Chapter Six: And The World Came Crashing Down
Delivery Room
Chandler turned his head to look at the door. It couldn't be, he thought. No, he was gone now, it was just a mirage.
Monica noticed the odd look on her husband's face, "Chandler, what's the matter?"
"I.. nothing, I just thought I saw Ross, but I was mistaken," he said, still looking at the door.
"Mommy, can you please name her now!?" Summer pleaded.
"Yea, come on Rach, if anything, Ross OWES you this," Monica told her.
"I guess so..." Rachel said.
"Well, I've always liked the name Michelle for a middle name," said Rachel, deep in thought.
"Ohh! I've got one! Emma," said Monica proudly.
"Emma Michelle Geller. I love it! Thanks Mon," Rachel said, looking down at her little girl.
In a few moments, they all heard loud footsteps and yelling coming from the hallway outside Rachel's room. Then, the doors opened and Phoebe and Mike rushed inside.
"Sorry... took.. long," Phoebe panted.
"She means, we're sorry it took so long," Mike corrected.
"What's going on?" asked Chandler.
"I don't.. I don't think I can tell you guys yet," said Phoebe, who started to cry.
"Phoebe, is this about Ross?" asked Rachel, bracing herself for the worst.
"It's Joey," whispered Phoebe, now sobbing.
"What, what is it?" asked Chandler.
"Where's Uncle Joey!?" Summer questioned.
"Mike, you tell them," Phoebe said, as Mike held her close, then spoke.
"On the way here, we got a call from a hospital right outside of Los Angeles. Apparently, when Joey was driving here, he.. he had an accident," Mike almost started to cry.
"No," whispered Chandler.
"He was hit by a drunk driver, and unfortunately, he didn't make it," Mike finished.
Everyone's faces went pale, while Monica and Rachel started clinging to each other. Phoebe came over and joined them. Meanwhile, Chandler had a breakdown.
"NO! No, he's not DEAD! Joey!" screamed Chandler as he ran out the double doors.
"Honey, come back," Monica yelled after him and started to chase him down the hallway.
Rachel sat in her bed, not believing what was going on. It seemed as if her whole world had turned into one, giant, black hole, and she was caught inside... spiraling downward.
Mike noticed Rachel's panic-stricken face, "Rach, are you okay?"
And with that, she passed out.
Ross's Point of View
I kept running, running down the hallway and out of the hospital. I ignored the people screaming, 'Sir, watch out, please slow down'. I couldn't stop, just seeing that look on Rachel's face. What had I done? I knew I had let her down... and this time for good.
Finally, I exited the hospital, and sat down on the curb to do some serious thinking. I was such an asshole, I thought to myself. Rachel... she was the best thing I could have asked for. I just wished that I hadn't hurt her, I wanted to be with her, holding her hand, pushing her, encouraging her, helping her through everything. However, I told myself that the longer I waited outside, the more I was hurting her, and if she truly loved me, then she could hopefully find it in her heart to forgive him. And with that, he turned around and walked back into the hospital.
Delivery Room
Everyone was still weeping over Joey's death, especially Chandler, who had obviously taken it the worst. A nurse had put Rachel on oxygen and she finally woke up. She still felt nervous and scared, like the whole world had crashed on top of her, and she couldn't move. That's when he walked in.
"Rachel," he said, staring at her pained face from across the room. It killed him inside.
"Ross, thank God," she started to cry again.
Ross moved across the room and embraced his wife, never wanting to let her go. He rubbed his thumbs in circles on her temples. But, for some reason, Rachel was still crying.
"Sweetie, I'm so sorry, but the traffic was horrible, there must have been some kind of accident. I understand if you never forgive me, but if you can find it in your heart..." Ross started.
"Joey's dead," Rachel managed to choke out.
"What!? Is, this... it isn't possible..." Ross whispered, looking for answers from his friends. They all nodded their heads in reply.
"Rach, I'm.. I'm so sorry," Ross said, as Rachel buried her face in his chest. They just stood like that, for almost fifteen minutes. And the strange thing was, it only seemed like a mere second.
