Strictly Professional

66: Stella

NIALL
Running Up That Hill-Placebo

I watched her through it all. I saw the relief washing over her face once the doctor told us our baby was alright. I watched her giving in to the exhaustion that had been lulling her to close her eyes since the doctor made the first incision. There was too much blood from that point on, I couldn't even stomach looking towards the work the doctor was doing until the baby was out. I couldn't see her in her incubator with all those people around her, and I couldn't see Elle's eyes once she gave in and closed them, the heart monitor beeping frantically the second she did.

"Get him out!" Dr. Garcia shouted at no one in particular, taking surgical rags she was being handed and trying to soak up blood. I was over feeling sick at the sight of that, my absolute terror of what was going on making me forget all about my fear of it.

"What's happening?" I squeezed Elle's hand tighter, but two nurses were already by each of my sides, ushering me to move. Wide eyed, the doctor craned her neck to look at me as I was led towards the door. I didn't fight back. I was too terrified and confused to be aware of my body or anything else around me. I had to give up my grip on Elle's hand, my heart thumping in my chest as I watched it fall motionless on the bed by her head. She wasn't even wearing her ring. They had her take it off before coming in here.

"Please go to the waiting room Niall. I'll be out soon." I had reached the door before she was even done with the sentence, the tall male nurse that accompanied me asking me to step out as the second one left to return to her work.

"Page Dr. Patel." Those were the last words that reached my ears before the door closed again, sealing away any sound from the surgery room.

"What's going on? Why did I have to leave? Why is she unconscious?" Agitation clouded my mind as I made an effort to push past the nurse and surge for the door again. They had probably expected that though, the nurse managing to hold me back with no problem.

"Mr. Horan, Dr. Garcia and Dr. Patel will do everything the can to ensure all goes well. The best you can do to help is remain in the waiting room until there are news. Your daughter will be looked over our best neonatologist and your wife will be taken care of." I barely listened to any of those words, my gaze locked on Elle as they removed the folding screen they had over her, flattening the back of the bed and putting an oxygen mask on her. The nurse stepped in front of me then, blocking my view of the room completely. My throat went dry, my knees close to giving out and my hands shaking.

"Follow me, Mr. Horan." With a hand on my shoulder, the nurse made me turn around and walk out of the prep room. I was instructed to take all of the disposable surgery equipment off before it was taken from me, thrown into a large bin. I felt lost, powerless, useless. I didn't speak, and I didn't try to go back as I was led to the waiting room by a different nurse. I was once again instructed to stay there, once again reassured that everything was okay. I mindlessly nodded. I didn't believe any of them. All I knew was that the last I saw of my daughter was her being placed in an incubator, the last I saw of my wife was her lying unconscious on a surgical bed. I didn't bother looking at where I was going once I was into a loud room, chatter filling my ears from all around.

"Niall!" The near scream in a female voice of my name was the only thing that had me tearing my attention from the carpeted floor. I released a heavy breath once I finally saw some familiar faces. Bri and Liam rushed towards me, both wide eyed in concern and surprise that we were here, that I was there alone. They reached me, both filled with worry and confusion.

"Is everything okay?" Liam asked, his hand on my shoulder. I looked between both of them, seeing the genuine distress they were both under. They had both been Elle's friends for so many years, been there with her through changes in her life. They never had to, but they had grown to be my friends too. I had no idea how they ended up here, how they knew where to go. It didn't matter to me. All that mattered was that they came, that they cared about her. That they'd go to the ends of the earth for her. Just like I would.