rebel | leah clearwater

☘ Ending 1 ☘

Leah wipes a cloth gently over Arlo's face as he sleeps in the hospital bed beside her; all he has to do is make it through the week. All he has to do is fight for 4 more days and he will be at the very top of the donor list, he will have made it to a year sober and he will be eligible for a new liver. He has to make it.

Leah slips out of the room as the phone rings, running a hand through her hair as she answers. "Hi, hey, I'm so sorry I forgot to call you back."

"That's alright hon, is my kid there?" Charlie says cheerfully - clueless.

Leah looks through the slits of the blinds to her husbands room. "He's uh he's out on a walk at the moment, I can get him to call back?"

"Na it's okay... Is he doing okay? He never tells me fully what's going on, just says what I say. Still dancing." He asks quietly.

Leah tears and rests a hand on her aching heart. She clears her throat and takes a deep breath. "No no, he's all good. Couple days and things should go the way we want. He'll hit the year mark and docs reckon a liver will be ready within the week. He just has to hit that year." She hastily wipes her cheeks and looks away, facing the other wall.

Charlie smiles proudly. "Atta boy." He mutters, speaking louder to Leah, "Tell him we'll be there Friday morning, ready and waiting."

"You betcha, chief. Love to mom." Leah quickly hangs up and let's out a sob, covering her face. She can't do this... But she can't tell anyone. Arlo doesn't want anyone to know he's dying until he's either dead or got the new liver.

"Leah." Arlo croaks, half asleep.

She wipes her cheeks and goes back in, sitting on the edge of the bed. "Hey baby." She strokes his hair back.

He smiles tiredly; aside from being so weak from his condition, morphine tends to make him drowsy which, in a way, is good for him - he needs rest. "You was gone." He mumbles, closing her eyes.

Leah leans over and kisses his head. "I'm right here, silly. Like I promised I would be."

He smiles tiredly. "Good." He croaks, opening his eyes again. "I wanna... Ask something." He says slowly.

"Anything." Leah grips his hand in both her hands.

Arlo tangles his fingers with hers. "If I live... We have a baby."

Leah feels her heart leap. "I... I don't know if I can, baby... The wolf thing..." She looks down.

Arlo smiles and reaches up, stroking her cheek; she peaks at him as her face shows the guilt she feels. "I don't n-necessarily mean us. L-lets adopt." He suggests.

Leah smiles wide and nods small. "We can definitely talk about it. But you have to live okay? You can't die on me now."

"Wouldn't dream of it." He mumbles smiling, the smile fading as he falls asleep again.

Leah kisses his cheek and gently sets his hand down, looking over as the door knocks. She smiles warmly at the doctor, the young woman having become a familiar face since he was admitted to the hospital a week or so ago. "Hi." She whispers.

"Are you able to wake him?" She asks politely.

Leah frowns. "Uh... I can try." She nods. "Is it important?" The doctor doesn't say anything as Leah shakes Arlo. "Baby... The doctors here, you gotta wake up." She coos, stroking his hair back.

Arlo stirs and looks around, humming. His eyes focus a little and he sits up some. "Hey doc." He grumbles.

She smiles. "Sorry Mr Swan, but I really thought you'd want to hear this at the same time as your wife." She grins, Arlo and Leah quirking their eyebrows. "We have found a ma-"