"Live Forever" | The Re-Animator's Family Story

10

Herbert swiftly pulled into a parking space closest to the hospital's Emergency Room entrance. Charlotte was taking deep breaths as she could feel her contractions starting. She looked over at Herbert; he clenched onto his shoulder where he was stabbed, he was still bleeding out, wincing from the pain. He pushed through his pain; he got out of the car, running around it to open Charlotte's door. She took his hand as she carefully stood up on her feet. Herbert wrapped his good arm around Charlotte to help her quickly walk to the building. He could feel blood still coming out of him, he held back his gasps. Charlotte could tell he was in pain.

"Herbert, stop," Charlotte stopped. "You're going to hurt yourself even more by trying to help me. I'm okay, I promise." 

Herbert looked at Charlotte. He didn't care about his pain, he just wanted to make sure she and the baby were safe. But in order for him to take care of them, he had to take care of himself as well. He let her go, and applied pressure onto his shoulder, letting that arm hang limp. Charlotte moved around him to hold his open hand, comforting him ever so slightly. He smiled at her, kissing her forehead, before the continued their walk into the hospital. Charlotte continued to breathe deep and hold onto her bump as she could feel the contractions become more intense.

"Excuse me!" Herbert yelled as the two entered the ER. "I have a pregnant woman in labor!"

"And Dr. West is badly injured!" Charlotte yelled, her voice cracking from a contraction.

Two nurses rushed over to assist them. One taking Herbert, one rushing over with a wheelchair for Charlotte. Herbert then looked panicked as he and Charlotte were to soon be separated. Charlotte could see his panic, and quickly reached up and grabbed his hand while she was being seated in the wheelchair.

"Honey, I'll be fine, okay?" Charlotte reassured the worried Father-to-be. He looked down at her, her eyes sparkled with fear, but also hope. "We'll be fine. You get all patched up, then come find me." Herbert carefully knelt down in front of Charlotte, putting a hand on her stomach.

"Please stay in there until I'm there to see you," Herbert spoke to his baby still inside of Charlotte. She smiled and caressed his cheek, he leaned up to kiss her soft lips once more before standing up and watching her be quickly wheeled off towards the maternity ward. He could here her groans of pain as she turned the corner, disappearing from his view.

Herbert was escorted quickly down to an ER room to be looked at. He was made to remove his shirt and neck-tie, both being covered in blood. Since he was continuously bleeding out, he was lucky to have a doctor see him right away. The stab went all the way through him, and at such and angle that he only sustained a bruised collarbone and dislocation of his shoulder socket. Nurses cleaned up his wounds, and a doctor sewed together the gashes on either side. Herbert gripped the bedsheets as he felt tie off the last stitch. 

"Dr. West, there is someone here to see you," a nurse poked her head into Herbert's room as nurses were bandaging up his stitches, wrapping them around his shoulder, and under his armpits for minimal movement.

He looked up, confused about who would know he's in the hospital. He was surprised to see Dan Cain turn the walk through the door with a smile on his face. Herbert's eyes widened.

"Dan?" He was in utter disbelief. "W-what are you doing here? How did you know I'd be here?"

"I was discharged early," Dan gushed. "I went home to surprise you guys, but you weren't home, so I just assumed you'd be at the hospital. Imagine my surprise to hear that Dr. West was in the ER getting treated... what the hell happened to you?" 

"I visited my twin brother," Herbert responded coldly, seeing the confusion on Dan's face. "It's a long story."

"O-okay, I'll just act like that wasn't completely new information then," Dan stated sarcastically. "Where's Charlotte?" Herbert looked up at Dan as he sat in a chair besides the bed Herbert was sitting on; Dan could see worry in the smaller man's eyes. "She's okay, right?"