𝐋𝐈𝐅𝐄 𝐔𝐍𝐄𝐗𝐏𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐄𝐃

꧁ TWENTY NINE ꧂

Hospital waiting rooms are the worst places to be. The constant ticking of the overly loud clock that hangs above on the wall combined with the pungent smell of chemicals is enough to drive anyone insane. And if those don't quite literally tick you off, the beeping from various machines will. It's a wonder how anyone can sit in this room for hours upon hours while dealing with the deep anxiety that they're surely struggling to control...just waiting to be told even a sliver of news. And when you are eventually told, it rarely good.

"Mr Richards?".

Snapping out of his light sleep, Josh looks around the room frantically. His eyes land on the doctor in front of him who's wearing a sympathetic smile. A smile that makes Josh's gut churn. Slowly the boy lifts his head from Bryce's shoulder and stands up, his knee's mildly shaking.

"How are they? Is the baby okay? Is Nessa awake yet?". The questions spilled out of him like an overflowing bathtub that just couldn't hold the water any longer and burst.

Doctor Simmons clutches onto his clipboard tightly as he prepared himself to tell Josh every single bit of information that he was allowed to share. It isn't a lot but it's something.

When Mads had left the football game earlier to check up on Nessa, she found her best friend laying at the bottom of the stairs unconscious. Mads called the ambulance straight away and rode to the hospital with her- never leaving her side. It wasn't until after the game that Josh was told about his girlfriend and unborn child being in danger which undoubtedly pissed him off beyond belief. He, Bryce and Jaden took off for the hospital shortly after; cutting short the celebrations of them winning. When they arrived nobody would tell them what was going on and not even Mads knew anything. She insisted that they were talking in medical gibberish.

"Long story short Mr Richards? She is awake - in and out of consciousness - but she is also unfortunately bleeding very heavily and I'm afraid that if we don't do a c-section soon, she'll bleed out and the baby won't have any chances of survival" Doctor Simmons explains, followed by a deep sigh.

Josh appreciates that he cut the bullshit and got straight to the point. His head starts to spin around in an endless circle of thoughts. It's not time yet for Abigail to be born. He's already read up on the statistics of babies that are born prematurely and with Nessa's added condition; the risks are doubled. But on the other hand, if she doesn't get delivered today it could cost Nessa her life.

"Okay. Do whatever you need to do but just please promise me that you'll do everything you can to try save both of my girls" Josh pleads with a strain present in his voice.

Dr Simmons hovers over Josh's plead for a second.

"Mr Richards, I now have to ask you a very important question..".

Josh cocks his head to the side with his brows furrowed in bewilderment. What important question?

"If- In the unlikely event that we're only able to save one of them, who should I tell my team to focus all of their might on?". The question lingers in the air like a bad smell between the two of them. Josh can't believe that he's going to have to make that sort of decision right now. He's had no sleep and his mind is all over the place. He can't choose which of his girls get to live and which dies. He can't- no, he won't decide that.

"Mr. Richards?".

"The baby. Save the baby".

Both men are startled by the feminine voice that speaks from behind them. They turn around- intrigued as to whom was eavesdropping in on their conversation. Josh is half relived and half confused to see Mads standing there with her hair tied into a messy top knot. She glances at Josh momentarily before looking back at Dr. Simmons and repeating the words.

"Save the baby. If it comes down to it and you can only save one, the baby should be your number one priority". She confirms with a nod of her tired head.

Dr. Simmons assumes that with Josh's lack of protest to the young lady's request, that is the answer he should go with. He halfheartedly smiles at the two before returning to his job.

Once the doctor is out of earshot, Josh turns his attention to Mads- who doesn't seem like she's aware of how much she's just pissed him the hell off.
"Are you insane? You're really gonna let them make no effort to save your best friend?". He asks, his sleepy voice strained.

Scolding up at the taller boy, Mads expresses her displeasure with his tone through facial expressions and the crossing of her arms. "Would you rather they let your baby girl die Joshua? Cause I know for a matter of fact that if it were you in there on the operating table, Nessa would have made the same call I did. It's not about saving one or the other you idiot. It's about doing what Nessa would have wanted and she would have wanted her daughter to have a chance of survival. She would have wanted you to meet your baby and protect her. You know I'm telling the truth and just because right now you believe that the decision was choosing which one of them lives, doesn't mean I'm wrong".

She bumps his shoulder as she walks over to the seating area where the boys are still sleeping. Josh stands with his head hanging low and his eyes held shut tight. He knows without a doubt that Mads is right. Of course she is. She's Nessa's best friend and he's a moron for believing that Mads wasn't thinking about Nessa's best interests.

He slouches over to the seat next to her with his tail tucked between his legs. Mads side eyes him as he sits down with a heavy sigh. She uncrosses her arms and slips her hand into his own, squeezing it tight.

"I would never not want to save her life. She's like family to me". Josh looks up to see a fresh coating of tears glaze over her dreamy blue orbs. He feels horrible for even suggesting it. Squeezing her hand back, Josh smiles innocently.

"I'm an ass. I shouldn't have said it and I'm sorry. We need to stick together now. Be a team. You and me and the guys. We need each other now more than ever blondie". Mads stifles a laugh at the nickname but she nods, agreeing.

And as the two of them sit there, repeating prayers in their heads and wishing for the best possible outcome, they have no clue just how much of a team they're about to become.....