The ambulance blared as it reached the hospital. The paramedics were already there with a gurney. The paramedics opened up the back door of the ambulance and another paramedic hoped out.
"Female. 23. Unresponsive. History of cancer." He announced as he loaded Brenna onto the gurney and helped rush her inside.
George, Sara, April, Greer, and Leo were following the ambulance into the hospital. They all rushed out of the car.
"Brenna!" Greer followed the paramedics that were working on Brenna.
"I'm sorry, honey, you can't go in there." An African American nurse stopped Greer.
"But she's my wife!" Greer protested.
"No one goes in." The nurse said firmly.
"We're losing her!" One of the doctors that was working on Brenna said in a frenzied tone.
One of the doctors grabbed the defibrillator and pressed the paddles against Brenna's chest making it rise.
"Again." The doctor said. And again her chest rose.
"We have a pulse." For the first time felt like she could let out the breath she had been holding.
The nurse's voice softened, "You can wait over there with the rest of the family members. Let the doctors do their job."
Greer nodded and sat next to Sara who squeezed her had comfortingly.
More people started coming. Beth, Graham, Natalie, Dominic. and Kieran were all there waiting in silence until someone came to tell them news about Brenna.
Beth was sitting next to April holding her hand. Suddenly, she felt the pressure on her hand increase to the point where it was uncomfortable. She turned her face to see April wincing.
"Apes?" She asked quietly.
"I'm fine. Don't make a scene." April whispered harshly while still wincing.
"April, are you in labor?"
"What? No. That's ridiculous."
"April, I know that face. Stop lying."
"I have to be here for Brenna."
The doctor came and Greer automatically stood up.
"Are you related to Brenna Carver?"
"I'm her wife."
"Right, Brenna has a bacterial infection. It would be very minor on anyone else but since Brenna has basically no immune system, the infection has spread rapidly. Her heart stopped twice and the swelling in her brain is significant. We've put her in a medically induced coma so that her body can fight this, but other than that we can't do much but wait."
"Can I see her?" Greer asked.
"You'll have to be sterilized but of course follow nurse Amanda, she'll give you some sterile clothes." The doctor said and Greer followed the nurse.
…
"Gah!" April groaned out loud even though she had been biting the inside of her check to prevent her from making any noise in the very quiet and somber waiting room.
"Honey, what's wrong?" Leo asked.
"Nothing. I'm fine." April blew him off.
"She's not fine! She's in labor!" Beth lost it and screamed very loudly in the waiting room, she had everyone's attention, "April you're having contractions. They're less than two minutes apart. You need to see a doctor. NOW!"
"So much for not making a scene." April muttered.
"April, is that true?" Sara asked.
"Look, Mom. I'm fine," April stood up. "Let's just focus on Brenna."
"I don't think you're fine." Beth gestured at the puddle by April's feet.
…
"Brenna. Wake up, soldier."
"Huh?" Brenna woke up to see a young woman in full army uniform standing by her bed. She looked like April, but not quite. "Who are you?" Brenna asked.
"I am Staff Sargent Emma Durham."
"Grandma?"
"That's right!"
"You're alive?"
"No, sweetie I'm not."
A horrible feeling dawned on Brenna. "Am I… Dead?"
"No. Not yet."
"Am I going to die?"
"That depends."
"What the hell does that mean?" Brenna asked.
"Follow me." Emma started walking out of the room.
"Wait. Brenna hooped out of the bed and chased after Emma. "So are you like- my spirit guide?"
"No. Don't be ridiculous. I'm a figment of your imagination." Emma said while pacing the hospital corridors.
"Where are we going?" Brenna tried to keep up with her but she was too fast.
"Here." Emma opened the door and motioned Brenna to enter.
It was a delivery room. April was laying on the bed with red cheeks and a sweaty forehead, but she was smiling at the little pink bundle. Leo had his arms wrapped around her and wad also looking at the baby.
"April had her baby?" Brenna asked. Emma nodded.
"Let's go. there's more I have to show you." Brenna followed Emma out of the hospital and followed through the crowded Boston streets. Eventually Emma stopped at the cemetery where Brenna's father was buried. Emma walked past several tombstones and stopped next one. There was a man, a woman, and a little girl. The girl looked about six with light brown hair, hazel eyes, and a sprinkle of freckles. It was Leo, April and their daughter.
"Sweetie, this is my sister. Her name was Brenna. Today is her birthday. She died six years ago. On the day you were born, six years ago. She would have loved you."
