Be With Me

Chapter 45

"How much time has he been under water?" The paramedic asked James who was wrapped around a towel looking at a distant point. "Sir?" He insisted. James turned his head to look at him.

"I don't know..." He said absently. "Where's my girlfriend?"

"She's being checked by my assistant sir, she's in shock." The paramedic spoke.

"We're going to the hospital sir." The paramedic informed. Rafaela's father rested a hand on James's shoulder and tapped it gently. John was crying and though in shock he tried to comfort James who looked like he didn't even belong to this world.

"I'll drive." John simply said thinking it was better for him to do so. James looked so absent that he looked like he wasn't even conscious of where he was or what was happening.

"How's Rafi?" James asked while John followed the ambulance. He felt his body numb, even his brain seemed to be numb. That couldn't be happening. Not to them.

"She's in the ambulance. She was calmer. Stay calm too. It's going to be alright." James's eyes watered again as he heard John's last words. He could only hope so. Nothing... but nothing could happen to Liam

"How did this happen?" Cynthia asked sobbing on the backseat. The million-dollar question... he didn't know how it happened.

"I don't know..." He said again being so vague. Not on purpose but because he actually didn't know how it happened. He was making himself the same question over and over again.

Last thing he wanted was to explain things to anyone, he didn't know how to explain what happened. The only thing he knew is that Liam was near him and then, all of a sudden, he was nowhere to be seen, and last thing he remembered was seeing the body of his five-year-old son in the bottom of the pool, unconscious, cold and his lips purple. He shook his head remembering Liam's unconscious body on his arms and sobbed.

"It's gonna be alright." Cynthia said and James closed his eyes in pain.

The feeling, the pain in his heart was becoming physical. Suddenly this despair began to take care of him, his heart began to race, his hands trembled resting on his legs, his shoulders shook, and he began to sob loud. Nothing could happen to Liam, nothing! John and Cynthia remained silent, unable to pronounce words that would comfort him. Nothing would comfort him that moment and James was in shock.

Already in the ER they asked for information and were taken to a room, where Rafaela was already. James ran to her and they clutched onto each other sobbing and crying loud.

"Oh my God..." She said out loud and both Cynthia and John cried watching them. They feared for them, for they were living a parent's worst nightmare for sure, the incertitude if your child is going to live or not.

"He wasn't conscious James." She said. "Through the whole way, he wasn't conscious." She said as she had been the inside the frantic ambulance and its loud emergency siren.

"Did they say anything?" James asked her.

"Nothing. They took him running inside and no one said a word. They kept pumping oxygen to his lungs the while time..." Rafaela cried again.

James let go of her and paced around. He puffed, he ran his hands over his hair, then puffed again. His lips trembled, his hands did too. Rafaela sat on a green chair with trembling hands and jaw as well, and her parents sat in front of her silently, holding onto each other hands. A doctor came in.

"Are you the parents of Liam Hetfield?" He asked, both James and Rafaela took huge steps towards him anxious.

"Y-yes." James said stuttering as he was shaking all over. Panic was installing.