LOVE LIFE and VOWS by LaShawn Vasser Page B

My god, I can’t believe we’re back in a hospital again so soon after... If anything happens to her…”
    “It won’t son. They’ll be fine.”
    A half an hour later Angel cried herself to sleep and Sandy came running through the hospital emergency room doors. A few minutes after that Franklin came crashing through the doors too.
    Shirley finally convinced Jason to let her have Angel. She lay across her lap sleeping while everyone waited for news.
    Jason couldn’t sit; he couldn’t stand; he just didn’t know what to do with himself.
    Nobody could really. Miriam left her son’s side for just a moment and sat next to Shirley.
    Still rocking back and forth with Angel on her lap, Shirley whispered hoping Jason couldn’t hear her “I just found her again, Miriam. I’ve wasted so much time and I’ve already lost her mother. Children are supposed to bury the old not the other way around.”
    Miriam put her arms around her. “Shirley, Vicky and the baby are going to be fine. We have to believe that. And, neither one of us is old per se. We’re…seasoned.
    On the other end of the emergency room waiting area, Sandy stood with her arms folded across her chest, chewing on her bottom lip.
    Franklin watched Sandy try to be strong. Before he knew what he was doing he walked over to her and gathered her into his arms.
    After a moment, she whispered “What are you doing Franklin?”
    “I’m doing what I felt I wanted and needed to do.”
    Sandy’s face was buried into the side of his neck. It felt so good to have his strong arms wrapped around her again. For just a little while she wasn’t going to question it.
    “Frank…you know I hated Vicky when I first met her. It’s funny how we’ve become the best of friends, almost sister-like in such a short time.”
    “I had my suspicions of her when I met her too. It’s rare that you actually meet someone who shows you who they are and it’s the truth.”
    Franklin absentmindedly kissed Sandy on the side of her temple. He looked up just as one of the doctors came out from the surgery area.
    “Mr. Jason Rutherford?”
    Jason almost ran over to him, “Yes, that’s me. How is she? How are they?” Everyone else followed eager to hear some good news.
    “Your wife lost a lot of blood she’s in critical but stable condition. You should be able to see her in recovery in about an hour.”
    “And...my child?”
    “We’re sorry but we did all we could to save your son.”
    Miriam covered her mouth to keep the scream from escaping and John held her tight while squeezing his eyes closed trying to hold the tears at bay.
    Shirley wasn’t able to keep the pain inside and screamed out loud, “NO! Oh my god No!”
    Sandy and Franklin stood still in utter shock.
    Jason stood for a moment….then he crumbled to his knees.
     

Chapter 17
     
    No one really thought Vicky and the baby weren’t going to be fine. It was a possibility but unimaginable. However, when the surgeon said they lost the baby, the sound of Mrs. Rutherford and Aunt Shirley’s cries and then Jason’s knees buckling, was just too much. Sandy’s own tears began to fall.
    Franklin held her tighter before burying his face into hair. She felt the dampness of his tears. How could this happen?
    The Rutherford family had never experienced a loss like this. To watch his only son in such agonizing pain and not be able to do a damn thing about it was torture. His grandchild, the next generation of Rutherford’s was dead. God, how were they going to deal with this? As a family. Mr. Rutherford gave his son a few more minutes to process the news before he walked over to him and helped him up.
    Jason’s eyes were glazed over. He was still in shock.
    Mr. Rutherford wrapped his arms around his son and held him tight. He continued to pour love and strength into him until he felt his son’s soul return to his body.
    “I’m so sorry. The pain you must be feeling is unbearable. Just breathe. One breath at a time. Just one