Troy sat there, silently, waiting for her to say something….or at least open her eyes and move…something that showed that she was alive. Her beautiful chocolate brown hair was pushed out of her face, her lips staying still, not even quivering with every breath she took.
"Mr. Bolton, there's someone I would like you to meet." a nurse said, wheeling in a cart that served as a bassinet to a beautiful baby girl wrapped in a pink blanket. Troy tried to smile, but his face was too sore from shock. He took the baby in his arms, rocking her back and forth beside her mother.
"You look just like your mother….did you know that? You have her eyes and her nose……girl, you have her whole face." he told the baby playfully, smiling as a tear dripped down his face, landing on the baby's tiny hand. "You're so……amazing." Troy huffed, catching his breath.
"Sorry to interrupt your father-daughter bonding, but this little guy was getting lonely." another nurse replied, pushing over another cart holding a baby boy. As she left, Troy picked the boy up and held the two babies in his arms, wishing she would wake up from her sleep to see him juggling the little beings.
"Twins….wow. How are we going to do this?" he asked, eyeing his children as they squirmed in his hands. "But daddy is gonna do this. You guys have faith in me, right?"
"Of course they do." a voice answered. Troy jumped in his seat, scared to death. He turned to find the whole group filing into the room, filling it to it's maximum capacity. He smiled, glancing back at the babies.
"They're beautiful." Taylor whispered behind him, placing her hand on his shoulder. "Do they have names?"
"Yeah. The girl is Zoey Marie and the boy is Charlie Alexander." he nodded as Taylor indicated that she wanted to hold one. He handed her Charlie and then handed Zoey to Chad, who was standing near by.
"She's perfect." Chad told him as the girl wrapped her hand around his index finger. "They're both perfect." Sighs and muffled cries filled the room as silence conquered the atmosphere.
"We're here for you….you know that, right? Anything you need…." Kelsi said barely audible. She moved closer to Jason, hugging him tighter with every second that passed.
"I know. Thanks guys….for everything. I don't know what I would do without you." Troy commented, receiving both babies from his friends. He, momentarily, placed them back into their temporary bassinets and hugged each of his friends, thanking them silently. Back to silence, he thought, sitting back down by her bedside.
"I hope we're not interrupting anything…." a high-pitched wish broke the uncomfortable silence as Troy looked up to see his parents making their way over to him.
"No, no. They just came in….here." he answered, watching his mom and dad die over the sight of their grandchildren. "This is Zoey Marie and this…is Charlie Alexander." Troy pointed them out.
"Those are wonderful names. They're so cute." his mom cooed, then focusing on her broken son. "Troy….I'm so,"
"Please, mother, don't. At least not now." he stopped her, turning back to the body lying in the bed.
"Excuse me, but the twins need their baths and then they need to be checked up on….eventually being fed. That's not a problem, is it?" a nurse waltzed into the room, taking the children away after getting the approval of their father.
"I-I….I don't know what to say, son. Other than I'm sorry." his father said, pulling him into a hug in which his mother added to. Troy refused to let his parents get to him….he had children now, he had to be strong for them. "We're gonna head out now, okay? Call us if you need anything…please." Troy nodded, returning back to the uncomfortable silence that lingered in the room. He resumed his place of the bedside chair. He grabbed the soft hand that laid still, squeezing it tightly.
"Well, they're here……and they're perfect. Zoey, the girl, looks just like you Gabs…..she has your eyes, pretty much your whole face." he laughed, kissing her hand. "The boy, Charlie, he……well, I don't know who he looks like. I think he has my eyes, though….I'll give you that." he paused, swallowing his tears. "The gang stopped by. Chad and Taylor even held the babies, they were so comfortable with them. My parents just left and your mom stopped by briefly to see them, they were all so proud. I-I just wish you were here to see it." Troy hung his head, her hand touching his forehead. His pain finally surfaced, tears emerging like rockets being shot. "I don't know how I'm gonna do this without you, Gabi. I mean, how am I supposed to know what's wrong when they cry or what kind of trouble they're getting themselves into….that's your job. I was supposed to be the cool dad, the one that gave them cool toys and gadgets or the one that taught them basketball. I don't think I can do it." Now, Troy was sobbing, soaking the blanket in tears.
"You'll do fine. I know it." her voice filled the room. Troy whipped around to find her glowing in a white, satin dress.
