Chapter 27
~.~
Ruby is 20, and is off in her third year of college, while Dustin and Eira are both six, both at school during the beginning of this one-shot.
March 31, 2038
And yes, it is the year Detroit: Become Human takes place. That's just a coincidence.
(Eret's POV)
It started with Becky fainting one day during one of Eira's soccer games. Becky chalked it up to the heat.
But it was 65 degrees out, not even that hot.
That's when we knew something was wrong.
Leaving our twins with my parents, I rush Becky to the ER, holding her hand the entire drive before they whisk her off to run some tests, leaving me in the waiting room to make phone calls to family.
It could be nothing, they say.
It could just be the Sun that caused her to faint, they say.
But what if they're wrong?
Before I call family, I pray as hard as I can, hoping that it's nothing.
I dial Tuffnut's number first, knowing him and Becky are close.
"Tuffnut? Yes? It's Eret. Okaaay. What's up? It's Becky. She fainted. Oh, gods. Is she okay? I don't know. We're in the emergency room now and they're running some tests. I don't know if she's going to be okay. I'm so scared, Tuffnut. I'll let Ruff and our parents know, then we'll be on our way. Do you want me to call your eldest? No, I can do that. Okay.Thank you. You're welcome. See you soon, Eret."
The thought of possibly losing my wife…it's too much for me to bear.
I begin to sob.
Soon, a nurse comes out to get me.
"Is she okay?" I ask as we walk to her room.
"We won't know until the tests come back. We'll keep her here until then."
"Okay. Thank you."
The nurse leaves me and my wife alone.
"How're you feeling, love?"
"Tired. Did Eira win her soccer game?"
"I don't know. We'll have to ask when she gets here."
"Have you called Ruby?"
"I won't until we know the test results."
"Okay. Eret?"
"Yes, Becky?"
"I'm scared."
"I know. I know you're scared. I am, too."
Our families soon arrive, along with a doctor we've never met before, holding what I assume are the test results. She closes the door behind her.
Becky's sister grasps Becky's hand as I grasp her other hand.
"Am I okay?"
"I'm afraid that you have acute myeloid leukemia."
"No…please no." I say, closing my eyes as tears slip down my cheeks.
"I'm so sorry. We'll start chemo next week, and we'll need to keep you overnight tonight."
Becky numbly nods, leaning on me.
"If you need anything, let me know."
As soon as the nurse leaves, Becky bursts into tears.
"We'll get through this, my love. We'll get through this."
Ruffnut rubs her sister's back while I hold Becky's hands, rubbing them with my thumbs.
"I need to go call Ruby. I love you so so much, honey. I truly do." I say, kissing my wife's head.
I head out to the hall and bite my lip to keep from breaking down.
I call my sweet jewel, my little love.
"Dad? I'm in the middle of a class, so something must be wrong. I can never get anything past you, Ruby. Daddy, you're scaring me. Ruby, your mother…she has leukemia. *gasp*." I hear sobs coming from my eldest daughter.
A few minutes pass.
"I can come home. We'll let you know if you need to, Ruby. Okay, Dad. Give Mom my best. I will, Ruby. I love you so much, my little love. I love you, too, Dad."
I head back into the room and tell my parents and sister to take Dustin and Eira with them, so they don't have to be here longer than they need to be.
They leave, leaving only me, Ruffnut, Tuffnut, Frank and Lily with Becky.
Becky is discharged the next day.
The days leading up to her first chemotherapy appointment are nerve-wracking for her and I.
When her first chemotherapy session arrives and leaves, we head home and I just hold my wife while our kids are at school.
I don't know what else to do.
Months come and go, with Ruby visiting during her breaks.
Becky has since lost her full head of hair, and she's been wearing a wig since the first bit of her hair fell out.
One day as we're leaving chemotherapy, her lungs start filling up with water, and she couldn't get her breathing under control. She collapses on the ground and clutches her chest.
A nurse rushes over and they put her on a gurney.
"Hang on, honey! We're going to get you some help. I promise." I tell her.
They get her into a room and put a breathing mask on her face.
But things aren't looking good. I call my eldest, who's on break at home, watching her siblings.
"Ruby, you and the twins need to come here immediately."
"We're on our way, Daddy."
Soon, Ruby, Dustin and Eira arrive, along with the Thorstons and my parents and sister.
