Grey Clouds On The Horizon

Rest In Peace

Christian's POV

"What on earth are you doing?" I laughed, watching Emilia dance about the house in a pink thong and matching pearls. "I have to get work done. Stop distracting me." The papers in my lap were no where near enough to hold my interest compared to my own personal ballet performance.

She shrugged. "Not sure, Mr Grey. I'm just so happy today."

I raised an eyebrow and set down my glass of wine. "You're happy?" That was something I hadn't been able to describe my darling girl as since we'd lost our future as a family. Mania sneaking up on us was always a possibility in the world where her bipolar disorder had control.

"Mhmm" Emmy nodded and plopped down beside me. "Whatcha working on?"

"Nothing meant for you." I lied and turned my stack of papers over, away from curious eyes. Then I remembered what was suddenly burning a hole in my suit breast pocket. I pulled out the small plastic case and put it in her hand. "Take these. Once a day. Promise me you will?"

Her milky dark eye caught me off guard when she tilted her head in confusion. "Of course, Mr Grey." Em popped open the container and picked up a pill between two manicured finger tips. Examining it, she saw it was different than those I'd provided her before. "What is it?"

I shrugged, hoping I'd be convincing. "Just some more vitamins. Dr Vincent thinks that you'll have an easier time staying focused if you have a bit more iron in your system. He changed them this time" Truthfully, if Dr Vincent would have known I was giving Emilia the pills I'd obtained, I would have been in prison. It was where I belonged.

She swallowed it down with a swig of my wine, one of the few sips I'd ever seen her take, and only minutes later I sent her up to bed.

"Don't you want to play with me, Sir?" Em asked, having scampered half way up the staircase. 

My million dollar smile wrapped her in confidence. "As soon as I'm done working, I'll be right up. No man in his right mind would ever miss a moment with you."

Ana's POV

The bedroom was dark and cold with the curtains pulled and I was overcome with an overwhelming feeling that this was the place I would die. I shivered under five layers of blankets and my IV port was showing its age with the multiple lint covered adhesive outlines that covered the back of my hand. My stomach protruded dramatically creating a rift in the covers even though I was only seventeen weeks along. Grace had commented that I was just an early shower but I knew she was only trying to be nice. I was showing so dramatically because there wasn't much of me left besides the baby. I'd weighed only eighty-five pounds the last time I'd stepped onto a scale and I'd laid in this bed, or been carried to the bathtub to clean up, for nearly a week.

Christian entered the room and pulled a chair up to my bedside. Wordlessly he pushed my hair from my face and kissed my forehead. The little work he'd been getting done from his office wasn't holding his interest for more than an hour at a time and I relished in his short regular visits to our bedroom. Every inch of my body ached and breathing was a heavy strain. My mind swam with how to say goodbye to the greatest man I'd ever met but it didn't feel like I had the luxury of making it perfect. The moment was coming and I had some things I needed to say.

"Christian, sweetie... we need to talk because I don't think there's much time left."

He let out a huff and pulled at the roots of his hair. "Ana don't say that. It's not true. You're going to be fine. Your levels are looking really good. Dr Greene was saying your brain is just a little fuzzy because you're dehydrated and vitamin deficient so the nurse is coming soon to fix it, love."