Every Breath You Take : Ross and Rachel AU (Roschel)

stone cold

It had been three months and Ross was now starting another round of chemo. His hair had thinned so he had Rachel trim it down to the way it was when she had just moved to the city. With his noticeable weight loss and tired expression, you didn't need to be a genius to figure out he was sick.

Emma laid on her fathers chest, both watching some kind of cartoon on the TV that was mounted on the wall across from his hospital bed.

Rachel tapped away on her laptop, sitting at a table in front of a rather large window. About two months ago, she had decided to work from home, giving her more time with Ross and their daughter. Now being the sole provider for her family, Rachel worked hard. Even though her salary was six digits, the hospital bills had piled up. She was too stubborn to admit it but she was exhausted. The young woman that shopped and went out for brunches with her friends and co-workers was now working full time. When she wasn't working, she attended to Ross or Emma. When she wasn't doing either, she was cooking, cleaning, or running errands.

"Mommy!"

"Hold on baby girl. Mommy's doing something." Rachel didn't even lift her gaze from her screen as she continued typing up an email.

"You need something Princess?" Ross asked.

"I wanna go get ice cream. Mommy can we go get ice cream?" After several trips to the hospital, Emma had taken quite a liking to the soft serve ice cream from the downstairs café. Finally pressing send, Rachel walked over to the bed.

"Emmy, why don't we go after Daddy's done taking his medicine?" Rachel offered, brushing the hair away from her daughter's face and tucking it behind her ear.

"But, Mommy!" she whined.

"Emma I already told you—"

"Go ahead. I'll be fine." Ross cut in. Emma lifted her arms and was lifted up onto her mother's hip.

"Are you sure Honey?" Rachel asked, caressing his cheek. The metal of her engagement ring felt cool against his skin. They both agreed they would have a wedding when Ross got a clean bill of health.

"Yeah, you both go. In plus, I think Mommy needs a break from work too huh Em?" Even with his pounding headache, he still managed to put on a smile for his daughter.

"Okay. We'll be back baby." Rachel bent over to place a kiss on his forehead. "Let's go babe." She set her daughter down and took her hand. Ross watched the both of them exit his room, catching a glimpse of the little girl in the white flats and a floral romper, walking next to the woman in the nude Mary-Janes, blush pencil skirt, and white blouse. His little girl and his woman.

~~~

"Mommy I want sprinkles too!"

"Okay Emmy. Can I add rainbow sprinkles?"

"Here you go miss." The young man behind the counter handed Rachel the small bowl of ice cream. He seemed young enough to have been a volunteer from high school. She smiled at him. It was when he collected her five dollar bill she noticed he looked like Ross in high school— minus the afro and mustache. He had the same brown eyes and they seemed to have been the same height. "Keep the change." She insisted just as he was about to hand her three dollars.

"Thank you." Rachel smiled as her daughter waved to the cashier. She was very much a social butterfly like Rachel.

"Do you like your ice cream baby girl?" Emma nodded with a mouth full of ice cream. A regular five year old would have their face covered with ice cream but, Emma was careful to not get it anywhere but her mouth. She got that from Monica. "Alright let's go back to Daddy." Rachel walked with her daughter to the elevator.

The elevator opened up to the oncology wing of the large hospital. She knew all the ins and outs of this floor by now. The names of the nurses, the location of every room and every bathroom— even the smell of hand sanitizer and latex wasn't even present anymore since she had gotten so used to it. She was used to the rhythmic beeping of machines and rolling of carts or gurneys. Walking back to Ross's room, which was a little far from the elevator, she watched as nurses rush down the hallway she was headed to, causing her to pull her daughter aside, letting them pass smoothly.

She had felt her heart drop, not noticing where they were headed before.

Ross's room.

"Mommy what's happening?" Rachel didn't respond. She only started running towards his room, Emma following close behind. "Mommy!"

"W-what's happening?" She had tears cascading down her face when she saw Ross's body thrashing in his bed. A tall male nurse stopped Rachel at the door before she could enter.

"Ma'am he had a seizure. I need you to wait outside." He closed the door in front of her face.

Rachel slowly made her way to a chair, nearly tripping on her heels. She dropped down, tears still streaming down her face. "Mommy what happened to Daddy. Why are there people in there but not us. Mommy is Daddy okay?"

"I don't know baby girl."

~~~

Soooo I'm a little more than halfway done with this story. I have another story in the works (I have three chapters done already). Not sure if I'll publish it— maybe if I can think and plan the whole storyline. ALSO I'm debating whether or not to make a sequel or alternate ending of this story once it's done or just leave it as is.

Thanks for reading! x
YG