Family Matters The Most
Episode 2: "When Tragedy Strikes"
AN: This chapter is 2 months earlier and Merliah passes away. Gonna need tissues for this one. I sobbed a bit.
Two months earlier, July, 6th, 2015, Zack and Merliah's home, 9:45pm
Merliah Everleigh Martin, 21, married to Zack Martin, mother of their three children, Everleigh and Evangeline, 6, Watson, 6 months old. She is also 6 months pregnant with their twin daughters, Joselyn and Jessa. They haven't decided on middle names yet. Merliah got pregnant almost immediately after Watson's birth. Watson would be 9 months old when the girls are born. She was taking care of her daughter, Evangeline, who is sick. She walked into the bathroom after placing her into her bed and kissing her head. "Mommy has to pick up some medicine for you, baby."
Evangeline coughed a little. "Okay, Mommy." She slowly fell asleep in her bed.
Merliah walked into her baby boy's nursery, looking into his crib and smiled. "I love you, baby boy." She headed downstairs to see Everleigh still up as she was getting her car keys and jacket on.
Everleigh frowned. "Mommy, where are you going?" She wrapped her arms around her stomach, hugging her. "Mommy, please stay…"
Merliah laughed as Everleigh wrapped her arms around her waist. "I love you, angel. But Mommy's gotta go to the pharmacy for your sister. Eva's not feeling well, sweetheart. I'll be back. I promise."
Everleigh nodded. "Okay, Mommy."
Merliah sighed as she yelled for her husband of five years. "Zack! Come get Everleigh. She won't let me leave."
Zack walked out of the kitchen. "Alright, sweetheart." He walked over and picked up Everleigh. "Why don't you hang out with me tonight?"
Merliah shook her head. "She's got to get to bed..." She saw them both pout. "Fine. Just don't wake Watson or Eva. I finally got them to sleep." She kissed Zack. "No scary movies, Zachary."
Zack kissed her back. "Alright, honey. No scary movies."
Everleigh rolled her eyes, closing her eyes. "Ewww!"
Merliah laughed as she pulled away. "Alright. I'm going. Bye. I love you both."
Zack smiled. "Love you more."
Everleigh smiles. "I love you too, Momma."
Merliah opened the door and smiled at them as she walked downstairs to her car, hoping in and heading to the pharmacy for her daughter. She was heading to her way to go when a drunk driver slammed into her car head on, she groaned in pain as she tried to keep her eyes open. She placed a hand on her belly. "Don't close your eyes. You have to make it. You have three little ones and a husband at home...The babies need you to stay alive..."
An ambulance rushed to the scene and safely got her on the ambulance and rushed her to the hospital with head injuries, internal injuries and broken bones. She was rushed into the operating room to deliver the twins for their safety.
Meanwhile with Zack, who was at home with his children when he suddenly got a call at 10:00. "Hello?"
Nurse sighed. "May I speak to Zack Martin?"
Zack nodded. "Yes, this is, Zack. What's going on? Why are you calling me?"
Nurse sighed deeply. "Your wife, Merliah was rushed to the hospital 10 minutes ago. She's not doing too well. We need you down here. The twins are okay, but we may need to deliver them because Merliah is in such bad condition right now."
Zack's eyes widened. He was speechless for a minute but then he snapped out of it. "Alright I'm coming." He nodded. "Thank you for letting me know." He then hung up and dialled his mother's number. "Mom!"
Carey picked up almost a minute later. "Zack? Is everything okay? It's 10 at night!"
Zack nodded. "Mom, will you please get here because I have to go to the hospital because they're delivering the babies right now and Mer's in a bad condition." He could barely get the words out he was crying so much.
Carey nodded. "Oh my God. Okay, I'm on my way! I'll call Cody for you. He's just 10 minutes from you. I'm an hour away. It might take me a while to get there."
Zack nodded his head. "Please, just get here as soon as you can..."
Carey nodded. "I'm coming Honey." She then called Cody. "Cody, are you awake?"
