My Brother's Best Friend

Chapter 26

(Ryan's POV)

"Ryan," Mom says opening the door to the hospital room, the room I haven't left since I heard the news. "The funeral is starting in an hour."

"I'm not going, Mom," I reply without turning to face her. "How can I go?"

"It might help you accept everything that's happened."

"How is going to a funeral going to help me accept what happened?"

"You can bury the past, baby."

"No, Mom. I'm not going. Ruby needs me here and so does our baby. I don't care about Chris. He almost ripped my whole world from me and if I go to his funeral I'll only say or do something I'll regret."

I hear my mother sigh behind me. She places her hand on my shoulder and squeezes, before slowly exiting the room.

I step towards the bed where Ruby is lying, her face still swollen and bruised from where Chris hit her repeatidly. My heart breaks knowing that I wasn't there to protect her from him.

When I first seen her after her intensive surgery, she looked so broken. I broke down crying, begging her to forgive me and to open her beautiful eyes so I could tell her how much I loved her. I begged her not to leave me, begged her to pull through and stay with me and our baby. I told her I needed her more than I needed air to breath, that she was my everything and without her I would only be a shell of a man. I told her about our daughter, how she was so perfect, how she was the image of her and how she couldn't wait to meet her mommy.

Ruby was connected to so many machines it scared me. There were wires everywhere. She couldn't breath on her own and she had suffered severe bloodloss meaning that for forty-eight hours she was in intensive care. The trauma to her head was intensive and they didn't think she'd make it. Her body was so weak after everything she'd been through.

Thankfully, after three days in intensive care, they took the breathing apparatus out of her mouth and she was finally able to breath again. It gave me a shred of hope that my daughter wouldn't have to grow up without the most important person in her life.

Two days later, however, and she still hasn't woken up. She hasn't even moved an inch. To say I'm scared would be an understatement. I'm terrified of losing her, now more than ever.

I sit down on the chair at Ruby's bedside and take her hand in mine. I bring her hand to my lips and kiss her knuckles.

"I'm so sorry, Ruby. I'm so sorry, baby," I say, my throat tightening.

I hold my head back, trying to keep the tears from falling and take a deep breath before looking at her once more.

"I swear to you, I'm never going to let anything happen to you, or our beautiful baby girl ever again." I kiss her hand once more before standing and making my way around the bed to where my daughter is lying in her crib.

She wriggles around as I take her into my arms and hold her close. She's so tiny. I can't believe that she's finally here. She's a miracle; our miracle.

"Hey, baby girl," I coo. Her head rests in the crook of my elbow as she looks up at me with the most breathtaking clear blue eyes.

I sit down once again by Ruby's bedside, my daughter still in my arms.

"You're so beautiful," I tell her. "Just like your mommy."

Her mouth forms into a perfect little 'O' as she yawns. God, I wish Ruby would wake up so she could see our little bundle of perfection.

"Your mommy will be awake soon, baby. She can't wait to see you." Tears form in my eyes and wipe them away as I continue talking to the five day old baby in my arms.