Loving You Is A Losing Game

Part 6

"What time is it?" Meredith says looking at the alarm clock sitting on her bedside table.
"Shit" it was already 7:30 and the kids have school at 8:30.
"Mommy that's a bad word" Meredith's eyes jolt to her door, which is slightly open and Zola's peering in.
"Crap- uh hey Zo um you need to get ready or we're going to be late for school..wake your brother please!" Mer yells the last part as Zola's fleeing down the hallway.
"Ok" Zola yells down the hallway.

Meredith quickly jumps up from her bed only to be met with a wave of dizziness and nausea.
Meredith runs to the bathroom barely making it in time. She throws up all of her dinner.

"Are you ok mommy?" Zola asked parroting Bailey who had walking into the room a second earlier.
"Yeah I'm ok-" Meredith's interrupted by another wave of nausea.
"Mommy sick" Zola says taking Baileys hand and leading him out of the room with her.
"I'm fine! Just wait downstairs mommy will be down in a minute to make you guys something to eat" Meredith slowly gets up from the floor supporting herself with the help of the bathroom vanity.
She splashes her face with cool water and brushes her teeth.

She gets Zola and Bailey ready. Brushes their hair and teeth. They together pick their outfits for the day and head downstairs.

"Zola, Bailey what do you want for breakfast?"
"Chocolate chip pancakes" Bailey says jumping up and down.
"Yeah chocolate chip pancakes" Zola agrees.
"We can't have chocolate chip pancakes guys, we are running late how about some cereal"
Meredith suggest gently to the two children, she didn't know why she even asked what they wanted she couldn't give them much variety she was the worst cook ever.
"No I don't want cereal" Bailey crosses his arms.
"Let's call daddy he can make them really good! Mommy can we call daddy" Zola asks not deterred from her previous idea.
"Yeah call daddy he can make em" Bailey says with a smile.
"Guys we can't call daddy"
"Why?!" Zola and Bailey pout.
"Because we can't I'm sorry guys"
"But why doesn't daddy want to talk to us" Zola ask with glossy eyes.
"Zo he does, he wants to talk to us, but he can't...he's very busy" I assure her giving her a warm hug.
"So he can't make us pancakes?"
"No Bails maybe another time, ok?"
"Ok"
"When will daddy not be busy?"
"I'm not sure Zo" I say grabbing two bowls, putting cereal and milk in them.
I'm hoping that if I avoid the question enough they will drop it. To my dismay they don't, they instead begin to ask more question.
"Can we call him later?"
"Can we go visit him"
"Mommy! Mommy! Mommmmyyy! Mom! Mom!"
"Mom! Mom? Momma?!"
"Yes! Zola and Bailey what's wrong?"
"When can we visit daddy?"
"I'm not sure we are going to be late can you guys please eat your breakfast, we can talk about this later" Meredith says putting her best smile on.
"I'm not hungry"
"Me either"
"You guys have to eat though"
"But I'm not hungry" Zola says again.
I give up.
"Ok then you guys don't have to eat breakfast but you need to eat everything I packed you guys for lunch since you skipped breakfast"
"Ok"
"Ok" they both agree.
"Alright we better get going, come on Zo let's get you sweater on, Bailey we need to get your shoes" They both walk to the front door and I put their shoes and sweater on while they pick up their backpacks.
"You guys ready?"
"Yeah!!"
"I guess"
"What's wrong Zo?"
"I'm hungry"
"Your what!- um ok uh let me grab you something to eat on the way, do you want something Bailey? I'm going to get you something anyway" Meredith quickly grabs them both a snack and a banana.

This morning has been terrible. Morning were difficult but all the questions about their dad was a lot.

"Alright here's you snack Zo" Meredith says handing her the snack as she gets her buckled up.
"Here Bailey if you get hungry on the way" Meredith hands him his snack while buckling him up.
"All buckled and ready?" She asked as she gets herself buckled.
"Yes"
"Yes mommy"
"Alright let's get going!" She says in the cheeriest voice she can muster.

It's fine Meredith, the kids will be at school you'll get your break, you just have to make it to their school
It's fine Meredith, the kids will be at school you'll get your break, you just have to make it to their school

She continues to chant to herself.

Just as she's about to turn onto the street their school is located on, another car comes barreling down the road, hitting the drivers side of the car.

The cars rolls for what seems like forever. She tries grabbing onto anything to stabilize her body as it gets thrashed around. All she can hear is eat piercing screams from her children. The screaming subsides to soft cries as the car stops rolling. Meredith quickly realized she can't move.

She hears Zola's begin to cry harder.
She doesn't hear Bailey she begins freaking out.

"Zola calm down... shh, are you hurt?" She hears Zola's cries turning into sniffles once again.
"I'm ok momma"
"Zola can you see Bailey?"
"Yeah"
"Is he awake?"
"No"
"Can you reach him?"
"Yes"
"Ok.. remember when daddy showed you how to find a pulse!!" I say happily hoping that my confidence will reassure her maybe even help her remember.
"Yea, he said if someone's hurt you can feel their pulse to... um.. tell if their breathing!" Zola says with a smile.
"Ok can you do that? Find Your brothers pulse?"
"Yeah I'll look mom" Zola goes to grab Bailey's wrist gently because she can't reach his head.
"What do you feel sweetheart"
"It's slow momma"
"Ok don't worry Zola he's fine and you are fine"
"Momma I don't think we're fine"
"We are Zo" Meredith reaches her hand behind her to try and comfort her. Zola takes her hand.
"See we're ok"
"Yeah" Zola says holding her mothers hand in her left and her brothers in her right.
"My head hurts"
"Don't go to sleep ok Zo"
"I won't"
"Someone will come soon ok? And their going to help"
"Ok"

_____
I swear this story never has anything happy going on...
Hope you enjoyed the chapter !