Cody nodded. "Mom? I was just about to go to bed. Is everything okay?"
Carey shook her head. "No, Zack called me. He told me that Merliah was in an accident and is now in a bad condition right now. Zack's now going to the hospital, can you please get to the house as soon as you can? I can't get there fast enough..."
Cody nodded. "I'm heading over there now." He hung up, quickly packed a bag and headed over to his brother's.
Massachusetts General Hospital, a few minutes later
Merliah groaned as she tried not to move. "Just save them for me...Is my husband here?" She was having trouble breathing.
The nurse nodded. "Yes, he's coming."
Zack ran into the room and rushed to his wife's side, grabbing her hand. "You gave birth already? Are you okay?"
Merliah shook her head. "Zack, I don't have that long to live. I'm having such troubles. I'm having breathing troubles..." She breathed deeply. "...Yes, Jessa and Joselyn were born just about 10 minutes ago...They let me hold them before rushing them to the NICU..." She sighed. "...They are so small...The doctors don't think I'll last long...I only have a few hours. There's so much damage in my whole body...It was too dangerous to even think about surgies..."
Zack grabbed her hand. "Mer, please don't leave us." He was trying hard to be brave and keep himself together. "Please..." He didn't want to lose her. She's the love of his life. She is his wife and mother of his children.
Merliah grabbed his hand, squeezing it. "Zack...I don't think I have a choice..." She teared up as well.
Zack nodded, with tears streaming down his face. "I know. How will I explain this to the girls and how special you were to us. If only I was the one who went to get Eva's medicine...This wouldn't be happening..."
Merliah smiled softly, rubbing his cheek. "Zack...Don't blame yourself...It's not your fault, honey...You are amazing and so wonderful to the girls and Watson..."
Zack sniffled. "And, so are you, Mer, you're the best mother in the world. They are so lucky to have you."
Merliah squeezed his hand and smiled. "Thank you but I wouldn't be a mom without you, babe. You are the most amazing Daddy and husband in the world. Don't forget how much I love you."
Zack nodded. "Thank you, honey. I love you more than anything in the world. Please don't forget that I love you so so so much. I'm so, so, so lucky to have you as my beautiful wife and the mother of my children."
Merliah smiled as she continued to tear up and sqyeeze his hand. "Zack...No matter what happens to me, I want you to find someone who love you as much as I do...Okay?" She felt tears falling down her face. "You deserve to be loved again when you find the time is right...Don't forget that I'm never too far away from your heart. I'm always going to be here when you feel like you're falling apart...I'll watch over our girls and my baby boy...and you."
Zack nodded. "Nobody will ever be able to replace you, sweetheart. I'll love you for the rest of my life." He kept on looking at her, tearing up, not wanting to let her go so soon. She was too young. He wanted to have more years with her. He wanted forever.
Merliah leaned over and kissed him softly. "I love you so much..." She leaned back down and sighed deeply as she took her last final breath.
Zack started crying. "Mer...No...Please no..." He was shaking his head as he realised that she has died. She was gone. His heart broke into pieces. His heart broke for their 5 babies. "I love you Mer...So much."
Nurse walked inside. "I'm so sorry for your loss of your wife, Zack. I wish they've done more for her...but there was so much in her body that even if she had surgeries, she'd never be the same or even make it out of those kinds of sugeries..."
Zack nodded his head in agreement but he would rather she lives but it's now impossible. "Thanks." He kept staring at his wife's dead body.
Nurse placed her hand on his shoulder. "I know. Um, anyway, I would let you stay here but we have to take the machine's wires off of her right now. I'm sure you have family to call. They should be here with you."
Zack nodded. "Oh...Okay...I have to call her parents..." He slowly walked out of the room, calling Mia, Merliah's mom.
Mia picked up her phone. "Hello? Zack? Is everything okay, sweetie? It's the middle of the night."
Zack tried to hold himself together. "Mia, I'm at the hospital...Mer was in a car accident...She just had passed away..." He began sobbing.
