It's Time |A.I|

05

Chapter Five

Definitions-

Phalanges: [fah-lan'jēz] The bones of the fingers and toes.

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Present Day

I twiddled my thumbs for what seemed like hours, but in reality it's only been ten minutes. Adelaide was in a different room, the doctors working on her. They wouldn't let me in, they said it wasn't  safe. I don't think I'd be able to handle it, anyway. I didn't make a big deal about it. My stomach made a low groan, making me wince in hunger. I haven't eaten all day and I was starving. Deciding that Adelaide wasn't, I assumed, going to be done for a while, I started my way down to the cafeteria. It was a quiet day today, staff seemed to be low and barely anyone was walking about.

"You should try their chicken tenders. They're probably the only good thing here." I was standing off to the far right, looking at the menu. Nothing seemed appetizing.

"Thank you." I mumbled. I turned my body sideways to come face to face with a man not much younger than me. His hair was dyed a dark shade of blue. He looked exactly like a crayon. He stuck me as odd. What grown man dyes his hair drastic colors? He smelled of spearamint; an oddly smell for a man.

"It's nice to meet you. M'names Michael. Michael Clifford." I noticed his Australian accent, much like mine. I put my hand out, firmly grasping his palm into mine for a friendly handshake; his hands were rough.

"Hi, my name is Ashton."

Michael and I grabbed our trays of food, going to the lady behind the cash register. "So, why are you here?" Micahel asked, curiosity taking over his tone of voice.

"Um.. I'm not ready to talk about it." I put my head down to my food instead of looking at him, ashamed that I could not tell him anything.

"That's okay. You don't need to tell me, I was just curious."

We made our way to an abandoned table in the left corner where the small sized flat screen took up the wall. Only a couple of nurses were scattered around. Either eating or talking; enjoying themselves. I wish I could enjoy myself. The area smelled of french fries mixed with hand sanitizer. It was nauseating. "My girlfriend," Michael drained on. "She was in a car accident." I locked eyes with his. For a moment there was a flicker of emotion I couldn't tell. It was gone as soon as it was there.

"Is she okay?"

Michael looked up at the t.v. The lady on the news chanel was going on about non-important things. "We don't know."

I knew exactly what he was going through. "Everything is going to be okay." I tried to reassure him. But we both know how that never helps.

"You're married?" His voice rose with shock. I didn't know me being married was shocking. What was I, ugly?

"Yeah." A small smile made it's way across my lips. Just thinking about our wedding made my stomach churn.

"What's her name?"

"Adelaide."

"That's a pretty name. I used to date a girl named Adelaide. She was one of a kind, but I had to leave. I never saw her again. I loved her."

"Really? That's weird."

"Yeah, her name was Adelaide Banks."

I almost spit out the water in my mouth. I regained my composure and spluttered, "What?"

Michael's eyebrows rose, his smile fading and eyes glowing with a hint of confusion. "Her name was Adelaide Banks."

"That's... That's my wife."

Michael's face twisted in confusion once more. "Oh! So, you're Ashton Irwin?"

I nodded my head yes, still trying to gain my composure from coughing. "How do you know her?"

"We dated when we were fifteen." He said, looking dazed. He probably was remembering all the nice times they had. It made me furious; jealous. But nonetheless, I tried letting it go. It was a long time ago. "We dated for about a year. My mom had gotten a new job in California and we left right away. I never said goodbye, I thought she was mad at me. We never talked again until I got a wedding invitation."

Adeladie never told me about him, why? "Is that why you're here, is she okay?" He stood up so fast I thought he was going to fall over.

"Easy there man, she's in an operating room."

His eyes grew wide. "Is she okay!"

"No," I sighed. "She's not okay." I couldn't hold my sobs back as I continued. "I love her, I love her so much and she's dying. She's dying, Michael."

He sat back down and stared. "What happend?"

"She- She has breast cancer. She's been sick, so sick. Chemo just made it worse. She was on her last round and she went into cardiac arrest." I sniffled, "She's in a coma and she's pregnant. She's fucking pregnant in emergency care getting the baby removed so she can live. She never knew."

"I'm so sorry." His words did nothing to help. I couldn't eat anymore, I threw my half eaten food in the trash and started my way back to the elevator doors. "She'll be okay, mate."

I sure hope so.

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"Sir?" I was shaken awake by one of Adelaide's former nurses, Mia. "We have good news." A smile formed on her pink lips, her white teeth perfectly straight. "Come with me." Groggy, I obliged and made my way down the long, lonely corridor. No one was in this section, it was deserted besides Mia and I. We were the only beings walking alone the plain, white walls. "There's your baby girl." She motioned to the window we stopped in front of. My breath caught in my throat.

"That's... That's mine?" I asked, bewildered. A little himan was made beacuase of me and Adelaide. Our work. My features softened as I walked into the room where my daughter lay. She was in an incubator, a tube was attatched to her mouth helping her get oxygen; much like her mothers. She was tiny, beautiful, full of life.

"She's beautiful, Ashton." Mia whispered, making sure her voice was low so the newly born baby wouldn't wake. She grabbed my arm, guiding my large fingers into the hole that was left open. I lightly touched her tiny, percelain-like phalanges. Her eyelids fluttered, but did not open. My heart soared as her tiny fingers wrapped around my pinky finger. Tears silently traveled down my face.

"What are you going to name her?" Mia smiled next to me as I looked up at her.

"I think we'll call her Hope. Hope Amity-Grace Irwin."

"I'm going to go get the paper for you to sign, along with her birth certificate. You're welcome to stay here 'till I get back." I nodded my head as she left, closing the door behind her. Hope was wrapped in a pink blanket, cords and tubes were tangled within. She looked fragile. Being born twenty-eight weeks into a pregnancy was potentially dangerous. Hope's lungs weren't fully developed. Hence, why she was hooked up to a ventilator. But nonetheless she was beautiful, adorable, and she was mine. A beautiful masterpiece, a masterpiece that came out of my wife. I poked at Hope's hand once more and it immediately opened again, wrapping around my pointer finger instead.

"You're so beautiful," I choked out a sob. "You look so much like your mommy." And she did, she had Adelaide's button nose, Adelaide's facial features. The tears kept leaking as I rested my head on the glass pane that surrounded her tiny body. "Oh, Adelaide. Don't give up, I can't do this on my own. I'm not cut out to be a father on my own." I shivered as goosebumps formed on my arms. The room was deathly quiet, it growing ten times colder than it had been. A wind gusted at my face out of nowhere, my eyes scrunching from the cold contact.

A chilly whisper filled my ears, "Everything will be okay." No one but me and Hope were here.

•Edited•

*1,357 words*