Delivery Room
Chandler turned his head to look at the door. It couldn't be, he thought. No, he was gone now, it was just a mirage.
Monica noticed the odd look on her husband's face, "Chandler, what's the matter?"
"I.. nothing, I just thought I saw Ross, but I was mistaken," he said, still looking at the door.
"Mommy, can you please name her now!?" Summer pleaded.
"Yea, come on Rach, if anything, Ross OWES you this," Monica told her.
"I guess so..." Rachel said.
"Well, I've always liked the name Michelle for a middle name," said Rachel, deep in thought.
"Ohh! I've got one! Emma," said Monica proudly.
"Emma Michelle Geller. I love it! Thanks Mon," Rachel said, looking down at her little girl.
In a few moments, they all heard loud footsteps and yelling coming from the hallway outside Rachel's room. Then, the doors opened and Phoebe and Mike rushed inside.
"Sorry... took.. long," Phoebe panted.
"She means, we're sorry it took so long," Mike corrected.
"What's going on?" asked Chandler.
"I don't.. I don't think I can tell you guys yet," said Phoebe, who started to cry.
"Phoebe, is this about Ross?" asked Rachel, bracing herself for the worst.
"It's Joey," whispered Phoebe, now sobbing.
"What, what is it?" asked Chandler.
"Where's Uncle Joey!?" Summer questioned.
"Mike, you tell them," Phoebe said, as Mike held her close, then spoke.
"On the way here, we got a call from a hospital right outside of Los Angeles. Apparently, when Joey was driving here, he.. he had an accident," Mike almost started to cry.
"No," whispered Chandler.
"He was hit by a drunk driver, and unfortunately, he didn't make it," Mike finished.
Everyone's faces went pale, while Monica and Rachel started clinging to each other. Phoebe came over and joined them. Meanwhile, Chandler had a breakdown.
"NO! No, he's not DEAD! Joey!" screamed Chandler as he ran out the double doors.
"Honey, come back," Monica yelled after him and started to chase him down the hallway.
Rachel sat in her bed, not believing what was going on. It seemed as if her whole world had turned into one, giant, black hole, and she was caught inside... spiraling downward.
Mike noticed Rachel's panic-stricken face, "Rach, are you okay?"
And with that, she passed out.
Ross's Point of View
I kept running, running down the hallway and out of the hospital. I ignored the people screaming, 'Sir, watch out, please slow down'. I couldn't stop, just seeing that look on Rachel's face. What had I done? I knew I had let her down... and this time for good.
Finally, I exited the hospital, and sat down on the curb to do some serious thinking. I was such an asshole, I thought to myself. Rachel... she was the best thing I could have asked for. I just wished that I hadn't hurt her, I wanted to be with her, holding her hand, pushing her, encouraging her, helping her through everything. However, I told myself that the longer I waited outside, the more I was hurting her, and if she truly loved me, then she could hopefully find it in her heart to forgive him. And with that, he turned around and walked back into the hospital.
Delivery Room
Everyone was still weeping over Joey's death, especially Chandler, who had obviously taken it the worst. A nurse had put Rachel on oxygen and she finally woke up. She still felt nervous and scared, like the whole world had crashed on top of her, and she couldn't move. That's when he walked in.
"Rachel," he said, staring at her pained face from across the room. It killed him inside.
"Ross, thank God," she started to cry again.
Ross moved across the room and embraced his wife, never wanting to let her go. He rubbed his thumbs in circles on her temples. But, for some reason, Rachel was still crying.
"Sweetie, I'm so sorry, but the traffic was horrible, there must have been some kind of accident. I understand if you never forgive me, but if you can find it in your heart..." Ross started.
"Joey's dead," Rachel managed to choke out.
"What!? Is, this... it isn't possible..." Ross whispered, looking for answers from his friends. They all nodded their heads in reply.
"Rach, I'm.. I'm so sorry," Ross said, as Rachel buried her face in his chest. They just stood like that, for almost fifteen minutes. And the strange thing was, it only seemed like a mere second.