Mia's eyes widened. "Oh my God. We're on our way." She was speechless, but she soon snapped out of shock and then explained everything to her husband, Merliah's father, Michael. They also have another daughter, Miliah.
Michael's eyes went wide. "Oh my God...My baby..." He layed back on the bed, sniffling, he picked up the phone to call Miliah, his other daughter to tell her that her sister had passed away. "Mil? You up?"
Miliah picked up the phone. "Hey, Daddy, what's going on? Is everything okay? It's the middle of the night."
Michael sighed. "No, Mil. I have some terrible news about your sister..."
Miliah frowned. "What's going on?"
Michael sniffed. "She was in a car accident, sweetheart...She just passed away 5 minutes ago...Jessa and Joselyn...I don't know how they are. We'll find out at the hospital..."
Miliah nodded. "Alright. I'm coming." She hung up and broke down sobbing. She then explained everything to her husband, Logan, who was comforting her as they layed in bed.
Her husband, Logan looked at her. "Mil, you just gave birth 6 weeks ago...I don't think you should go to the hospital..."
Miliah sighed. "I don't care! Merliah is in the hospital, dead. She's gone! I have to go and be with our family." She ran her hands through her hair.
Logan sighed. "Alright. I'll stay back with Cacie."
Cacie is their six week old baby girl.
Miliah nodded. "Thanks." She gave him a hug and a kiss before she got out of bed, changed and grabbed her car keys. "Love you." She then left getting in the car and driving to the hospital. Once at the hospital, she parked and walked inside the building, searching for her parents. Soon, she found them, Mia ran over to her daughter. "Miliah!" She hugged her daughter tightly. "She's really gone. There was nothing they could go for her...Zack told me the injuries were so intense that even if she had surgeries to fix everything inside her body, she wouldn't be the same again..." She sniffed with tears falling down her face.
Miliah began crying into her mother's arms. "I can't imagine my life without her...and...and…" She sniffed loudly, breathing heavy. "She is my best friend…"
Mia kissed her daughter's head. "I know, sweetie."
Miliah looked at her mother. "Are Joselyn and Jessa okay?"
Michael walked over to his wife and daughter. "They are good. They have to stay in the NICU for a few weeks. They are only 2 pounds and 5 ounces…"
Miliah's eyes watered. "Oh my God. They must be so small…"
Michael sighed. "They are, sweetheart. Zack is in the room with them right now. He's trying real hard not to burst into tears, but with everything that has happened today, it really hit him like a brick of rocks…"
Mia sighed softly. "He isn't the only one, honey...Her death is so unexpected and we will have to figure out how to deal with it as a family, for our granddaughters and grandson. They matter the most."
Mia nodded her head. "You're right. Everleigh, Evangeline, Watson, Jessa and Joselyn need all of us. Even if Watson, Jessa and Joselyn won't remember or know their mother, we need to be able to tell them stories."
Miliah nodded her head, agreeing with her mother. "I agree with you, Mom."
Mia sighed. "Thank you sweetheart." She frowned. "Speaking of Zack, does his parents and brother know about this?"
Michael shrugged his shoulders. "I believe so. I'm not sure..."
Jessa and Joselyn's room in the NICU
Zack was crying softly as he looked at his newborn twins. He sobbed in his hands.
Cody called Zack. "Hey Zack, what's happened? Are you okay?"
Zack sobbed, trying to calm down. "My wife is gone...God, what the hell am I going to do? I never expected her to pass away...The twins are so small...They're less than 2 pounds each..."
Cody's eyes widened. "Zack I'm so, so sorry. Do you need Mom and I to come to the hospital?"
Zack was confused. "Aren't you with the girls and Watson?"
Cody nodded his head. "Yeah, I am." He sighed. "Are her parents and sister there?"
Zack nodded. "Yeah. They're outside the room." He sighed. "Have Everleigh and Eva asked anything yet?"
Cody shock his head. "No. Mom just got here so she's upstairs checking on Eva. I'm on the couch with Leigh. She fell asleep on me."
Zack nodded. "Oh okay."
