When He Walks By

Chapter 14

Chapter 14:

Jake sped down the street. I kept looking at my phone, hoping someone would call back and tell me that Ava and Mom were alright.

Little did I know that they never would.

We arrived at the hospital at precisely 3:36 p.m., 3 minutes after we had left school. I rushed in the emergency entrance and ran up to the front desk. I started to speak, but the receptionist (who was on the phone) put up a finger.

Appalled, I screamed. "GET OFF YOUR PHONE, YOU LITTLE SHI-" I stopped when Jake put his hand on my shoulder, implying someone was there.

"I'm assuming you are Beatrice?" Dr. Freeman asked.

"Damn right I am." I said proudly.

"If you'd like to come with me, we can talk." I nodded my head and followed him to a room with two couches and a TV. We sat down and Dr. Freeman started talking.

"Beatrice, Ava and your mom were in a fatal car crash."

Fatal.

"Your mom is on life support, but we don't think she has much longer. We are in the process of doing an emergency c-section on Ava, so we haven't quite gotten a chance to check on her well-being."

At this point, I was bawling. Tears streamed from my face and I just wanted to throw something. I picked up my fist and Jake pulled me in, reminding me of what was in this world. I didn't hear anything, but Jake helped me stand up and walk to the ICU to see my mom. We went into the room and I ran to my mom. She turned her head just enough to see me.

"Bea." She half whispered.

"Mom." I said, glad she could still say goodbye.

"I'm so sorry. I don't want to leave you."

"I don't want you to leave either." I said, sobbing once again. I grabbed her hand and sat by her bed. I stroked her hand and told her how I loved her. We stayed like that for a while.

"Goodbye, my darling, in case I don't see you again. I love you so much."

"Goodbye, Mom. I love you too."

Mom's heart monitor went flat, and I bawled. I hugged her and ran over to Jake. He hugged me and said it would be alright. But at this point it didn't feel like it. Even though I somehow knew Mom had signed the Do Not Resuscitate papers, I wanted them to do something.

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I walked down to the emergency room that Ava was in with Dr. Freeman. After putting on scrubs, I went in with her. I walked in right as they pulled out the little baby. She immediately started crying, and I fell in love. The doctors handed the baby to me, because, according to them, "Ava was not well enough to hold her."

I sat with the baby as doctors rushed Ava to a different room. I held her for a while until a doctor came in.

"Hi Beatrice. Good news and bad news. The bad news, we had to amputate Ava's left leg. The good news, she will live."

Although I was mourning my mother, I was glad Ava would live. I was glad I would still have Ava with me. I was also glad we had a new member of the family.

But I knew deep down that she would not be a part of the family for very long.