"Gabriella…." he answered, shooting up out of his seat.
"It's me. I'm so sorry, baby. But, I know you can do this……you're so strong. Plus, you've got all our friends and our parents….they'll do anything to help." she nodded, inching closer to him.
"Please tell me that you're not dead….that you're gonna come back to me and to our children because they need you. I need you…..I love you." he whispered, pulling her closer by her waist. His hands rested on her hips, as hers rested on his shoulders. She shook her head……she was gone forever. "No, no. You can't be………this must be a dream or something. I've got to wake up…it's just a nightmare, that's all." Troy started to panic, still holding Gabi's waist as he pinched himself or slapped his face….some form of waking up.
"No…it's not. But, you're going to be a great father to those two little kids, our children. And I'll always be with you……in here." Gabreilla said, placing her hand over his heart. He smiled, tearing up again as he looked into her teddy bear eyes.
"You did it, babe. They're so perfect…I'm so proud of you." Troy told Gabi after the delivery of the twins. She smiled faintly, closing her eyes slowly. Troy just thought that she was resting, but a loud beeping noise filled the room, sending the room into chaos. "Gabi….Gabi? What's going on? Gabriella, can you hear me!" Nurses and doctors rushed beside her, pushing Troy into a corner.
"Sir, we need to wait out in the hallway…" a resident ordered, but Troy refused. "Please, just until we know what's going on." The resident pushed Troy out into the sea of friends and family waiting in the hall.
"She's my wife! Please, you have to let me in!" he shouted through the glass window. Fear took over his body as he turned to face his friends and his parents, crashing to the ground.
"What's going on?" Ms. Montez asked scared. Troy shrugged and she started to cry up against one of the plain, white walls.
"What do you mean you don't know what's going on? Is it something bad?" Sharpay replied in horror. No one responded, leaving her question unanswered until an orderly appeared before them.
"Mr. Bolton…." she said as Troy gathered himself off the ground. There was a moment of anxiety and fear in what she was going to say next. "I'm so, so sorry." That's all it took to push him off the edge. They all stood there in shock, eventually crying, realizing that Gabriella would never grace them with her presence again.
"You're joking, right? I mean she was fine a minute ago……she just had twins!" he shouted upset. The orderly didn't care to explain, she knew he was just venting. He held his hands up to his head, spinning around, trying to grasp the idea of his wife dead. "I…what…..how……I have to go somewhere." He turned his back and left the ward, going outside for some fresh air. His hair blew in the wind and he swore he could hear her whisper an "I love you" to him. His emotions swirled inside of him, tears began to run down his face and his body trembled. "Why did you have to die, Gabi? Why leave me here clueless?"
"She didn't want to go, you know that…" Chad came up behind him. Troy glanced over at him….he just wanted to be alone.
"I don't know how I'm gonna do this, man. Twins!...I have to raise twins by myself." he broke down as Chad hugged him, offering his support.
"We'll all pitch in. Whatever you need, we'll be there." Chad answered, slapping Troy on the back, as Troy nodded.
"Troy, are you okay?" Gabriella brought him back to reality. Troy looked at her sarcastically.
"My wife is dead and I have to raise twins. You really think I'm okay?" he said as she chuckled. He sighed. "I miss that. I miss this, you. Why, baby, why?" Gabi turned her head away so she was facing the window and then looked down at her body lying in the bed beside Troy.
"I don't know. You were talking to me and then the next thing I know, I'm here, right now with you looking at my body. Just know that I love you so much and tell the twins that I love them. Never let them forget that, okay?" she answered, pulling Troy into a deep, passionate kiss.
"I defiantly miss that." he whispered in her hair as she pulled away slowly.
"I do too. But I have to go….." she began.
"No, please. Stay with me……" he interrupted, pulling her back to him and gave her another kiss. But, she quickly broke it.
"I love you so….so much. And I love our children. I'll always be with you, never forget me." she said softly.
"I could never forget you. I love you." he started to cry again, now I get to lose her all over again, he thought as she faded away, repeating "I love you". And then she was gone….again. He returned to the chair and looked at the frail body as reality finally sunk in………
He was alone, well he had two kids…..but not Gabriella.
A/N: I don't know if I should continue this. If I did, then there would be one more scene with the twins as babies and then it would go to years later. What do you think?