What Could Have Been

Chapter 3

The next day they had a lot of fun in the city. They visited The Steel Pier, The Boardwalk, Absecon Lighthouse, Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City Art Center and The Museum at Ross'a insistence. They clicked pictures, walked around, ate a lot of food, shopped for a bit and rekindled their friendships.

Before leaving for home on Sunday, the guys and the girls went separately. The girls went to the spa and the guys went to get some more food.

"So, how are things with Rachel? Are you still feeling that you love her?" Joey asked Ross eating a slice of pizza.

"Yes Joey, because that's what it was. I was being stupid and feeling that I love her" Ross said sarcastically and Chandler laughed.

"No seriously man, what's up?" Chandler asked.

"I love her more and more with every passing day. I don't know what to do" Ross said hopelessly.

"Can you believe it? You have been in love with her for over fifteen years" Joey said with a laugh. Joey couldn't fathom being romantically in love with someone for so long.

"Of course I can believe it, I am the one loving her. What is wrong with you?" Ross asked frustrated.

Meanwhile at the spa the girls had a similar conversation going on.

"Ross is so sweet, you know? He shopped with me yesterday, waited outside the dressing rooms and all. This trip reminds me why we were together" Rachel said.

"So are you going to get together again?" Monica asked excited. Ross and Rachel were her OTP.

"No no no. It won't work. You know about my job offer, guys. The boys don't. Ross will never be able to deal with it" Rachel said thinking about the job Louis Vuitton had offered her.

"When are you going to tell them, Rach?" Phoebe asked.

"When I know what I am going to do about it, Pheebs. You both know I don't know if I am taking it or not. I have Emma and you guys in the equation" Rachel said. She didn't know if she was going to accept the job or not and she didn't want to give Ross any false hopes of forever.

"Decide faster, Rach. They really don't deserve to be kept in the dark" Monica said. She loved Rachel but her indecisive nature tended to hurt the people closest to her.

"I will tell them when we get home" Rachel said suddenly.

"Really?" they both asked surprised.

"Yep. Maybe, they can help me decide what I should do" Rachel said shrugging. They had to help her decide, she couldn't deal with this uncertainty any more.

After getting coffee and lunch they all met at their hotel. They still had an hour to their departure. The boys told them about their day at the restaurant and the arcade and girls told them about theirs. They decided to leave early because they had nothing else to do.

Chandler drove the car while Monica sat shotgun. They were all singing songs and laughing when out of nowhere a truck came in front of their car and Chandler swerved right to save them and the car crashed into the tree from the passenger's side. The  air was filled with screams and all of them except Rachel blacked out. She was barely conscious because she sat the farthest from the crash spot in the car and stayed awake long enough to dial 911 and then blacked out.

************

Five of the six woke up in the hospital with Rachel getting just a bruise at the back of her head and her arm and Phoebe ended up with a minor concussion.

Ross had a fractured leg and a bruised head while Joey had a bruised abdomen and hairline fractures in his arm and leg.

The worst were Chandler and Monica. Chandler had a major concussion and two fractures in his leg and arm. His abdomen was bruised and his eye was swollen shut. Monica had not yet woken up. She had faced the direct impact of the accident.

"How is she, doctor?" the five asked the doctor. Ross and Joey were  in wheelchairs because of their fractured legs with Phoebe and Rachel supporting them and Chandler was in bed.

"She has a concussion and fractures in both arms and a leg. She will be alright after some rest" the doctor said.

"What about the baby doctor?"

"She had faced a direct blow to her abdomen and we had to perform a surgery to stop the internal bleeding and I am really sorry Mr. Bing but she lost the baby" the doctor said and they all gasped.

Chandler started crying. He had finally gotten ready to become a father and this is what happened. He could never forgive himself for depriving her of the one thing she had always wanted. They had gotten pregnant after so much of difficulties and now she had miscarried and that too because of him. He had killed his child and he couldn't imagine how hurt Monica is going to be when she gets to know what has happened.

When the doctor told them about her condition, they all had tried comforting him. He did not deserve it, he had killed his child. He wanted to stay alone so here he was, in his room, alone, as he deserved to be.

"She is awake" Phoebe barged into the room after a few hours.

"I can't face her. Tell her, I died in the accident. I have killed her child, Pheebs" he said and started to cry again.

"Chandler, hey listen. I know this is hard but yoy saved us all. It is really hard right now and I understand but you have to be with Monica right now. She doesn't know yet. You both have to face this together"

"Put me in the wheelchair" Chandler asked.

After getting into a wheelchair, she wheeled him to Monica's room.

"Hey, honey. How are you feeling?" she asked as soon as she saw him.

"I am okay" he said smiling at her but unable to meet her eyes.

"What's wrong?" she asked and all of them left the room uncomfortably for them to talk alone.

"I am a killer Mon" he said holding her hand and crying.

"What are you talking about? I just saw all of them. You saved us all" she said confused.

"Not all of us. Not our baby. I couldn't save it. I killed it" he said sobbing harder.

"No!" Monica yelled and started crying. She snatched her hand away and turned away from him leaving both of them hurting.