REDEMPTION

TWENTY SIX

And after all that we been through
There's so much to look forward to
What was done and what was said
Leave it all here in this bed with you
_______

For the first time, Baby held Beyoncé's hand without worrying whether or not it was the right or the wrong thing to do. She didn't care who saw them, who knew about their history, or who would pass judgment on the nature of their relationship. She just knew that she loved the woman next to her, and she needed her right then more than she'd ever needed anyone before.

They sat in a cold room, enveloped in a painful silence. The pungent odor of antiseptic and bleach burned Baby's nostrils, and the bright, fluorescent lights stung her weary eyes, but she didn't complain. These were the least of her worries.

A door ahead of them opened, and Beyoncé was the first one to shoot to her feet. Lifting her head, Baby stood as well, so quickly that her shoes squeaked against the shiny linoleum floors. Ginger's physician walked over to them with his head lifted but with downturned eyes that revealed more than he meant for them to.

For all of Ginger's life, Sakin had been her doctor, and throughout the years, he'd been consistently and pleasantly surprised at the fight in the young child.

Every single limitation that his research told him she should have, she'd pushed through, miraculously beating the odds. It pained his soul to see her in the current state that she was in, and it was even more gut-wrenching to have to explain to her mother that there was nothing he could do.

"It seems that Ginger has pneumonia," he said with sad eyes. "We are giving her fluids and some pain medication to keep her comfortable."

"Comfortable?" Nina repeated, stepping from behind Beyoncé as she took a step closer to the doctor. "What about something to make her better?"

Sakin pulled his lips into his mouth for a minute as he thought about the best way to deliver bad news to a family he knew had experienced more than their share of trauma over the years.

Taking a deep breath, he lifted his head and looked directly into Beyoncé's eyes but had to pause once more when he saw the hopelessness in them. Beyoncé understood before Sakin even said a word that her little girl's life was in danger... the kind of danger that she was powerless to protect her from.

"It's bacterial pneumonia which can be deadly to anyone, especially children Ginger's age," he said, sighing again. "But the thing is... the medication that Ginge takes for her cancer has her immune system severely compromised which puts her at a disadvantage to fight the bacteria in her body. This is why the sickness is taking hold so rapidly. Her health is declining at a rate much quicker than normal. Her lungs are-"

"That's enough," Beyoncé said, stopping him.

Sakin's mouth snapped closed, and Nina let out a loud sob before walking to the far corner behind them to cry in peace. Baby tried to keep her composure as much as she could, but the way that Beyoncé was grasping her hand for dear life told her that, although her expression was blank, and her demeanor seemed calm, Beyoncé's heart was breaking inside.

Using her other hand, she brushed away the tears streaming down her cheeks and tried to stay strong.

"What can you do?" Beyoncé asked the question with an even tone.

Anyone who didn't know the her would be asking themselves what kind of woman was this who could stand strong while hearing that the one person she loved more than life was suffering. But to the ones who knew Beyoncé, it was understood that this was all an act. Beyoncé was broken inside; she was just strong enough to not let it show.