Chapter 6 - Let It Be

I stood on the football field on Super Bowl Sunday, silent tears streaming down my face as both teams got down on one knee and said a prayer for Eric. It had been another month, and he was still in that damn hospital bed. Amazingly, the Cowboys fought hard and got through the playoffs by the skin of their teeth, and now they were paying tribute to the Legendary Eric Northman.

After the prayer ended, each of his teammates came by to shake my hand and offer me support and hopes that Eric would wake up soon. Alcide was the last player, and he gave me a long hug. I went with Maria to the stands, and she sat with me through the whole game.

Our team won the game in overtime. If Eric weren't in a coma I probably would have enjoyed it more, but I couldn't stop thinking about him. I knew the win would be a good thing to Eric though. He wouldn't feel as guilty about retiring after he woke up, and I knew that's just what he would do.

I drove to the hospital after the game, thankful that they had it in our stadium. I should have gone home and slept though. The pregnancy was really draining my energy. A week after the blood test I went to my OB-GYN and found out how far along I was. Turns out we'd conceived during our little Thanksgiving vacation. I was worried that I'd kept taking the pill less than two weeks after that, but the doctor said that the baby would be fine.

I told Alcide and Maria about the pregnancy after the appointment, and they'd both been really great and supportive. Maria was making me lists of essentials I would need, and I was slowly checking things off. Gran was still staying with me, but Jason had gone home already. He said he would drive out to get her whenever she was ready to go, but I really didn't want her to.

"The team won, Eric," I told him when I sat next to him. "It went into overtime, but they won. Both teams took a knee and said a prayer for you before the game. It was really nice."

Again, I got the urge to tell him about the pregnancy, which happened all the time since I'd found out, but I stopped myself. I wasn't sure why I kept feeling the need to tell him, but I never did.

"The nurses are really loving Gran. She keeps baking and bringing them food. The house always smells like something's in the oven. Jude loves it. He misses you so much. Every time that garage door opens he waits to see if you'll walk through the door."

I paused for a moment to get it together. My emotions had been really out of whack lately, and it was hard to talk to Eric without crying.

"I miss you," I said, giving in to the breakdown. "I miss you so much. It hurts to be away from you at night. We haven't spent this many nights apart since we were little kids and Gran wouldn't let us sleep in the same room. Our bed is so empty and cold without you in it. Please come back to me. I need you. I can't do this alone."

I was holding onto his hand tightly as I cried, and I brought his palm up to my face.

Eric POV

"I want to feel you holding me again. I want to feel you kiss me back. I'm sure you can figure out the other things I want to feel," she smiled. I could feel it with my hand.

It was the first time she'd put my hand on her face, and feeling her smile was almost like seeing it, and I felt the burst of energy flow through me. I focused all of it on my hand, and felt my index finger move.

Sookie immediately stilled, and then stood up. "Eric? I felt that. Can you hear me? Eric, if you can hear me move your finger again. I'm here. I felt it. Just do it again for me."

I'm trying.

I focused all my energy there again, but it was like a brick wall had gone up, and I felt drained.

"Please, sweetie. Do it again. Please," she begged.

I can't, Sookie. I'm trying so hard, but I can't.

She was silent for a moment, and then she sagged against my hand, and I felt her sit back down. I was afraid she'd start crying again, but she didn't.

"So maybe you could just do it once. The fact is, you moved your finger. It gives me hope, Eric. Now what was I talking about just before you moved?"

Sex.

"Sex. That's right. If I didn't think it would make me more sexually frustrated than I already am I would start telling you all kinds of things I can't wait for you to do to me."

Oh darling, feel free.

"You'd probably tell me to go ahead anyway, wouldn't you? Maybe I'll do that tomorrow. For now I need to go home and get some sleep. It's been a long day."

She put my hand back in its spot, and then kissed my lips.

"I'm very proud of you for moving your finger, Eric. I love you very much," she said, and then she left.

As always, she took my warmth with her.

Sookie POV

Before I left the hospital I stopped at the nurse's station and let Holly know about Eric moving his finger. She was very enthusiastic about it, and said that it was a good sign.

I told Gran when I got home, and she was also very happy.

"You see, there are things all around you to be happy about. Eric has shown a positive sign of coming out of his coma, you're carrying your first child, and everything is going smoothly for you with the pregnancy. And you have a happy, healthy dog that makes you smile every time you see him. It's time to hold your head up and be positive," she said to me.

"I don't know if I'll succeed," I said, tears threatening to spill from my eyes.

"All you can do is try," she smiled, that warm, loving Gran smile.

"I love you, Gran. I can't thank you enough for staying with me right now."

"I'm happy to be here. Right now, I think I'll go to bed. There are fresh cookies in the kitchen. Make sure you eat a couple."

"Gran, I love your baking, and I know I'm pregnant, but cookies aren't exactly the nourishment the baby needs," I laughed. "I'm already getting a little bump."

"No, but everything else you eat is good for you. You need some food with love in it. The baby needs love too."

"Goodnight, Gran," I smiled.

"Goodnight dear," she said, and went to her bedroom.

I listened to Gran's advice and had a couple of cookies after my super healthy dinner. After taking care of Jude, I went upstairs to shower and go to bed. As I was about to pull on one of Eric's shirts to wear to bed, a bad habit I was forming, I caught sight of my tiny baby bump in the mirror. To anyone who didn't know I was pregnant, it probably looked like I had just gained a little weight. It was there though. Proof of the tiny human growing inside of me. Mine and Eric's tiny human. A little us, as he'd once called it.