"This is my grave?" Brenna asked and Emma nodded again. April took her daughter by the hand and left.
Greer walked up to the grave next.
"Greer!" Brenna rushed to her but Greer didn't seem to notice her.
"Happy birthday, Bren." Greer said somberly as she placed some flowers on the grave and walked away towards another girl. The girl hugged her and held her hand.
"Who's that girl?" Brenna asked.
"Someone that could make her happy again. " Emma said. "If you died, your family would suffer a great loss, but they would find happiness again."
"But that's if I die. What happens if I live?" Emma snapped her finger and they were in Dr. Hamburg's office.
"I'm sorry, Brenna the cancer is back." Dr. Hamburg said.
"But that's the third time!" Greer was on the verge of tears she was holding a very quiet Brenna's hand.
Emma snapped her fingers again and they were in a grass clearing.
"So, if I live the cancer would come back?" Comatose Brenna asked her grandmother.
"It would." Emma said somberly. "It would be the hardest to overcome, yet."
"Grandma, I'm tired of fighting." Brenna said quietly. "I'm so tired."
"I know that's why when you asked me if you were going to live I said that it depended. It depends of whether you want to live."
A man in a uniform came rushing up to Emma. He was tall and handsome in a 1960's way. "Ma'am, we're ready to leave."
"Thank you, Daniel."
"Who is that?" Brenna asked.
"Right, you two have never met. Brenna, this is husband. Your grandfather. Isn't he handsome?"
The man nodded curtly at Brenna.
"Hey, Grandpa." Brenna said.
"So Brenna, what are you going to do? Come with us or stay and fight this war."
"I'm going to fight. " Brenna said confidently.
"That's my girl!" Emma said. "We'll see each other again, someday."
Emma and Daniel ran hand in hand to a fighter plane and the plane took off, leaving Brenna behind.
…
"Brenna. Bren, can you wake up?" April was gently nudging Brenna's hand.
Brenna's eyes fluttered open.
"Oh my god! Mom, she's waking up!"
"Brenna. Sweetie, can you hear me? Squeeze my hand if you can hear me." Brenna squeezed her hand.
Sara gasped, "She's back!"
"Water." Brenna said in a horribly raspy voice. She tried to open her eyes but everything seemed bright and blurry.
Someone gave her a straw and she drank thistly. Things seemed clearer. April was sitting on the corner of her bed. And Sara was hovering was standing next to her.
"How long was I out?"
"Two weeks." Sara said.
"It only felt like hours." Brenna mused.
"April, you're not fat anymore!" Brenna said with her voice still raspy.
April, laughed. "Nope. I'm not." She stood up and Brenna saw that Leo was holding the baby while sitting on the hospital chair. He handed April that baby and April walked back to the bed and gently handed Brenna the baby.
"Careful, with her head." April said. "That's right." Brenna held the baby in her arms.
"Brenna, this is Emma." April announced. "Emma, this is your aunt Brenna."
"She's so beautiful, Apes."
"Brenna!" Greer gasped. She was standing on the doorway with her hand over her mouth.
"I was only gone for half an hour! I went to take a shower!"
"It's okay. Come here." Brenna handed Emma back to April. Greer leaned down and Brenna pulled her face to kiss her.
Greer pulled away and her eyes were watery.
"What is it?" Brenna asked.
"I-I thought you were going to die. You did die your heart stopped beating." Greer sobbed, finally letting herself be vulnerable.
"I'm not going to die. I will always keep fighting. For you."
…
"How is it possible to loose so much muscle tone in two weeks?"
The physical therapist sighed in frustration. "Just five more and we're done."
"Nope. Imp done now."
Greer peeked in to see how the physical therapy was going, "how's it going?"
"I give up!" the physical therapist threw his hands up and left.
Greek walked into the physical therapy room and helped Brenna off the exercise table. Brenna wobbled slightly but Greer maintained a firm hold.
"He wants me to work on my legs."
"I have an idea." Greer smiled.
"What?" Brenna smiled back.
Greer played a slow song on her phone. She grabbed Brenna's waist and started swaying slowly.
"We never had our first dance." Greer said.
"Oh. Right." Brenna was suddenly reminded of the wedding incident, "I'm sorry."
"Don't be." Greer kissed Brenna. "This is perfect. Right here, in a hospital physical therapy room and you, my wife, in your pajamas. It's all I've ever wanted."
"I love you." Brenna said and kissed Greer. She intended to keep that promise: to keep fighting for her, forever.