Beyond the Black Curtain

Chapter 49

We're almost at the end! I'm posting the next one after this as it came up a little short to my liking. Anyway, sorry for the lack of updates, September was quite literally so busy for me and I'm only now catching up to things. ENJOY!

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"She's flatlining! Get that baby out of here now!" Dr. Isabelle Sanders screamed, her blonde locks straying back to her tense face. Sebastian just stood there, his hand falling limp to his side, the one that was just holding her fiancé's as she was pushing their child out. The sounds around the room tunneled in his ear and the next thing he knew he was being pulled out and into the hallway just outside of the delivery room.

A nurse gently grabs his arm and guides him to sit, explaining to him what just happened. He nods but not really hearing what he's being told. He vaguely hears Chris and Scarlett talk as well but nothing really registers in his brain right now save for the soothing hands that go up and down his back.

"I'm sorry but I have to go back inside," the nurse apologetically says. "Will Mr. Stan be alright?"

Chris nods and gives her a reassuring small smile. "We got him," he responds. "You need to help save his fiancé back there. Thank you." With one last nod, the nurse scurries back to the delivery room. Chris returns to a private area where Seb and Scar were to find Sebastian now sobbing quietly as Scar held him. She looks at him helplessly, also on the verge of tears herself.

"Chris," Scarlett calls out and he quickly closes the few feet between them to sit beside his close friend. Sebastian senses Chris beside him and turns to look at him through red rimmed eyes. The slightly taller guy puts a hand on his shoulder and gives it a gentle squeeze.

"She's still in there. She's a tough one, you know that," Chris says with full determination.

Sebastian nods. He desperately wanted to believe Chris but he was just too terrified. His emotions must have clearly shown on his face based on Chris' reaction.

"Rae will pull through man, she will. She's going to be wheeled out of that delivery room and the next time you'll see her she's holding your baby in her arms," Chris said, his voice full of conviction. Sebastian nods again and gives his friends hopeful looks.

"Do you need anything from your apartment?" Scarlett asks. Sebastian shakes his head and looks at the hallway outside leading to where his fiancé was being revived at the moment.

"I just need her, Scar. I just need her to be alright."

"Come on, Rae, come on!" Isabelle mutters fiercely under her breath as the medical staff around her shuffles frantically, the desperation in their movements evident. They couldn't let the woman on the table die.

Isabelle Sanders couldn't let Sebastian Stan's fiancé die.

"CLEAR!" A nurse shouts and everyone backs away from the table. The defibrillator jolts Rae's body up but the monitor is still showing no pulse. Another nurse starts another round of CPR before another shock of electricity is administered.

Rae's embattled OB starts panicking internally but she couldn't show the fear in her face. Instead, she grabs the two plates from the nurse and orders the charge to be increased. She screams 'clear' once more and offers a silent prayer that Rae's life be spared for the beautiful child she just brought to the world.

"Are you absolutely sure we can't get you anything? It's been twelve hours, Seb. You only had coffee since we arrived, and that was this morning," Chris implores, obviously worried about his friend. Sebastian only shakes his head a little and slumps back in the chair.

"I'm fine, Chris. I need to be here. I need to be here when Dr. Sanders comes back," Sebastian responds quietly. Chris nods solemnly before saying a quick goodbye, reassuring him he'll be back after a few hours to keep him company.

He lets out a huge breath before raking his hands over his head, he should be sitting beside Rae in her bed, cooing and being absolutely giddy about their baby. He hadn't been allowed to see yet, but he was told that she was a beautiful girl with hair as dark as her mother's and eyes as blue as her father's. His heart ached at the need to see the females in his life. Fighting back the onslaught of tears, he rummaged through the bag he prepared for Rae. He felt something that seemed like a book and when he pulled it out to see, he was surprised to find it was Rae's diary that she had let him read yesterday. He opens it to an earmarked page, his curiosity urging him to find what's so special about that entry.

12/15/18, 1:35 AM

This ninja munchkin decided it wanted to keep me up and so here I am, killing time by letting my baby do flips and somersaults inside my tummy while I write and occasionally listen to my fiancé's random snores. My fiancé. Wow. That is some crazy shit right there. It still feels surreal that he did propose earlier. Like ...am I in a dream or something? Am I really going to be Mrs. Sebastian Stan in the near future? The ring sitting on the bedside seems to agree with me. Hearing Seb tell me how I have been anchoring him made all of the challenges of the last few months insignificant now. I definitely do want more kids with him down the line, I just was a little shocked that out of the two of us he's the first one to express that desire openly. I guess that comes with growing up as an only child. Well, I for one can't wait for that day when we would sit outside, watching our children play in the backyard. For now, it looks like this particular child has felt Dada isn't going anywhere and decided to calm down. I should get some sleep as well, Sebastian's starting to murmur things and if he realizes I'm not laying down he'll have a fit. Good night. XOXO

Sebastian didn't realize he was in tears after reading that particular entry. He didn't know he was sobbing quietly to himself when a hand gingerly lay on his shoulder. He looked up and saw Dr. Sanders smiling tentatively at him.

"What is taking them so long?" Scarlett gritted out. There had been no updates for about an hour now and she and Chris have been growing more and more anxious every passing second. Beside the pair, Sebastian had grown inexplicably quiet, his head down with his elbows propped above his knees. Scarlett takes a cleansing breath as Chris runs a soothing hand up and down her back, causing her to lay a hand gently on Sebastian's shoulder.

"I'm sorry," she spoke quietly, looking at her friend. Sebastian tilts his head to the side to look at her. His lips curl up into a sad yet understanding smile. Despite the uncertainty that Rae's situation held, he felt reassured by the company of his dearest friends who were currently by his side.

"Sebastian?" Another hand touches his shoulder. He straightens up to find Dr. Sanders looking at her with an expression he can't decipher. She asks to speak with him privately, leading the way to a vacant consultation room just down the hall.

"What is it?" Sebastian asks anxiously, wringing his hands as he looked expectantly at the doctor.

It was Chris who first notices Sebastian coming out of the room. He could feel his heart hammering in his chest in nervousness about what Rae's doctor had told his friend. It had been half an hour since they talked and all Chris wanted were answers about how Rae's condition. He barely notices how Scar had gripped his hand when Sebastian finally approached them.

Sebastian was still trying to process everything Dr. Sanders told him, but the most important thing was that his Rae, the mother of his child was alive and safe. She explained and apologized profusely about how she wasn't able to find out earlier about Rae's heart problem that had been exacerbated by the pregnancy. Her heart stopped for about a good thirty seconds after she delivered but they were able to revive her. He'd been advised they'd be monitoring Rae overnight and that they could visit her sometime in the afternoon the following day.

All three friends were quietly sobbing with relief as they hugged, the nightmare they did not expect was now finally over.