Chloe ran down the hall aimlessly. Tears were dried to her face and new ones were forming. Her lips were salty and cold. She had to find Brady. Smack. She
ran straight into someone. Her body hit the ground hard, knocking the wind out of her.
She gasped as she tried to regain normal breathing. He heart was beating fast, pounding violently against the walls of her chest. Chloe's eyes searched the corridor, looking at nothing in particular. She tried to make out the shape in front of her. She did not care what or who stood before her. All she knew was that it was not Brady and that's who she needed.
"Chloe, are you okay?" Craig looked down at his stepdaughter and offered her his hand.
Chloe got up and tried to release herself from his grasp. "Let me go. I have to find him. I need him so much. Don't you understand?" She pounded her fists against Craig's chest. She slowly slid down to the floor again. Her body shook uncontrollably.
"Chloe? Chloe?.....Jesus, you're freezing....Chloe, your shaking........What's the matter? Is it Brady?" Craig said, coming down to her level and searching her eyes.
"He's gone."
"Gone where?"
"He's.... he's......" She let the sobs completely overtake her small frame as she held onto Craig's lab coat. Gripping tightly to the white cloth, her body collapsed against him. She had no energy left.
"He can't leave me. --- I need him so much. --I love him. --- I don't even know who I am without him"
"Chloe, calm yourself down and tell me what happened." Craig said sternly.
"They......they...took ....him from.... me" She panted out.
"Who did? Chloe, you're not making sense."
Craig surveyed his stepdaughter and realized something drastic must have happened. Craig picked Chloe up and brought her to the examining room.
Chloe was obviously in shock. She just kept repeating 'He's gone. He's gone' over and over.
Craig picked up the phone and paged the head nurse on Brady's floor.
Karen had just gotten in for her shift when she heard her name over the intercom. She went to the examining room and saw a very distraught Chloe curled up on the examining table mumbling to herself.
"Dear God, what happened?" Karen said coming over to Chloe and stroking her hair.
Chloe was alone and incoherent. Craig had gone to get some blankets.
Craig walked in the room and greeted the nurse.
"She's in shock" he stated.
"I can see that. What happened?"
"Actually, I thought maybe you could tell me." Craig said, looking up.
"I just got here. But I can go find out."
"She just keeps repeating He's gone."
"Oh! Brady's condition had been improving, I just can't believe it. Stay here and I'll go find out" With that, the nurse exited the room and scurried down the hall.
Craig came next to Chloe and wrapped the blankets around her. Stroking her cheek.
**********************************************************************
Brady saw the figure approaching him. He squinted to see.
"Is that really you?"
"Yes Brady, I'm here"
"Mom, I'm just so tired" Brady said, embracing his mother.
Isabella pulled back examining her sons face. He was so handsome and so grown up. "I know, sweetie. I know."
"Why'd you leave me? I needed you so many times and you were never there"
"I was. I was watching you and I'm so very proud of the man you've become."
Brady began to shed tears. Tears from missed birthdays. Tears of lonely nights. Tears of heartache. "Mom, I love you so much"
"I know, and I love you, but its time to go now."
"I can't. I'm so tired. I don't want to leave you. Not again."
"I'm always with you. Besides you need to get back to the people you love. The people who love you."
"Chloe!...Mom, I wish you knew her. I love her so much."
"I do know her, just not in the conventional sense. No go, go back to her."
"Wait..."
It was too late. She vanished before he got a chance to continue.
********************************************************
"Clear!"
"Wait, stop compressions. We've got a pulse." The doctor let out a sigh of relief.
Brady's eyes jerked open. What was happening? Who were all these people? He was just so tired. He let his eyes close again.
Karen walked into the operating room. She wore a mask and gloves.
"How is the patient?"
"Stable for now but we had a heck of a time getting him back. He's going to need to stay in the Intensive Care Unit for observation. The next 24 to 48 hours are crucial."
"Thank you"
Karen rushed down the hall to tell Craig.
"They got him back, but he's going to have to spend a while in the ICU"
"Thank God."
"How is she?"
"I gave her a sedative to calm her down."
"Poor thing! They really love each other, more than anything." The nurse commented.
"Yeah, they do. I don't know what Chloe would do if she lost him."
"It must be nice. You know, - to share that kind of love."
"Yeah, but it hurts ten times worse when something like this happens"
Both Craig and the nurse nodded and watched as Chloe stirred in her sleep. Every now and then, she could be heard saying Brady's name.
To be continued...............
