Stay Together For The Kids - Michael Clifford Fanfiction

Drugs.

"Is my daughter ok?" I demand.

The police officers glance at each other and my stomach does a back flip.
No. Please god no.

"Ma'am. Could you please identify that you are Mrs. Lily Clifford?" The other officer says, ignoring my question.

I remember how this goes. I vaguely remember the same questions been asked when Ruby had been taken to hospital. God, I can't believe this was happening again.

"Yes, yes I am." I nod, barely breathing.

"Ma'am my name is officer Jacobs and this is my partner, officer Malone." He gestures to his partner.

"Could we please come in?" He asks. I swing open the door, my hand shaking as I hear their boots thud heavily on the soft carpet.

"Where's my daughter?" I ask again, closing the door.

The officer ignores my question again.

"Is there a place we could talk?" The officer Malone asks.

I point my shaking hand over the couch, and follow them over to it.
I know I should be offering them something. Tea, coffee. I can't seem to get the words out.

I sit down on the couch, the officers following suit. The coffee I had been so eager to drink earlier stays on the table.

"What's going on?" I manage to croak out, still staring at the mug.

The officer takes a deep breath. Oh no, I can tell what is coming. My stomach clenches as I brace myself for the worst.

"Mrs. Clifford," Officer Mahone starts, "your husband was found dead this afternoon in his hotel room. I'm so sorry."

The words seem to be coming at me from far away. My breath shortens, the words starting to form in my head. My husband. Dead. I look up and the world has started spinning, slow and confusing, my head not quite understanding anything. It is only when I feel my heart explode that I fully understand what I've just been told.

"No." I shake my head. "No. This can't be true, I saw him this morning." I say, my breathing quickening. No. It's not true.

I look to the police officers, but they don't say anything.

"Please." I trail off. My voice has resigned to a beg, and that is what I am doing. Begging them to tell me different, for them to tell me it is all a joke. It's then I realise I am crying.

No. No. God no. I'm saying things out loud but the officers say nothing. I need them to tell me something, anything. But they say nothing. All I can repeat to myself is the word no. I can't believe it. I won't believe it.

"We're so sorry for your loss." I hear someone say. An arm closes around me and I start shaking, my tears becoming heaves, my breath becoming hitched. The pain ripping through every nerve ending in my body. No. No.

And then I'm screaming. I'm screaming from the pain shredding through every part of me. I'm screaming through the gushing tears that are spilling out violently. I'm screaming from the fear, the absolute terrified voices in my head. But mostly I am screaming for Michael. Because I need him to hear me right now.

I rock into the person holding me, and they hold me while I beg for something no one is giving to me. I try to control myself, but it is all blurry. My emotions, my visions, it is one haze.

I'm still violently crying when the police officer speaks again.

"You need to come to the hospital to verify him." He says quietly.