The Baby Project. C.H. (A.U.)

Twenty Three // Ache.

Calum's P.O.V.

I don't know what time it is when I jolt awake, all I know is that the sound of the bathroom door shutting was what woke me.

I reach on the other side for Genie but realise it's empty. Well at least I knew it was her in the bathroom and not some intruder.

I close my eyes and try to get back to sleep but there's this nagging thought in the back of my brain that something's not right. How long had Genie actually been in the bathroom for? And why haven't I heard the toilet flush yet.

A small groan escapes my lips as I sit up and rub my eyes trying to wake myself up just a little bit more. "Babe?" I call out.

"Coming." I hear her say but she sounds off. I pull the covers back and trot over to the bathroom door. I'm surprised to find the door handle doesn't budge when I turn it which was odd because Genie never locked the door unless she was angry at me.

"Genie." I knock trying the door again as if it had magically unlocked in the last couple of seconds.

"Just a minute." Genie's strained voice comes from the other side of the door, a frown instantly find it's way to my face almost immediately and I know something's wrong.

I could just feel it in the pit of my stomach.

I instantly rack my mind for any clues as to what it could be. Genie had seemed perfectly fine over the last couple of days so I don't think I had done anything wrong, or had I?

"Genie. Babe please let me in." I plead turning at the door handle once again. I needed to be in there, I needed to make sure everything was okay, that she was okay.

And if there was something that needed to be fixed then I needed to fix it.

A couple of seconds later I hear the door unlock and I'm in there as fast as I can be but as soon I am, all I want is to go right back out again.

"It just won't Stop." Genie sobs clutching at her stomach as she sits helplessly cooped up on the bathroom floor.

My eyes flicker to her pyjama pants which were unmissably soaked with blood making my stomach drop.

I begin to panic almost instantly. How was I suppose to help her....what was I suppose to do? I swallow the hard lump that was sitting in the back of my throat before crouching down in front of her.

"Calum." Genie whimpers and I feel like I've been kicked in the stomach. It was hard to hear her sound so helpless but it was even worse having to see it. I could see the pure horror and pain in her eyes and it made me feel uneasy.

"Genie...look at me okay?" I command bringing my hand to cup her tear stained cheeks, her blue eyes instantly locking on to me. "It's going to be okay." I tell her then scoop her up in my arms.

"It'll be okay." I say not believing my own words as I walk through the bedroom and grab my keys.

Minutes later as I'm helping Genie into the car a strangled sound leaves Genie's lips.

"It's okay, baby. It's okay. Just breathe okay? Please just breathe." I was doing my best to keep her calm and play it as if I was all tough when in reality I was breaking on the inside.

I couldn't let her see that though, not now. I needed to be strong enough for her. I needed to be strong enough for the both of us.

~•~

This didn't feel real.

I couldn't hear a single word the doctor said. I knew what he was saying but it just didn't make sense. Genie was healthy and so was bubs.

He used the phrases 'These things happen' and 'I'm so sorry for your lost.'

I watched feeling utterly disconnected from all of it. It was like I was watching it on a tv and it wasn't someone I loved.

It just wasn't me. This wasn't happening to us.

Genie was sitting there looking lifeless. It was as if someone had erased her. All the spark,joy and fire that I had fell in love with was nowhere to be seen.

I had watched her break right in front of me and there was nothing I could do to stop it from happening.

The drive home was silent. I didn't know what to say, I was just trying not to break in front of her. She was a mess as it is and she didn't need to deal with me on top of that.

Her hands were trembling in her lap as she held back her sobs and all I wanted to do was comfort her in some way but I knew that whatever I did wouldn't be enough.

It wouldn't help her right now and I didn't know what would.

We were both zombies as we made our way back in to the house, our love nest seemingly empty of all of it's love at the moment and I had a feeling it would be like that for a long time.

"Can I get you anything?" I ask swallowing the lump in the back of my throat as she sunk down on to the couch.

"How did this happen?" Genie asks her voice sounding emotionless as she say completely still,staring in to nothing.

"I....I don't know." I answer after a minute, and it was as if someone else was answering her and I wasn't even here.

"I need to shower." Genie squeaks standing from the couch before disappearing upstairs.

My eyes lock on the brown paper bag she had carried inside with her. The contents being her stained pyjama pants that she wore to the hospital. The staff had been good enough to give her some scrub pants while I gave her my jumper.

I hastily grab the bag before disposing off it. Vile rises in my throat as I notice as patch of red on my hand because of the bag and before I know it, I'm leaning over the kitchen sink and letting it all out.

My stomach was empty by the time I was done and my throat was burning. Tears stung my eyes and slid down my cheeks making me roughly wipe them off before taking a deep breath.

I needed to check on her. I couldn't leave her alone, not now.

My stomach instantly drops as I reach the bathroom door. I stand there watching as Genie sits on the floor of the shower in just my jumper as the water runs freely over her.

As I stand there I desperately look for any signs of life from her but there's nothing. She just looks blank.

She looks empty.

"Why did this happen to us?" Genie cries out her voice cracking and without a second thought, I'm kneeling down in front of her and wrapping her in my arms, not caring at all that I was getting soaked in the process.

Violent sobs curse through her as she leans in to me and my heart breaks all over again. I reach for the nozzle of the shower and turn off the water before scooping her up in to my arms and carry her in to our bedroom.

I place her on the bed and as I go to pull away, her grip on me tightens.

"Don't leave me Calum." Genie whimpers.

"I'm not Genie, I'm not going anywhere I promise okay? But we need to get you in to something dry." I tell her and she reluctantly releases me.

I grab one of my longer jumpers and a random pair of underwear for her then timidly approach her. Genie's glassy blue eyes look at me before she sits up and lifts her arms up, allowing me to dispose of my wet jumper.

I dress her quickly before changing in to dry clothes for myself. Once I'm done I hop in to bed and pull her to me almost immediately. Genie latches herself to me in desperation and I can't help but notice how much she's shaking.

I wish with everything that I had that I could take away all of her pain. Hell I would literally give her every part of me, if it meant it would put her back together.

A/N: My emotions are all over the place. The tears were real writing this ;(