Grace's POV
That morning everything was still for a change. To my surprise, Sophie was still asleep, along with my mom, and Charlotte had not woken me up yet. I turned over in my bed and vaguely registered that Chester was no longer in bed. I stretched as I pulled aside the covers and went into the nursery to check on Charlotte.
Outside the nursery, I could hear hushed, beautiful singing. As I walked in, I found Chester, rocking the gurgling baby and singing a lullaby. He had his back facing me and couldn't see me. I crept up behind him and wrapped my arms around his waist. He was tense for a second, but softened once he realised it was me.
"Morning." I whispered into his shoulder.
"Morning, beautiful." He turned around to face me and kissed me, whilst still rocking Charlotte.
I peered down at our little baby, in her white baby grow. She was a picture of innocence and peace. I was stunned at how silent and sweet she was being. I gently kissed her fuzzy hair and smiled.
"She was crying and I thought that you needed your sleep, so I took matters into my own hands." Chester smiled proudly.
"Thanks, Ches. She's lucky to have you as her dad." A warm feeling brewed in my stomach. A feeling of comfort and calm.
I held out my arms and Chester gently transferred Charlotte into my arms. I looked at the baby, and knew something was wrong. She had an almost blue tinge in her skin. I frowned down and noticed she wasn't breathing.
"Chester. Call 911, now." I felt numb with worry.
Without an explanation, Chester pulled out his phone and called 911. He recited off our address and hung up. I could feel panic rising in my body. Thankfully, she started breathing again, but in an irregular, short and rapid way. This was unnatural and something was definitely very wrong.
"What's happening, Chester?" My voice was cracking as I tried not to cry.
"I don't know, Gracie. I'll get your mom." His face was contorted with worry as he ran out of the room and into Sophie's room.
Within seconds, my mom came running in, clearly shocked to be woken up so suddenly and urgently.
"Mom, she's struggling to breathe." Tears dribbled down my face.
"Calm down, Grace. Is the ambulance on their way?" My mom stayed surprisingly calm. I nodded in response.
"Just relax until they come. There's nothing you can do about this, okay?" My mom tried to soothe me, but I started sobbing. "Shh, Gracie."
Sophie walked in, still half asleep. She rubbed at her eyes and looked at us, with a very confused expression. She furrowed her brow in a frown.
"What's happening?" She whispered.
"Sophie, go to your room. I'm going to come sit with you soon. I need to help Mommy and Daddy with the baby." My mom hushed the little girl and she went off to her bedroom.
Suddenly, we heard sirens outside our door.
"Grace!" Chester called. I ran as fast and as gently as I could, trying not to worsen anything that could be wrong with Charlotte.
The two of us climbed into the back of the ambulance with an assistant. He pried Charlotte from my arms and placed her on the gurney. She looked even tinier than usual. I watched her chest heave irregularly, knowing that she must be in some sort of pain. I just wished I could relieve her of what she was feeling and make sure she would be okay.
The assistant hooked my tiny baby up to an oxygen machine. The mask was almost as big as her face, so he held it over her. The sight of my barely 3 day old baby attached to the machine and lying very still brought me to tears.
Chester's POV
We arrived at the hospital and Grace was hysterical. She was sobbing harder than I had ever seen her cry, and it made me uncomfortable to see her upset and to see my baby on a hospital bed, struggling to breathe. They rushed the gurney, that Charlotte was on, into the x-ray room.
A doctor spoke with one of the assistants that had bought her, before he came out to consult Grace and I.
"We're going to take x-rays of your little girl's lungs to diagnose her respiratory problems. If you'd like to come in, please put on one of our lead aprons." The doctor calmly gestured towards the aprons.
"Grace, you stay here, okay? It'll be better if I go in. You just need to stay here and calm down." I stroked Grace's back, guiding her to a seat outside the room and sitting her down.
I then proceeded into the room and put on a lead apron. I looked at my little Charlotte, so tiny and helpless on the cold x-ray table. She was still and quiet, unlike her usual energetic and demanding nature. They scanned her chest and then ushered us out of the room.
"If you'll follow the nurses to the infant ward." The doctor pointed to the nurses, wheeling the bed down the corridor. "The results will arrive shortly."
I nodded anxiously and went to where Grace was sitting. She had stopped crying, but her head was in her hands and her eyes were red.
I sat next to her, trying to signal that we had to follow the nurses, but still giving her the space and silence she needed.
"What if this is my fault?" She mumbled.
"It's not your fault. This couldn't have been caused or prevented by you." I kissed her cheek gently, trying to reassure her.
"I guess..." Her voice trailed. "Let's go then."