I let my hand rest on it for just a moment before I pulled it away and put the shirt on. I didn't want to have moments like that without Eric. As I laid in bed, I remembered what Gran had said. I needed to embrace these moments and live them, so I let my hand rest on the tiny bump again.

"I'm not sure if you're going to be a boy or a girl. I don't really care, as long as you come out happy and healthy. I just want you to know that I love you very, very much, and even though Daddy's not here right now, he loves you too. Goodnight little one."

That was the first restful night of sleep I'd gotten since the accident.

Gran was awake when I got up, and she was already making breakfast.

"Morning, Gran," I said and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

"Morning," she said, giving me an astonished look. "Did you rest well?"

"I did. It's all because of you. I took your advice last night, and talked to the baby. It just felt right, and I felt at peace after. I feel great."

"That's wonderful!"

"Do you want to come to the hospital with me today?" I asked.

"I'm not feeling to well today, so I think I'll stay here. Take a long nap. Jude will keep me company."

"Do you want me to pick you up any medicine while I'm out?" I asked.

"No, I just feel a bit tired. Nothing a day of rest won't cure," she smiled. "Now, eat your breakfast."

I sat down and had a good Gran breakfast, and then headed for the hospital. I made sure to grab the container of cookies, and left them at the nurse's station. They would be gone before I left.

I had a great morning with Eric. It was the day to shave him, so I took care of that first thing, and then I did his exercises while talking to him about all sorts of things. Mostly memories of things the two of us had done together. Every time I tried to get into the dirty talk a nurse would come in to check something, and I would blush.

"I'll try again later," I whispered to him before I left.

I drove to Alcide and Maria's house before going home to see them. They were enjoying a few days of relaxation before heading off on their post-season vacation in a week.

"I still feel guilty leaving you here," Maria told me.

"Don't. I'm feeling a lot better. Eric moved his finger last night," I said, almost bursting at the seams with pride and excitement.

"No shit?" Alcide said.

"Yes. I had his hand on my face, and I was talking to him, and his index finger moved. I tried to get him to do it again, but he didn't. Holly said it's a good sign though."

"That's fantastic, Sook," Maria said. "It's nice to see you in such a happy mood."

"Gran knocked some sense into me. And I talked to the baby last night," I smiled, and put my hand on the small bump. "I didn't want to at first because I wanted Eric to be there, but I did it, and I haven't felt this good in a long time."

Maria reached over and took my hand. "You're a lot stronger than I think even you realized."

"I think so too. Anyway, I better get home and make some lunch before Gran gets to it. She's not feeling well."

"Tell her we're thinking of her, will ya?" Alcide asked.

"Of course. See y'all later," I said, and then I was on my way home.

Gran wasn't in the kitchen or the living room when I got home, so I assumed she was still taking her nap. I went ahead and started some chicken noodle soup, Gran's favorite for when she wasn't feeling well. When it was done, I went to her room to wake her up. Jude was lying in front of her door, staring up at the knob like he wanted to open it.

"What are you doing, Jude? I filled your food bowl, go eat," I said to him, but when I opened the door, he bolted into the room. "Jude, no."

Gran was lying on the bed, sleeping, with a throw blanket covering her. I went to the side of the bed and sat down. Jude jumped up and had his front paws on the mattress, but he didn't make a move to touch her.

"Gran," I said softly, and touched her shoulder. "Gran, I made lunch."

She didn't respond at all, which was weird because Gran was a light sleeper.

"Gran," I said in at a normal level, but she still didn't respond. "Gran," again, even louder, and I shook her a bit more.

Realization and panic set in, and I ran out of the room to grab the house phone. I dialed 911, and explained to the operator what had happened. She asked me to check if she was breathing, and to check her pulse, but neither one was there. I dropped the phone and ran to the bathroom, where I threw up.

When I made it back to the bedroom I remembered that the operator was still on the phone, so I picked it up. She was repeating that an ambulance was on the way, so I went to the front door to wait for them. It was only a minute more before they showed up, and I told them where she was. I followed them into the bedroom and watched them perform CPR and get out the shock paddles, but nothing worked, and I knew nothing would.

Gran was gone.

Eric POV

There was something different about Sookie the day after I had moved my finger. She seemed to radiate positive energy, and I found it infectious. She sounded happy, and she tried multiple times to talk dirty to me, but someone kept interrupting. I'd have to get her to do it for me when I woke up, because it was hot.

She left when she normally did for lunch with a promise to try again later, and I was doing a touchdown dance on the inside. The woman was always surprising me.

It seemed to take her a really long time to come back. The wait always felt like forever, but it felt much longer than normal, and not just because I was waiting for hot, dirty sex talk. The nurses had gone through their shift change, and she still wasn't back. I began to worry, and I wished I could yell at someone to tell me where she was.

Eventually, I blacked out, which happened sometimes. When I came to again I felt the warmth, saw the blue, and felt nothing but relief. Then I heard the crying. There was a weight next to me on the bed, and a wet spot on my shoulder. Sookie was on the bed with me, and she was crying her eyes out.

I'd never felt so helpless. She sounded so broken, and it was such a shock compared to her attitude that morning. I couldn't even ask her what was wrong. For all I knew, she'd already told me before I'd woken back up.

The best I could do was talk to her, knowing she couldn't hear, and hope that she would feel my comfort.

A/N:

*passes out tissues* I sorry that Gran's gone, but she had to die. It was just her time. I've started on the next chapter, and I hope I can get it done today and sent to my beta, but I'm heading into the end of the week and I don't have a day off work until Monday, so these fast updates may slow for a bit.

Again, you have Krismom to thank for this coming out so soon :)