"She can't breathe" Mary said, realising her sisters impending fate. She stood slowly back, struggling to take it all in. She phased out, watching her mother and her brother in law sobbing at her sister's bedside. No. This cannot be happening. Her darling baby sister, Sybil, was dead. Everyone was crying and she just couldn't seem to produce any tears. Mary was too shocked and numb to feel anything. She heard a few muffled words but none of it went in. Then something brought her round.
A cry, a wail from down the hall. Everyone went silent. Her head instinctively turned to the door, as did other people's when they heard the cry. Oh how innocent, that poor baby girl, too young to realise she'd just lost her mother. That poor darling girl. Mary shook her head in despair and looked towards Matthew briefly. His face was drained of any emotion, except for pure horror and disbelief, gripping tightly onto the bedpost.
"I should go to her" came Mary's voice, quieter than intended. A small nod from her father gave her the signal to exit.
Mary walked briskly down the corridor until she came to the nursery door. She paused. Mary pushed the door open gently, walking into the dimly lit room towards the cot. The baby was still crying. She reached down and gently lifted her, swaddling her in blankets and holding her close.
"Shh... Shh... It's okay, your aunty Mary's here" she bobbed her up and down, kissing her head, attempting to comfort her crying niece, "I know you probably want your Mama right now" her voice cracked, "Just know that your mother loved you very, very much my sweet darling". The baby's crying slowed, and she was starting to fall asleep in Mary's arms. A tear ran down her cheek.
"Mary?" came a voice from the door; she instantly recognised it as her husband's. She wiped the tears from her face and tried to sound composed.
"Would you like to see your niece darling?" her composure was starting to crumble, "She's beautiful, just like her mother" she smiled at Matthew, a sad smile. She heard his footsteps approach behind her.
"I agree." his voice sounded so sad, "she really is." he hugged Mary from behind.
They stayed like that for a few more minutes in silence, just holding the baby, holding each other. Mary then handed the baby to Matthew and made her excuses that she was going to bed. He said he would join her soon, and not to wait up for him, not that he expected her to sleep at all. He wondered what his and Mary's children would look like. He smiled sadly, clutching baby Branson closer to his chest.
"I'll take her now Matthew"
Matthew turned towards the voice to see Tom stood leaning against the doorway, his eyes red and his hair messy. He couldn't even begin to imagine what he was going through. Matthew simply nodded at him and handed him his daughter.
"I'm going to name her Sybil" Tom announced, stroking his sleeping daughter's cheek, still crying.
Matthew reached forward and hugged Tom as he began to sob harder, clutching Sybil closer. He had never seen a man so hurt, so broken. This was going to be a long journey.
"You know, Sybil was convinced it was a boy, she really was. But I knew, I knew we had a girl, from the very beginning." Tom lifted his head slightly, looking at his precious daughter.
Matthew stayed there a while with Tom and baby Sybil.
Matthew had left the nursery a couple of minutes ago and he was now heading back to his bedroom. He wondered if Mary had gotten to sleep yet, he'd been sat with Tom in the nursery for the past half an hour or so. He approached the door and slowly opened it. Mary was lay on the bed on her side, facing away from the door, on top of the duvet. He wasn't sure whether she was awake or not. He called her name, with no answer. She must be asleep, he thought. Matthew slipped off his robe and lay it on the chair. He then made his way round to her side of the bed so her could tuck her under the covers, to find her eyes were wide open, staring blankly at the wall, expressionless.
"Darling?" Matthew said softly, bending down slightly.
"My baby sister is dead" she continued staring at the wall.
"Oh my darling, come here." Matthew climbed into the bed, pulling her into a warm embrace.
"That poor child" she sobbed, clutching at her husband's pyjama shirt.
Which child she meant, Sybil or baby Sybil she wasn't sure of. Matthew just held her close while she sobbed, holding her head to his chest, kissing her hair. Matthew felt tears running down his cheeks also. He eventually brought the covers over them, as Mary continued to cry herself to sleep. Matthew just held her.