Fanboy (boyxboy)

Break My Fall

"Ko-ey sick. Dada fix it."

"They're going to try," Adam nodded. He wasn't sure if it was possible but how could he say that to Hannah?

"This shouldn't be happening to them," Cole hadn't taken his eyes off Chloe since the social worker had shown them over to the NICU.

"I know, we should have..." Adam stopped before he finished his thought. Cole put his arm around Adam and kissed Hannah's cheek.

"Are you hungry, little one?"

"No," Hannah patted Cole's cheek. "See Ko-ey? Mine siser."

"Yes, I see Chloe," Cole nodded.

"Dada cryin?"

"Look who's here," Cole turned Hannah away from the window just as Brent hid his face to cry. Maddox's mom Clara and his sister Emily were coming down the hall. Emily was busy signing paperwork which she handed off to the hospital worker before she went right into the nursery.

"Gma," Hannah's face lit up. "See Ko-ey!"

"That's right," Clara took Hannah from Adam. "I'm here to see Chloe. Look how sweet your baby sister is."

"Siser. So peety."

"She is pretty, you're right. The most beautiful baby in the room," Clara obviously spoke toddler way better than Adam. Hannah looked so proud.

"Why sad?"

"Because Chloe's sick and it makes daddies sad when their babies are sick," Clara didn't even hesitate.

"Can hug Dada?"

"As soon as he comes out here. I bet he would like that a lot."

"My mom is asking about Chloe," Cole looked at his phone. "What do I even say?"

"Just tell her the truth," Clara kissed Hannah's forehead. "Facts only. She'll be devastated enough."

"What about the fact my brother is a useless-"

"She already knows," Clara interrupted before Cole could finish his sentence. "She doesn't need that from you right now."

Brent came out of the nursery a few minutes later and took Hannah. She asked him all the same questions she'd just asked Clara. Brent said pretty much the same thing as Clara, he just looked lost and unsure.

"We should go," Cole took Adam's hand. "We need to talk to my mom."

Adam didn't want to leave but Brent gave him a hug and promised to keep him updated if there was any news. He still had the same lost look on his face, like he didn't even know what to feel. Adam felt his heart breaking as he took one last look at Chloe before he and Cole left.

"We made the wrong choice," Adam got into the car with Cole. "We should never have put them through this."

"I know what you mean. It's not our fault though, Adam, don't start that," Cole squeezed his hand. "We had to think about the future."

"I am, I'm thinking I can't handle it if she doesn't make it," Adam broke down. "We could have saved them all this pain."

"I love you so much for thinking that, but can we blame the real problem here? I'm going to skin my brother alive."

"I'd better not see him."

"Imagine seeing him in the rearview mirror though. As we leave his ass at some military school."

"Hm," Adam wasn't going to believe it until he saw it.

No matter what Cole said, Adam couldn't shake the guilt. He just kept picturing the tiny baby, so small she could fit in one of Maddox's hands. She was so small and helpless. What were the odds she could survive? What if she didn't?