~ ~ ~ ~ ~
California,
Mars 1988
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Toby ran down the hallway although he didn't know where he was going. He bumped into a nurse who fell to the floor. He stopped and helped her up.
"I'm so sorry!" He said. "My wife, my wife and my daughter." his voice cracked.
"Sir, can you tell me your name and the name of your wife and daughter?"
Toby began hyperventilating and the nurse helped him to sit down in a chair.
"It's okay. Take deep breaths," she said as she massaged his back. "Now, can you tell me your name?"
"I'm. I'm. Toby. Ziegler."
"And your wife's name?"
"Claude.", he whispered.
The nurse rose. "Just wait here, sir, and I'll go and see where they are."
Toby just nodded.
The nurse hurried over to the reception.
"Anita, have you seen a file with Ziegler?"
"Yeah, it was here just a second ago."
They began looking after the file.
"Anita, Jane," Dr. Lewis said quietly and leaned against the counter.
"Dr. Lewis, you look horrible," Jane said before she could stop herself.
Dr. Lewis managed to smile slightly at Jane's comment. "We just lost a 2- year-old girl."
He threw the file he held in his hand on the counter and left.
"Jane, this one's named Ziegler."
Jane picked up the file and whispered, "Oh, no."
Toby looked at the time. He didn't know for how long he had been sitting in that chair but he couldn't stay there anymore. He needed to find out where CJ and Haley were. He began walking down the hallways again, this time slowly. He looked at every bed and into every room in search of his family.
"Excuse me? Mr. Ziegler?"
He turned around and the nurse from before was walking slowly towards him.
"You know where my wife and daughter are?"
"Mr. Ziegler, if you could come with me you can talk to their doctor."
Jane turned around and began walking down the hallway with Toby close behind.
"So, they're okay?" He asked innocently.
Jane stopped for a short moment and closed her eyes. Then she quickly began walking again.
She bit her lower lip. "I don't know, sir."
Jane showed him to Dr. Lewis office. Dr. Lewis offered him to sit down but Toby stood. He had a bad feeling about this.
"How's my family?" He managed to stammer out after a moment of silence.
"Mr. Ziegler, please sit down," Dr. Lewis begged.
"Doctor! My family!" Toby said impatiently.
Dr. Lewis took a deep breath. "Your wife's condition is stabile but she has lost a lot of blood."
"Does that mean she's going to be okay?"
"Likely," Dr. Lewis said quietly and his heart ached when he saw how relieved Toby looked. "Mr. Ziegler, she was pregnant," he continued.
Toby nodded, not understanding where this was going. "Yeah, sixth month."
When the doctor didn't say anything Toby sat down in a chair and gripped the armrests firmly. "Doctor, how's the baby?"
Dr. Lewis swallowed and took a deep breath. "I'm so sorry. There was nothing we could do. When your wife came to the hospital the baby was already lost."
Toby swallowed the lump in his throat and slowly nodded. The doctor was surprised at how calmly this man took the information. He believed he wouldn't be as calm after he told him about Haley.
Toby put a hand to his forehead and silently begged that Haley was okay. "What about my other baby? What about Haley? Is she okay?" He said without looking up, still begging God that he had protected her.
When the doctor didn't say anything he looked up.
"There was nothing we could do, sir. I'm so sorry."
TBC.
Toby ran down the hallway although he didn't know where he was going. He bumped into a nurse who fell to the floor. He stopped and helped her up.
"I'm so sorry!" He said. "My wife, my wife and my daughter." his voice cracked.
"Sir, can you tell me your name and the name of your wife and daughter?"
Toby began hyperventilating and the nurse helped him to sit down in a chair.
"It's okay. Take deep breaths," she said as she massaged his back. "Now, can you tell me your name?"
"I'm. I'm. Toby. Ziegler."
"And your wife's name?"
"Claude.", he whispered.
The nurse rose. "Just wait here, sir, and I'll go and see where they are."
Toby just nodded.
The nurse hurried over to the reception.
"Anita, have you seen a file with Ziegler?"
"Yeah, it was here just a second ago."
They began looking after the file.
"Anita, Jane," Dr. Lewis said quietly and leaned against the counter.
"Dr. Lewis, you look horrible," Jane said before she could stop herself.
Dr. Lewis managed to smile slightly at Jane's comment. "We just lost a 2- year-old girl."
He threw the file he held in his hand on the counter and left.
"Jane, this one's named Ziegler."
Jane picked up the file and whispered, "Oh, no."
Toby looked at the time. He didn't know for how long he had been sitting in that chair but he couldn't stay there anymore. He needed to find out where CJ and Haley were. He began walking down the hallways again, this time slowly. He looked at every bed and into every room in search of his family.
"Excuse me? Mr. Ziegler?"
He turned around and the nurse from before was walking slowly towards him.
"You know where my wife and daughter are?"
"Mr. Ziegler, if you could come with me you can talk to their doctor."
Jane turned around and began walking down the hallway with Toby close behind.
"So, they're okay?" He asked innocently.
Jane stopped for a short moment and closed her eyes. Then she quickly began walking again.
She bit her lower lip. "I don't know, sir."
Jane showed him to Dr. Lewis office. Dr. Lewis offered him to sit down but Toby stood. He had a bad feeling about this.
"How's my family?" He managed to stammer out after a moment of silence.
"Mr. Ziegler, please sit down," Dr. Lewis begged.
"Doctor! My family!" Toby said impatiently.
Dr. Lewis took a deep breath. "Your wife's condition is stabile but she has lost a lot of blood."
"Does that mean she's going to be okay?"
"Likely," Dr. Lewis said quietly and his heart ached when he saw how relieved Toby looked. "Mr. Ziegler, she was pregnant," he continued.
Toby nodded, not understanding where this was going. "Yeah, sixth month."
When the doctor didn't say anything Toby sat down in a chair and gripped the armrests firmly. "Doctor, how's the baby?"
Dr. Lewis swallowed and took a deep breath. "I'm so sorry. There was nothing we could do. When your wife came to the hospital the baby was already lost."
Toby swallowed the lump in his throat and slowly nodded. The doctor was surprised at how calmly this man took the information. He believed he wouldn't be as calm after he told him about Haley.
Toby put a hand to his forehead and silently begged that Haley was okay. "What about my other baby? What about Haley? Is she okay?" He said without looking up, still begging God that he had protected her.
When the doctor didn't say anything he looked up.
"There was nothing we could do, sir. I'm so sorry."
TBC.