I'm Not the Only One

The Truth

-Alex's POV-

Alex couldn't believe how Maks was acting.

They were a family...all of them! Why didn't Maks tell any of them?

The baby...how far along was she?

This is the one time in his life where he needs us most and he won't let us help.

He's always been this way though, so emotionally shut out from everyone.

He's always been so stubborn.

Would the baby have been this stubborn too?

-Val's POV-

Here I am sitting in the back of the cop car when the cop comes to me and says "Well Mr. Chmer...kov...skiy, there is no reason to arrest you".

I walk back into the hospital, head hung low, when I see Maks and Alex arguing.

"Why didn't you tell us?!" Alex yelled, his eyes filling with tears.

"Because!" Maks retorted back, his face reddening.

"We're your family..." Alex trailed off.

"Yeah I know, but that doesn't matter! Val shouldn't have even told you! We were discussing it in her hospital room when he walked in and we told him not to tell anyone! We wanted to just let the idea and dream of our baby die away...just like she did!" Maks said, his voice rising.

It was true.

I was still a little drunk, but they do say the truth always comes out when you're drunk.

I remember it was just a few hours ago in the hospital room.

"Look Mer, I think we should just let the baby go. We shouldn't make everyone more upset than they already are" Maks whispered to Meryl.

"Yeah, ok...whatever you want to do" Meryl said quietly, her eyes filling with tears.

"Um...hey guys..." Val said, pausing in the doorway.

"Oh hey Val...did you hear any of that?" Maks asked nervously.

"Uh yeah, just the part about the baby" Val quietly said.

"Well...ok Val, here's the truth. Meryl was pregnant... with a little girl. We had decided on her middle name the night after semi-finals. Her middle name was going to be Larissa after Mama. We were thinking of her name being Valentina... to honor you. But unfortunately the bullet went right through her tiny heart" Maks said as he started to sob.

"How...how far along?" Val asked quietly, all while turning pale.

"8 weeks" Meryl whispered.

"Oh man...what...oh shit...I'm a murderer!" Val cried while collapsing into a heap of sobs.

"Val...it wasn't your fault. I think we were all a little drunk that night-" Meryl began.

"But I was so drunk...I didn't even know what I did!" Val cut her off.

"Val, there are some things in life that are meant to happen for a reason. Maybe I wasn't meant to have children of my own. Maybe in the future I can save a child's life by adopting, or have a surrogate! It wasn't your fault Val, and I forgive you" Meryl calmly said.

"I ruined your family..." he said turning to Maks.

"Look bro, I know it was an accident. Like Meryl said, we can always adopt or have a surrogate... it wasn't your fault" Maks said reassuringly.

"I would've been an uncle..." Val said while starting to sob again.

"You still can be Val. You'll be the best damn uncle ever. Now, cheer up shrimp. I think you've done enough crying for our whole group. And I think Meryl wants to talk to you while I go to the waiting room with the others, ok?" Maks said jokingly.

"Yeah, ok bro. And I'm not a shrimp. I just take after Mama" Val replied back, smiling.

-Val's POV-

I walked over to Alex as Maks left and put my arm around him.

"Hey Val...they didn't take you in?" Alex asked sniffling.

"No, they said there was no reason to" I said quietly.

"Why...why didn't he tell us?" Alex asked quietly.

"I...I don't know. I just found out a few hours ago myself. I think Maks-and Meryl-need time to cope with the loss...they didn't want anyone else to get more upset than they already are" I explained.

"Oh" said Alex, "what...what was the gender?".

So I told him.

The gender.

The possible first name and the middle name.

How far along.

How she died.

How I could've been an uncle.

There was a moment of silence between us.

"Man, that's rough" was all he could say.

We sat there, in the hospital hallway, hugging each other and crying over the loss of little baby Chmerkovskiy, who was up in the good lord's arms now, watching down on all of us.

Then we saw the doctor and his team run past us down the hallway.

"GET A STRETCHER! ROOM 018! WE NEED TO TRANSPORT HER TO THE OPERATING ROOM STAT!" Dr. Fast yelled.

Room 018 was Meryl's room.

Alex and I looked at each other, got up, and ran after the doctor and his team.

When we got to Meryl's room, we ran into Maks in the hallway.

He was sitting on the floor, holding his head against his knees and crying.

Without looking up, he said "she's having breathing problems. One minute I'm talking to her, the next minute she starts gasping for breath and she can't breath. Something is wrong...in her lungs. She's going into surgery...and they're putting her into a medically induced coma...and on life support" Maks said quietly, struggling to get the sentence out.

Life support.

I ran down the hallway.

I can't do this right now.

She has to live!

I ran past the Operating Room entrance.

The last thing I saw before I blacked out was Meryl being wheeled away into surgery.

-To Be Continued-