The Black

Prologue:

"Doctor Hanson to room 206, I repeat: Doctor Hanson to room 206" The voice reverberated over the hospital PA system and echoed in the hospital throughout. Doctor Hanson marched down the marble hallways of the hospital, holding his papers in one hand and the other brushing through his dark brown hair. So many people's lives intertwined in this one place. All brought together in such cruel chaos where one second a life can so easily come to an abrupt end, and in another... new life brought into that very same world. Tears of sorrow over a lost loved one while next room over tears of joy over the new addition to the family. Doctor Hanson entered the brightly lit room 206 at Cadence Medical Center, where luckily it was the latter. A storm like no other was raging fiercely against the room's thin glass window. Nothing but pure darkness outside made the drumming rain and flashes of lightning emanating from outside of it that much more jarring.

The soon to be new mother lay in the room's bed with her husband holding her hand. The occupants of the room and the storm outside going back and forth raging over one another. Between the couple, nurses, assistants, machines, and the newly arrived doctor, the mood was currently set to tumultuous. An extremely standard circus when dealing with the gift of life. She was giving birth to the couple's first child and had already been in labor now for going on 8 hours. She had decided against having an epidural birth and was now feeling the full effects of nearly an entire nighttime of pain. A shriek coming out of her mouth followed by the tightening grip on her husband's supportive hand. He gripped back ensuring her he was there and with her to the end as the doctor was shouting various commands.

She heard the words barely. Trying her best to keep it together through all the pain, the storm, and the overwhelming sense of her life changing literally in front of her. "Push Mrs.Madison! we're almost there! We've almost got her, we just need you for one last push!" Words that were extensively more than needed to heard. All she needed was "push" and had no care in the world what came after. That alone was enough and all she was clinging to at this moment.

Another bolt of lightning, almost as if symbolizing her last final effort of strength and giving her the power she desperately needed for her final push. Everybody's eyes glued to the current situation and moments later, the result of the couple's love, hopes and dreams now breathing its first gasps of life. As the new baby was being wrapped up, everything in the room settled for the first time in what felt like forever. Everything subsided including the storm outside and now the child's cries brought life to the silence of room 206.

The new mother and baby now shared tears, not yet knowing just how much one meant to the other. Mother and father embraced each other as they waited to finally hold what would feel like the entire world in their arms. "We did it babe... YOU did it..." the father exclaimed while rubbing his tired eyes and meaning every single world. Slightly startled as one of the assistants finally appeared in front of them with the world wrapped up in a soft baby blue blanket which was ironically fitting. They dimmed the lights in the room and people began to exit one by one letting the new mother and father embrace it all, everything. They had their little baby girl to shower with everything they deemed necessary and even unnecessary. They had their whole life to do all the usual parent things. Her first introduction to the tooth fairy, halloween, santa, birthdays, her first boyfriend, school, and protecting her from anything and everything that would dare come her way. Her mom and dad were her concrete umbrella, shielding her from the daggers of rain that life would shower upon them.

Opening her eyes and taking in her first look at the world around her, that was the first thing the little baby girl saw... an umbrella. The necklace pendant her mother was wearing dangled down below her neck. It caught her attention as she lay bundled up and in awe of it. She didn't know quite how much it meant at that moment to her, but that pendant would be her most treasured possession. It was her mother's pendant which she received from own mom, passed down through the family. A simple gold chain necklace with an umbrella pendant and a single blue sapphire gem raindrop attached below.

The baby outstretched a single arm and reached for the pendant. Putting a smile over both parents face at the preciousness of the situation. The dad broke the silence first. "It's like she knows it's hers. I think it's just a relief we know she already loves it." That alone made Mr and Mrs.Madison smile even more. Just then a new bolt of lighting flashed across the window outside, illuminating the entire room. It caught their attention and caused them to look over and squint. The storm that subsided earlier seemed to almost announce itself once again.

That was enough to upset the baby sending it into a crying fit that they were soon able to put an end to. Doctor Hanson was still in the room over the last few minutes just letting the parents soak it all in. Finally he walked over to them at the hospital bed. "So have we decided upon a name?" It was a question that caught them off guard at first, but had discussed it and known since the day they discovered the gender of their new precious gemstone. "April... April Rayne Madison" they both exclaimed simultaneously, again bringing a smile to both of their faces. "Very good" and like that, the doctor went off and left them to their own in the dark silent room, closing the door slowly behind him.

Little baby April adjusted her eyes to the room one final time, looking up at her parents faces. Not quite understanding or knowing these new faces and the meaning behind expressions of any form. For now she just knew this was home and she was safe. Her eyes becoming heavy and slowly fell. Turning it all into a blur that would soon send her off to a tranquil sleep. Bit by bit her eyes flickered, catching glimpses of her mom and dad. There was no way for her to know at the time, but sadly those would be the final glimpses... that she would ever have of them...