Marry me? (BWWM ROMANCE)

Hope is still alive

" 5 hours" Opal whispered. "O, please." Brendan sighed trying to grasp her hand before she went off the deep end. "It doesn't take 5 hours to stabilize a patient who OD, and it certainly doesn't take 5 hours to give us an update," Opal spoke in a hushed but angered tone. "We aren't family they don't have to tell us anything and a lot of the time they don't." Brendan continued being the voice of reason. "No, they can't tell us important details they can at least tell us if he is alive or not." Opal stood from the Hospital seat and began to pace. "O, I have been here before trust me they will give us an update soon," Brendan explained once more, before noticing that Opal has been avoiding looking directly at him. "Why are you doing that?" Brendan asked "Doing what?" she replied curiously. "You look at me for five seconds and look away" Brendan answered, "I'm not doing that" she lied. "Opal, don't lie to me. Not after everything we've gone through" Brendan said. "Okay," she sighed and took her seat next to Brendan "I can't look at you without thinking about how that could have been you," she explained choked up by her imagination. "Opal, that part of my life came and went. I'm better not" Brendan tried to reassure her. "Yes, I know that. I can't look at you without imagining you being in that room lying on the table, fighting for your life. I keep picturing you sticking needle after needle in your body. Giving up a little more with every single high. I keep imagining that all of this happened and I wasn't here for you." Opal's dam broke, as she crumbled into tears. "Opal" Brendan gathered her up in his arms. " I know my past is scary. Believe me. I still have nightmares about my highs that have gone wrong, but we can't dwell on them. We have to move forward." Brendan hated that she was here. He hated that he was there, again. The only thing he could be proud of at this moment was at least he was on the other side of the door. "I need to call my mom, and I have to check on the kids." Opal stood and headed for the door. ' I would give anything to set her mind at ease, but I've seen this all before. Honestly, I don't know if our man is going to make it.' Brendan thought to himself while watching Opal walk away. "Sir," Brendan heard a soft tone and looked up at a young nurse in a red and blue smock. "Yeah" Brendan shot up ready for an answer.

"Yeah, Mom we probably won't be back for a little while." Opal finished explaining (as much of the story that she was comfortable with) her situation to her mother. "Opal, don't you worry about a thing. It's in God's hands." Opal wished she could say her mother's words gave her comfort. She wished she could put her faith so blindly into an omniscient being. However, as she heard Brendan's approaching footsteps, she felt her faith grow cold. "Mom, ill call you back" Opal reluctantly hung up and prepared herself for the worse. "Opal, I'm sorry" Brendan sighed "No, no, no. Please tell me he's okay." Opal pleaded "They did all they could" Brendan let a tear slip. "Oh God" Opal covered her mouth in shock, and she is no stranger to death. She had who she couldn't save, but it was never anyone too close to her. Never anyone who could control her future. She waited for the tears to come, but all that happened was overwhelming numbness. She couldn't feel anything, too be honest she didn't want to.

Cold, was the only word that came to mind while Brendan drove home. He tried to think of something to say, anything to ease the tension. Opal was distraught at the Hospital, and now would be the chance to cheer her up. When he looked at her, he knew that the last thing she needed was an empty platitude, and that was all he had to offer. 'Think Brendan. DAMMIT. She needs you. What can you do now?' Brendan hated his inability to give the one person he loved any hope. "Brendan" Opal's voice broke through his thoughts. "Yeah Babe?" He asked "You passed my Mom's" Opal explained without a hint of emotion in her voice. "Damn I'm sorry baby. I can turn around" Brendan began to back up " No I'll walk it's not far."

Opal exited the car and walked to get the kids. "God Dammit" Brendan punched the steering wheel 'I need to think of something, okay so Louis is gone. We need someone else someone who the mother's wishes. Or at least the fathers.' Brendan thought hard for an angle he could use, then like a bolt of lightning one word came to mind. "Ashley," Brendan said to himself. "Honey, can you help me?" Opal asked while buckling Adam into his car seat. "Yeah, I got you" Brendan helped get the kids situated and drove home, feeling a new purpose overtake him.