would've begged him to stay and come to see Annalise with me and Grace, begged that he didn't leave me. At least told him not to be so stupid. But I didn't know, so I couldn't.