"Mrs. McDaniel," with the arrival of the doctor the group that had been waiting in the hospital waiting room for nearing 5 and a half hours jump to their feet.
25-year-old Elizabeth McDaniel leads the group tears are all ready flowing down her cheeks as she takes in the doctor's blank expression, "is my husband all right?"
"Their were complications that we didn't foresee when your husband was brought in immediately after the accident. There was nothing anyone could have done for him, I'm truly sorry." The doctor's eyes now look sad as she watches the young woman begin to crumple to the floor only to be caught my a younger male.
Lizzie offers no sound as she begins to fall to the ground and Matt's arms reach instinctively reach out to keep his sister from hitting the floor as Mark McDaniel's mother's sobs ring through the waiting room.
Matt is the only one close enough to hear his sister's whispered words, "no, this isn't happening. Please God don't let this be happening." Lizzie turns to face Matt tears running down her cheeks, burying her head in Matt's shoulder she grips his t-shirt tightly.
"I can prescribe a mild sedative for Mrs. McDaniel to help her sleep tonight," the doctor turns toward Lizzie parents and Mark's father.
Sam nods, "thank you, that would be much appreciated."
Jo kneels down in front of her daughter and whispering gently suggests, "baby why don't you come home with your Dad and I, the doctor will give you something so that you can sleep."
Gasping for breath Lizzie shakes her head, "I need to go home, I need to be in the home Mark and I shared, please, will someone just take me there?"
Matt glances at his parents over Lizzie's head and when they nod he states, "I'll take you home Lizzie, don't worry about it." By this time Lizzie's sobs have become deeper and causing her entire body to shake, but even as she is wetting Matt's shirt her sobs are silent.
Within minutes the doctor has returned with sedatives for both Lizzie and Mark's mother. "Lizzie sweetie you need to take these OK." Jo asks offering Lizzie the pills and the small cup of water.
Without thinking Lizzie swallows the pills and within minutes has slumped against Matt asleep.
It's daylight before Lizzie even semi regains consciousness and she can hear someone moving around quietly in the bedroom room and as she wakes up everything from the night before comes flooding back to her. Getting the call from the hospital while waiting Mark to get home from working saying that he had been hit by a drunk driver and that she needed to come to the hospital immediately with the kids..."the kids!" Lizzie exclaims sitting up in bed quickly.
"Shh, Lizzie it's ok the kids are at Matt and Melina's." Miranda's reassuring voice is suddenly right beside Lizzie.
Focusing on her best-friend Lizzie questions, "Mir-miranda what are you doing here?"
Miranda sits on the bed gently and responds, "you're mother called on the way to the hospital and told me about the accident I caught the next flight here from New York and then you're mom told me...Lizzie I'm so sorry."
"I'm not going to be able to do this Miranda, there is no way, I can...it's to hard...I can't live without him. It's like breathing, I can't breathe without him. I have nothing without him..."
Miranda wraps her arms tightly around Lizzie as she whispers, "I'm going to help you get through this, OK? Whatever it takes, I'll be here for you."
"I-I haven't told anyone yet, I found out yesterday, I was going to tell Mark tonight...Miranda I'm pregnant."
Miranda's hand flies to her mouth, "oh Lizzie..."
"I don't know what to do Miranda..." Lizzie sobs into Miranda's shoulder.
"Right now we are going to take things one at a time, why don't you get a shower, you're going to feel much better if you can get a nice hot shower."
Miranda listens closely as the shower starts and picks up the phone in the kitchen and dials a phone number she knows well. "Hey I'm not home right now leave me a message and I'll get back to you as soon as I can."
"Gordo it's Miranda, listen I'm in California, Lizzie's husband was killed in an accident, I think it would help to have you there to support her. Anyway I thought you should know, I'll talk to you later." With Miranda's matter of fact words she hangs up the phone and begins looking through Lizzie's cupboards for something for Lizzie to eat.
As soon as Miranda put some soup on the stove her cell phone began ringing the tune it usually did when her husband was calling her, "I sweetie." Miranda greets.
"I honey how is everything going?" Larry asks and Miranda can tell his concern for an old friend is high.
"Not so well, Lizzie is a mess which is to be expected but I just don't know how to help her." Miranda sighs leaning against her counter.
"How are the kids?" Larry asks, speaking of Lizzie's four kids all under the age of 5.
"I don't know, I haven't seen them, their with Matt and Melina right now. Matt says they are shaken up, but she doesn't think they fully understand. She thinks the twins get it the most and Morgana gets it a little but Celestyn is oblivious. Matt said that she cried all last night for both of her parents and how much she wanted her bed. But Lizzie can barely take care of herself let alone 4 kids."
"Miranda stay as long as it takes, I have everything under control here. Maddie and I aren't making to much of a mess of the house and as soon as you let me know when the funereal is we will be there. I've talked to Ethan and Veruca also, they want to be there too."
"I'll let Lizzie know, I'm sure that will be really important to her." Miranda responds. "Listen honey I should get going, Lizzie's taking a shower and should be out soon, I want to see if I can get her to eat something."
"All right, I love you."
"I love you too." Miranda responds before hanging up. Setting her phone back in her purse Miranda stops short at the sound of a crash coming from the bathroom. Miranda rushes toward the sound to find Lizzie sprawled out on the floor.
