The Joxes

Chapter 2

Her eyes were still, done blinking unsteady and frantically like a hyperactive spaz. Her head was slumped over as she slept for hours, healing from giving birth for twenty hours. It was rough at first, but after they got the baby turned around and the umbilical cord from around his neck, everything once went normal. I stayed stationed next to her frail body as she softly breathed for the both of us. I hadn't heard any news from our baby, my son. I was planning on going down to the infirmaries and demanding answers, but Elena needed me first.

When my son was born, my heart irradiated until they said he was too still. Elena's going to be heartbroken if she finds out the baby was stillborn. Eight months in the womb and just carrying around a dead body is traumatizing. Once my son was born and growing, I was going to be the father I never had. Just the thought of having another life in my hands was something I looked forward to. When he turned seven- or six, I was going to introduce him to sports and see if he likes it. My son would make grand choices and then learn how to handle the business once he grew older. So many plans I had for him. So many proposals we had and now they're on pause until further information about his current state.

"Hey..." Elena sighs, weakly opening her eyes. She reaches for my hand and rests her cold hand upon my shaking balled fist. "Are you ok?"

I held her hand and tried my best to replace the frozen feeling of her palm with my heat energy. "Yeah, I'm fine if you are."

She gives me a weak smile. "Yes. I am fine. I don't want you worrying about him. He's going to live."

I didn't want to be a pessimist, but she had no idea. It looked bad. "How do you know?"

She smiles, "A mother knows her child and he's a Jox. He's a fighter." Instead of the other way around, she was comforting me of my worries and concerns. She was the optimist out of this and I was the worrying mess.

I kiss her hand and she closes her eyes, succumbing to the medicine they put her under to sleep away pain. I wish they shot me with it because having nothing tell me everything was going to be ok was overwhelming. Usually I'm calm in drastic situations, but this is a life or death issue that won't resolve my anxiety if things go awry. I need Elena and my son to survive now. Elena was my one oxygen tank, but if my son dies, my other lung will give out and Elena can't heal both alone.
.................................
"Mr. Jox," A doctor shakes me awake as I prompt my head to sleep.

It felt like it had been weeks since I haven't slept and it felt good to. I looked around and saw an empty bed before me. Elena was missing and it was made too perfect. How long have I been out? "Um... Where's Elena?" I asked, looking at the untouched bed that was tucked neatly.

"Well she was able to be discharged today," he informs. "She's still here, but she told me not to wake you because you haven't had sleep in a couple weeks, due prior to your son."

I looked down, wanting to avoid the fact that he could be dead. "Where is Elena?"

"I can take you to her." He starts walking towards the doorway and I almost sprint after him. Why didn't I know Elena was getting discharged today?

I followed the doctor through the wide corridors and saw nurses and doctors transporting from one room to another in seconds. I wasn't fully awaken when the bright lights hit my eyes and awoken me. I followed the doctor into the elevator and he took us to the fifth floor of the hospital. What's on the fifth floor? It was silent between us as he didn't want to speak to me and I wasn't in the mood to speak to anyone. The ride in the elevator levitated us with devastating and heavy heartbeats as I wished Elena hadn't left without me.

Ding, the elevator indicated we've reached our destination. The doctor escorts me out of the elevator and to the right, down a busy hallway with people staring through a window. They were staring at a display of babies, squirming in their cribs with their names attached to easily identify them. Elena was nowhere to be found and it struck to me she'd be the first one to be scanning.