Bound in Love

Chapter 37

Chris remained on his knees with his forehead against the cold white door that separated him from Ellie. A stream of tears running down his face, but he had lost his strength to say anything else. He just gasped for air while he sobbed incessantly feeling alone in the world at the possibility to have lost her forever. He didn't know if it had been long or not. A few seconds or long minutes. It sure seemed like an eternity to him. He couldn't figure out anything from the noises he was hearing inside. The commotion was huge. They were all talking and almost yelling at the same time. The sounds were fuzzy and imperceptible. Suddenly, a loud cry was heard. A baby was crying non-stop, and his eyes opened. More tears streamed down his face and he felt his whole-body trembling. That was his daughter.

"Heaven..." He whispered, knowing they had managed to take the baby out of Ellie alive.

Chris cleaned his eyes and tried to stop crying to concentrate on the sounds coming from inside the room, but with Heaven crying, everything was getting even fussier, but in what had been seconds after Heaven's first cry, he heard Robert yelling.

"Charge it to 150!" He ordered. "Clear! Shock!" He yelled right after.

There, Chris knew Ellie was not back and an immense despair won him over. Seconds after his order, he heard the pads against Ellie's chest. A loud thud electrifying her and then silence. His heart stopped beating again and he shook his head all alone, on his knees, dying inside with her.

"200!" He heard Robert yell, not waiting anymore. "Clear... Shock!" He yelled.

It hadn't work. Chris knew it from the new order and he started sobbing again. Another loud thud against Ellie's chest was heard. There was a pause. A split second of silence except for Heaven's whimpering.

"250!" Robert yelled once again, and Chris felt his world fall apart once more.

"Come on, babe." He gasped with rivers pouring out of his eyes. "Come on, Ellie. Our little girl is waiting for you, babe." He cried low. "I'm waiting for you... don't go..." He sobbed low. "Please God..."

Another loud thud and then a machine started beeping. Chris opened his eyes feeling is heart imploding with hope.

"Ellie..." He breathed.

"Take her to the OR now!" Robert then yelled.

Chris got up and gave two steps back, leaning against the wall with his eyes set on the door. His whole body was shaking. He felt so cold, like his body had been inside a freezer. He didn't know if he was still crying or not and his heart was beating fast. His chest glued to his back. He had such a weight on it, that it seemed like he couldn't even breathe. Suddenly, the doors opened and Robert with two nurses burst running with Ellie on the stretcher through the hallway. It had been too fast, but he could see that Ellie was not moving. His eyes followed her until he could no longer see them.

"God... please..." He united his hands and pleaded looking up at the ceiling. "Please... please... please..." He whispered, closing his eyes to make his plead more meaningful.

"Chris..." He heard a voice calling him and he looked down and opened his eyes, finding Millie with her face covered in tears.

In her arms a little bundle rolled in a pink blanket. His legs started shaking so much, that he started sliding down the wall and sat on the floor. His lips trembled too. Millie approached him and then crouched, falling on her knees right after. Inside the pink blanket a tiny little face, so candid and sleeping, could be seen. He was sure her head was smaller than his hand. A tiny baby, so defenseless and so beautiful.

"Oh..." Chris cried again. It was such a mix of rough emotions. "My baby girl..."

They had waited for that moment for the last months and now only one of them was living it. It all seemed so wrong.