Chapter 3
As we wait
"Thought you could do with this" Troy said, balancing two Starbuckscoffees in his hands as he came into Alfie's room, closing the door with his foot. He handed her one, before placing his own coffee onto the small table that stood beside Alfie's bed. He sat down next to Gabriella, his hand instantly finding hers, their fingers interlocking. She rested her head on his shoulder, her eyes closing slightly.
"You should get some sleep" he reasoned, kissing the top of her head.
"I'm fine here" she yawned, moving her head around on his shoulder as she tried to get comfortable.
In only a few short minutes, she had fallen into a light slumber, her breathing becoming deeper as she drifted in and out of consciousness.
Only a short while later, Troy heard voices outside the room before seeing Sharpay and Taylor's worried faces appear at the glass.
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After hugging Troy, Sharpay slipped quietly into the room, rushing to Gabriella's weary side.
"Hey" Taylor greeted softly as she approached Troy in the hospital corridor. She hugged him, before pulling away and looking intently at him.
"How's Alfie?"
"He's okay. They're keeping him sedated though, till tomorrow morning to… "
"To give the antibiotics the best chance to work" Taylor cut in, nodding wisely.
"Only a doctor would do that" Troy remarked, a small smiling spreading across his face.
"How are you and Gabby holding up?"
Troy shrugged. "I'm okay… under the circumstances. Gabby's…" He looked through the glass into the small hospital room where Gabriella was sat with Sharpay.
"She's no doing so well" he sighed. "She won't leave Alfie's side and she's barely eaten or slept for the past two days".
Taylor nodded. "She's got to keep her strength up" Taylor said, looking through the glass at a worried Sharpay and a worn out Gabriella.
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"Gab, you need to get some sleep" Sharpay said quietly, touching her shoulder as the door to the small room closed quietly behind her. Gabriella was sitting hunched in a chair by Alfie's bed side. She barely noticed the beep of the various machines around her.
"No Sharpay! I don't need sleep" she said, standing up, her voice rising.
"What I need is to be here with my son. I'm his mom, I'm meant to look after him". Tears streamed down here face, which she wiped away angrily.
"You are looking him Gab. But not getting any sleep isn't going to help you or him" she soothed, guiding Gabriella to a chair. She sat down next to Gabriella, resting her hand on Gabriella's.
"It's my fault" she whispered, tears spilling down her cheeks. She had been thinking about it ever since she had found him. The thoughts going round and round in her head. "If I hadn't put him down to sleep…" she trailed off, the guilt becoming hard to bare.
"None of this is your fault Gab" Sharpay soothed, rubbing her friend's back.
The awful thought that had been gathering in the pit of her stomach was finally out in the open.
"It is" she insisted angrily, the lack of sleep not making her mood any calmer.
"Gab. You can't blame yourself for this, you really can't. you didn't know this was going to happen, no-one did"
"I'm his Mom" she said quietly, more tears welling in his eyes. "I'm meant to know this stuff. You're meant to know when your baby's sick"
"It came on so suddenly.." Sharpay tried to reason, her gaze shifting to the small boy, lying on the bed beside them.
"Bella's desperate to visit. She's so worried about you all, bless her.."
Gabriella could hear Sharpay talking, but she struggled to stay awake as her over tiredness threatened to take over. She could feel her head drooping slightly as she struggled to stay awake, her eyes stinging. She rubbed her eyes, but the relief was short lived as her eyes were sore again only a few seconds later.
"Gab come on, let me and Taylor take you home, just for a few hours rest…"
As her tiredness threatened to overtake her, she reluctantly heard herself agreeing. As she stood up from the chair, she swayed slightly, Sharpay balancing her as kissed Alfie before leaving the room.
The glaring lights of the hospital corridor made her squint, but she suddenly felt more awake.
She felt her stomach churn and she clapped her hand to her mouth as she raced to the nearest bathroom.
She heard to worried calls of her friends and husband but ignored them, fighting the overwhelming urge to be sick.
As soon as she reached the bathroom, she found herself kneeling on the stall floor, the coffee she had just drunk making its way into the toilet.
She knew how tired she was, and how worried for Alfie. But this was something else, and she did not feel good.
A/N
Decided to focus on Gabriella in this chapter, Let me know what you think:D
Please review, more soon!
Love and hugs as always
Hutton 207 x