"Her lungs started filling up with water. Things aren't looking good, guys."
I sit next to my wife, stroking her hand gently, as if she might fall apart at any moment.
And she might.
We watch her throughout the day and night, all of us hoping she's not in too much pain.
Ruby falls asleep with her arms around her brother and sister, them both leaning on her, and Tuffnut places a blanket over them.
In the middle of the night…i-in the middle of the night…Becky flatlines. Thrice.
Ruff and Tuff have to help me and my kids leave.
It breaks my heart seeing Ruby cry out for her Mama.
Becky has been moved to the ICU, a place she hasn't been for over forty years, since she was in the NICU as an infant.
Things are really not looking good.
She can't breathe on her own.
Her organs have all but shut down.
She's in a coma.
I-I'm losing my wife. My true love.
"If you're in pain, darling, that's the last thing any of us want for you." I say, having since broken down.
"You can let go, Mama. None of us want you to be in pain. We want you to have peace, and if that means losing you…we'll find a way to cope, Mama." Ruby says, before breaking down in her Uncle Tuffnut's arms.
Becky suddenly flatlines.
For the final time.
And I bolt awake, breathing heavily, tears streaming down my cheeks.
I see my darling wife asleep next to me, her head full of gorgeous straight brown hair.
I break down, thoughts of losing my wife like that breaking my heart.
"Eret? Are you okay?" I hear my precious wife ask me.
"You…you had leukemia…and you ended up in the ICU…you died."
"Oh, honey. I'm so sorry you dreamt that."
I talk through my nightmare with my wife, fresh tears streaming down my cheeks.
We don't notice our six-year old twins have appeared in the door.
"Dad? Are you okay?" Dustin asks.
"I'm alright, son. Just a terrible dream. Go back to sleep. It's okay."
"Then why is Mum crying?" Eira asks.
"Well, when we got married, we promised each other to support each other through good times and bad. And sometimes that means crying together." Becky says.
"Okay."
Our twins head back to bed, and I head downstairs to our porch, where our rocking chairs are.
We may not be too old, but Becky and I do enjoy rocking on our front porch. Besides, it helps with Becky's chronic pain.
Before I left, I saw that it was 1:43AM on my bedside clock.
Becky soon comes outside with a shawl wrapped around her, Corrie, her service dog, following her.
"Hey. I thought I'd find you out here."
"Yep. Here I am."
"Are you okay? Really?"
"No…it's just…the thought of losing you in any way…it breaks my heart into a million pieces."
"I'm sorry."
"Don't be. It's just how I know you're my one and only."
"But true love isn't supposed to hurt."
"Sometimes it does, though. Whether we like it or not."
"True. Hey, Eret?"
"Yes, love?"
"I love you. So so much. And I…I would really hate to lose you, too. In any way."
"I know. I know. Come here."
Becky comes over and crawls into my lap and I hug her, kissing the top of her head.
She breaks down and I don't hesitate to do everything I can to comfort her.
We soon see a car pull up in our driveway.
Ruby's car.
"Ruby? Sweetheart, what are you doing here? It's 2 o'clock in the morning." Becky says.
"Mom, Dad…" Ruby walks over to us with tears in her eyes. We stand up, both fearing the worst. Ruby's hands are behind her back. And she's leading her girlfriend, Rachel, over to us.
She takes her left hand from behind her back.
And she's wearing a diamond ring.
"I'm engaged!"
"Congratulations, girls!" Becky and I exclaim.
"Thank you! I just couldn't wait to show you in person, and through Skype just wouldn't do!"
"Welcome to the family, Rachel."
"Thank you, sir. I promise I'll take good care of your daughter."
"We know you will, Rachel." Becky says, leaning on me.
Ruby shows us her engagement ring in greater detail. It's a simple three-stoned engagement ring.
"The stones were lab-created, because I know how much Ruby cares about the miners who get the diamonds for jewelry."
Becky smiles softly at our future daughter-in-law.
"Why don't you girls come in, and we'll fix you some coffee."
"I actually prefer hot chocolate, sir."
"A woman after my own heart. But, honey, don't you think it's a little early for coffee?" Becky asks.
"Good point, my love."
We laugh and head inside, ready for the new beginning for our eldest daughter.