25-year-old Elizabeth McDaniel leads the group tears are all ready flowing down her cheeks as she takes in the doctor's blank expression, "is my husband all right?"
"Their were complications that we didn't foresee when your husband was brought in immediately after the accident. There was nothing anyone could have done for him, I'm truly sorry." The doctor's eyes now look sad as she watches the young woman begin to crumple to the floor only to be caught my a younger male.
Lizzie offers no sound as she begins to fall to the ground and Matt's arms reach instinctively reach out to keep his sister from hitting the floor as Mark McDaniel's mother's sobs ring through the waiting room.
Matt is the only one close enough to hear his sister's whispered words, "no, this isn't happening. Please God don't let this be happening." Lizzie turns to face Matt tears running down her cheeks, burying her head in Matt's shoulder she grips his t-shirt tightly.
"I can prescribe a mild sedative for Mrs. McDaniel to help her sleep tonight," the doctor turns toward Lizzie parents and Mark's father.
Sam nods, "thank you, that would be much appreciated."
Jo kneels down in front of her daughter and whispering gently suggests, "baby why don't you come home with your Dad and I, the doctor will give you something so that you can sleep."
Gasping for breath Lizzie shakes her head, "I need to go home, I need to be in the home Mark and I shared, please, will someone just take me there?"
Matt glances at his parents over Lizzie's head and when they nod he states, "I'll take you home Lizzie, don't worry about it." By this time Lizzie's sobs have become deeper and causing her entire body to shake, but even as she is wetting Matt's shirt her sobs are silent.
Within minutes the doctor has returned with sedatives for both Lizzie and Mark's mother. "Lizzie sweetie you need to take these OK." Jo asks offering Lizzie the pills and the small cup of water.
Without thinking Lizzie swallows the pills and within minutes has slumped against Matt asleep.
It's daylight before Lizzie even semi regains consciousness and she can hear someone moving around quietly in the bedroom room and as she wakes up everything from the night before comes flooding back to her. Getting the call from the hospital while waiting Mark to get home from working saying that he had been hit by a drunk driver and that she needed to come to the hospital immediately with the kids..."the kids!" Lizzie exclaims sitting up in bed quickly.
"Shh, Lizzie it's ok the kids are at Matt and Melina's." Miranda's reassuring voice is suddenly right beside Lizzie.
Focusing on her best-friend Lizzie questions, "Mir-miranda what are you doing here?"
Miranda sits on the bed gently and responds, "you're mother called on the way to the hospital and told me about the accident I caught the next flight here from New York and then you're mom told me...Lizzie I'm so sorry."
"I'm not going to be able to do this Miranda, there is no way, I can...it's to hard...I can't live without him. It's like breathing, I can't breathe without him. I have nothing without him..."
Miranda wraps her arms tightly around Lizzie as she whispers, "I'm going to help you get through this, OK? Whatever it takes, I'll be here for you."
"I-I haven't told anyone yet, I found out yesterday, I was going to tell Mark tonight...Miranda I'm pregnant."
Miranda's hand flies to her mouth, "oh Lizzie..."
"I don't know what to do Miranda..." Lizzie sobs into Miranda's shoulder.
"Right now we are going to take things one at a time, why don't you get a shower, you're going to feel much better if you can get a nice hot shower."
Miranda listens closely as the shower starts and picks up the phone in the kitchen and dials a phone number she knows well. "Hey I'm not home right now leave me a message and I'll get back to you as soon as I can."
"Gordo it's Miranda, listen I'm in California, Lizzie's husband was killed in an accident, I think it would help to have you there to support her. Anyway I thought you should know, I'll talk to you later." With Miranda's matter of fact words she hangs up the phone and begins looking through Lizzie's cupboards for something for Lizzie to eat.
As soon as Miranda put some soup on the stove her cell phone began ringing the tune it usually did when her husband was calling her, "I sweetie." Miranda greets.
"I honey how is everything going?" Larry asks and Miranda can tell his concern for an old friend is high.
"Not so well, Lizzie is a mess which is to be expected but I just don't know how to help her." Miranda sighs leaning against her counter.
"How are the kids?" Larry asks, speaking of Lizzie's four kids all under the age of 5.
"I don't know, I haven't seen them, their with Matt and Melina right now. Matt says they are shaken up, but she doesn't think they fully understand. She thinks the twins get it the most and Morgana gets it a little but Celestyn is oblivious. Matt said that she cried all last night for both of her parents and how much she wanted her bed. But Lizzie can barely take care of herself let alone 4 kids."
"Miranda stay as long as it takes, I have everything under control here. Maddie and I aren't making to much of a mess of the house and as soon as you let me know when the funereal is we will be there. I've talked to Ethan and Veruca also, they want to be there too."
"I'll let Lizzie know, I'm sure that will be really important to her." Miranda responds. "Listen honey I should get going, Lizzie's taking a shower and should be out soon, I want to see if I can get her to eat something."
"All right, I love you."
"I love you too." Miranda responds before hanging up. Setting her phone back in her purse Miranda stops short at the sound of a crash coming from the bathroom. Miranda rushes toward the sound to find Lizzie sprawled out on the floor.