Conflicting Attractions // h.s

46\\Waiting Room

Phoebe

Three days until Christmas.
Brooke's wedding day.

I never thought that Brooke's wedding day would turn out like this. We're in the waiting room of the hospital; Brooke, Marilee, Louis and I are waiting to hear about what's happening to Sarah. We're all still in our wedding dresses, which caused a few people to look at us funny but Louis didn't care. He wanted to know how his baby is and how the mother is.

Brooke was so emotionless and I was starting to worry about her. I didn't want to make it any worse, so I just left her but deep down, she would've been told by me – or even Louis, the one who was to break her heart in the first place. He had his head in his hands whilst we waited for news, probably hoping that the baby pulls through and that Sarah does too.

I didn't want to lose my job, so I didn't get involved, I never even told them that I knew that she was pregnant but I couldn't tell Brooke either because as I've told myself over and over again, it's not my secret to tell her. It was his job to tell his fiancée that he had cheated on her with Sarah and gotten her pregnant. Even if it was a mistake, he's acting like he wanted this.

Marilee started to move around a lot more, probably getting sick of just sitting here, staring at the empty white walls and the magazines that were over two years old. She started to look over at me with a half-smile, not wanting to disrupt anything if I was thinking something else. She finally stood up, brushed herself down and walked out of the waiting room. "I'm going to the cafeteria, anyone want anything?"

The only sound being heard was the printer at reception and the talking the doctors and receptionists were doing. No response from all of us as Marilee frowned. "I'll have a latte," I spoke up as Brooke didn't move a muscle or even a tiny bit. She sat emotionless, probably wanting to sleep to forget about today. "Get Brooke something from there, something light."

"Alright," she said as she walked off towards the elevator to go to the bottom floor where the cafeteria was located. I was sitting here, trying to comfort Brooke silently, not wanting to hug her in fear that she might lose all the self-dignity she has left. Maybe that's why she's not saying anything because she's scared a simple word may turn into a full-blown argument in the hospital waiting area.

Louis, on the other hand, was moving his leg and moving his hands around his face, waiting for the news about their baby. He didn't once try to comfort Brooke either, probably forgetting that she exists, for the time being, it seemed that all that mattered right now was Sarah and the baby. Was he planning on telling Brooke about them or was he going to leave her in the dark until the baby was born?

The doctor treating the two came out and looked right at Louis, who seemed to lift his head when I cleared my throat. He got up so fast out of the seat that I thought I'd get whiplash from watching him. "How are they, doctor?" he asked, whilst my eyes stayed on the other person he should be worried about too. She didn't move at all, not even to change positions.

"And you are?" I heard Louis suck in a breath before he leaned in and whispered something incoherent as the doctor nodded gently. "Well, Sarah is doing alright; the baby, however, had a near miss but will be growing fine. They both had a near miss today; the mother didn't have enough liquid today and she hadn't eaten in a few days either, they're both quite literally lucky to be alive."

"Thank you, doctor," he said whilst letting out a breath of relief. "Can I go and see her?"

The doctor nodded as he smiled, giving the doctor a handshake, walking behind him, not giving Brooke a second thought. As she continued to sit emotionless and not moving at all, I started to worry that she would have a sudden outburst of some sort, in front of everyone here. She hasn't talked since the wedding but how was I going to get her to go outside to let off some steam?