Cody stared. "Are you sure you don't want me to come?"
Zack shook his head. "No. I called Dad. He's on his way here. He's gonna help me with everything. Mia said Merliah made her will and the kids and I are in it. The kids are gonna be able to go to college comfortably. Although, I might have to pay for some it."
Cody nodded. "Oh alright."
Just then Carey walked downstairs after checking on Eva. "Cody, what happened?"
Cody frowned. "Sit down, Mom."
Carey sighed as she sat down. "What happened, Cody? What did Zack say?"
Cody softly sighed. "I just called Zack and he said Merliah passed away..."
Carey's eyes widened. "Oh my God..." She sighed, feeling shocked. "I wonder how Zack is feeling right now..."
Cody sighed. "He's overwhelmed right now. He's in the hospital with Joselyn and Jessa. He said Merliah left a will for the kids and himself." He shook his head. "I'm not sure how he'll tell Leigh and Eva..."
Carey's eyes were filled with tears. "I know..." She sighed. "Whatever happens, we'll be there for them and give them our support because they're going through a difficult time."
Cody sighed. "We have to be there for Zack as well. He's going through a lot now..."
Several hours later, 3:30am, Zack and Merliah's home
Zack pulled into the driveway and got out of the car and walked into the house quietly. He breathed deeply and closed the door softly.
Everleigh tiredly walked downstairs with her stuffed bear that Merliah gave her. "Daddy? Where's Momma?"
Zack sighed as he walked over to her and picked her up. He then sat down with her on his lap kissing her head. "I'm sorry, sweetheart."
Everleigh was confused. "What's wrong, Daddy?"
Zack sighed. "Honey, your Momma is..." He trailed off not knowing how to tell his six year old daughter that her mother has died.
Everleigh saw the look on his face. She teared up softly. "Is she okay?" She held her bear close to her.
Zack shook his head. "I'm sorry, baby girl." He hugged and kissed his daughter. "She's not okay..."
Everleigh was still confused though. "Why are you saying I'm sorry? What's wrong with Mommy?"
Zack breathed deeply, in and out, looked at his daughter and held her close. "Sweetheart...Mommy was in a car accident tonight..."
Everleigh's eyes went wide. Tears filled her eyes. "What?"
Zack tried to stay strong, but tears were coming and there was no way to stop them. They just came. "Leigh...Mommy isn't coming home...She has passed away from so many injuries."
Everleigh started sobbing into his arms. "Noooo! No, Daddy! Why?!"
Zack pulled her into his arms and rubbed her back, kissing her head. "Shhh, baby girl. It's okay. There was nothing they could do, sweetheart. I tried talking Mommy into doing the surgeries but she wouldn't even make it to the OR. She was having trouble breathing."
Carey walked over to her son and granddaughter. "Zack, I'm very sorry."
Zack kissed Everleigh's head. "Thanks, Mom...I'm just worried about the kids now. I have to be their strict parent now..." He let Everleigh cry herself to sleep on his lap.
Carey sighed. "You know I don't mind staying here to help you out with them."
Zack looked at her wideeyed. "Mom, you would really stay here?"
Carey nodded her head. "Yes Zack of course you need my help right now. I'm not abandoning you during this difficult time."
Zack cracked a smile after all of the heartache. "Thank you so much, Mom. I wouldn't know what to do if you didn't stay for awhile. Jessa and Joselyn have to stay in the hospital for 2 months."
Carey hugged her son nodding her head. "You don't have to thank me Zack really. I'd love to help out with my grandchildren. Speaking of which you have to let Eva know as well."
Zack nodded. "I do but it's 3:37 in the morning. I'm not waking her up. She isn't feeling well. Did you get her medicine?" He stood up with Everleigh in his arms. "I'm going to lay her down and try to get some sleep myself...I'll try anyway..." He walked upstairs to Everleigh's room.
Carey nodded. "Alright."
Zack layed his oldest in her bed and kissed her head. "I love you, Everleigh." He walked by Evangeline's room, seeing she's fast asleep. He went to Watson's nursery and checked on him. He was asleep too. Zack sighed deeply, seeing a photo of Merliah and Watson on the wall. He frowned.
Cody walked into his nephews room. "Hey bro. How are you feeling?"
Zack sniffed loudly. "Heartbroken. So heartbroken. I still can't believe she died. She was my freaking life."
Cody wrapped his arm around his brother's shoulder. "I know. She was tough to hold out for Jessa and Joselyn's birth. Are they okay? Did you think of their middle names?"
Zack nodded his head. "Yeah. Joselyn was born first, I decided on Joselyn Faith and Jessa came a minute later, I decided on Jessa Hope. I decided on Faith and Hope because they were miracles to make it out of that car crash and it gives me strength to get myself together for them and their brother and sisters."
Cody nodded. "I love the names." He looked at his brother. "So, what are you going to do?"
Zack sighed deeply. "I don't know. Even writing their birth papers made me sob because I had to put Merliah's name as their mother. I have to write her death papers tomorrow at my lawyer's office. I have to plan her wake and everything..."
Cody nodded. "Let me help you with her wake."
Zack looked at him. "Really? Cody, you don't..."
Cody shook his head. "I'm helping. I'm not taking a no from you. You have been through a lot these past few hours. You watched your wife pass away...I don't think I could ever do that."
Zack nodded gratefully. "Thanks, bro."
Evangeline slowly walked into the nursery with a tired look on her face. "Daddy? Where's Mommy? My tummy hurts. Grandma had to give me the medicine..." She walked over to him, holding her belly.
Zack looked at his daughter. "Alright Honey I'll get your medicine wait here." He went to get Eva's medicine.
Meanwhile with Eva who looked at Cody. "Uncle Cody, what's with Daddy?"
Cody picked her up slowly, walking her to her room, laying her in her bed and sat next to her. "Eva...Daddy should tell you. Okay?" He saw Zack walk inside and gave Eva her medicine and a cup of water. He mouthed to Zack. "She's asking about Merliah."
Eva nodded looking at her daddy. "Daddy, what happened?"
Zack looked at Cody. "Give me a minute with her, okay, bro?"
Cody nodded as he walked out of Eva's room.
Zack looked at his daughter, sitting on her bed, climbed next to her and breathed deeply. "Eva, Mommy was in a car accident tonight..."
Eva's eyes filled with tears. "Is she okay? Is it my fault? Daddy..."
Zack shook his head. Tears filled his eyes. "No, sweetheart. It is not your fault, Evangeline. Mommy has passed away from so many injures..."
Eva started to cry harder this time. "But, Daddy! I was sick and she had to get medicine for me..."
Zack rubbed her back. "Evangeline, none of this was your fault. Your mom wouldn't let you cry over something you never did. We can't change what has happened, baby girl."
Evangeline nodded crying. "Oh...What's going to happen now?"
Zack kissed her head. "Well, we have to have a wake and funeral plans for Mommy soon and I'm going to have Grandma move in for a while to help me out with you, Leigh and Watson so I can go to work...I'm not going for a few days."
Evangeline nodded. "Oh okay...I love you, Daddy."
Zack kissed his head as he got up from her bed. "Night, baby girl." He shut the door and then headed into his and Merliah's room. They had a big wedding photo on the wall. He sighed deeply as he got into bed after changing. "I'll love you forever, Mer. I'll always love you. I'll do my best to raise Leigh, Eva, Watson, Jessa and Joselyn. Rest easy, babe." He shut off the light and cried himself to sleep. He definitely didn't think he'd become a widow at 21 years old with 5 little ones under 7 years old. He was overwhelmed with heartache, fear and just feeling like he wouldn't be able to do it by himself. Will he ever be able to love someone just as much as he loves his wife? What will that be like? He finally turned over and after sobbing for a bit, he passed right out.
To be continued…
AN: Chapter 2 complete. :) I'm going to be doing past chapters throughout this story. I'm not sure how long this story will be, I might have a squeal sometime when I find that this story is done.
