The Deaths Come Marching One By One

Disclaimer: I don't own anything here :)

Summary: A misinterpretation of the phrase "lost the baby". This is the moment that changes Mort's life...This is why he writes horror. This is why Amy left him. Too many deaths...Who's fault is it really? Rating will most likely change.

A/N: Wowzers lots of reviews for only two chapters. This is probably one of my most popular stories! I'm glad you're all liking it! Here's another chapter. ---Rae

Chapter Three: Room 603

The three of them were driving hastily down the highway, Carolyn sitting on Amy's lap in the passenger's seat. But Mort was getting extremely frustrated. It was about 7:00...and there was tons of traffic. Cars were backed up about a mile from the end of the highway. Mort was trying to ignore his daughter's heavy breathing as he kept his hands tightly on the steering wheel.

Suddenly a car honked behind them. Mort glanced at the mirror and cursed loudly back at them.

"Mort!" Amy said hastily.

"Why don't these cars freaking move?!" Mort honked the horn for several seconds, causing many more shouts from different cars around them.

"Mort, just calm down. We'll be there soon." Amy held onto Carolyn tightly, feeling her forehead every two minutes. She knew her husband was on the verge of screaming in frustration, and she felt the same way, but didn't show it.

Over twenty minutes later, they reached the hospital, Mort feeling his face getting hotter too.

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Mort and Amy sat on a couch in the waiting room, Mort's arms wrapped around Amy, who was feeling more anxious than ever. Mort continued holding her and kissing her and trying to calm her down, telling her everything was okay. Finally, she gained enough breath to speak. "Mort?"

"Yeah, baby?"

"I'm scared."

"Don't be scared."

"I can't help it."

Mort held her and whispered softly in her ear, saying comforting things to her. It made her feel slightly better.

Then the doctor came back out. Amy and Mort stood up automatically, holding their breath. Dr. Mason looked at them sadly. "Mr. and Mrs. Rainey...I'm terribly sorry, but your daughter is very ill."

Amy's eyes filled with tears. "How ill?"

"Quite. We'll have to keep her here for a week or so to be sure there's nothing else wrong. And..." He looked at the two of them quizzically. "As we were treating her, we discovered several bruises around her body. Is there anything-"

"What?" Mort replied angrily. "What-what are you talking about?"

"Well-"

"No...God dammit...okay, doctor...I don't exactly like being accused of these sort of things...especially considering my daughter...in other words, the reason I live. And I hope you understand that I am deathly afraid of what might happen to her right now-"

"Mr. Rainey...I apologize. I meant no offence. You can see your daughter now if you'd like."

Mort walked away from the doctor, fuming. Amy followed him to Room 603 where their daughter was. "I don't like that doctor," Mort said, his hands in his pockets, feeling tense.

"It's okay, honey."

Carolyn was sitting up in her bed, staring at her thumbs, a slight frown on her face. Mort and Amy both gave her a kiss on her forehead before sitting on either side of the bed. "Hey, sweetie," Amy said to her. "How are you? Do you feel okay?" Carolyn shrugged.

Mort didn't know what to say. They all sat there for a minute or so until Amy was called out again to sign some papers. Mort was left sitting with his little girl. "So...how's school, baby?"

"It's okay."

"How's your friend Jenna?"

"Jenna moved."

"Oh. Right. How are all the other kids?"

"They're good."

"So...how do you feel?"

"Okay."

"Have you been feeling 'okay' for a while?"

She shrugged again and slumped lower in her pillows and closed her eyes.

"Are you tired, baby?" She nodded. "Well go to sleep then okay?" She nodded again. "Good night, Carolyn. I'll be back first thing in the morning."

"Good night, Daddy."

He kissed her on her cheek and left the room, not wanting to look back, knowing she was going to be okay. But he also knew he was going to have many nights of sitting in that same chair next to her bed. No...You can't think like that...She'll be okay... Mort told himself. He met up with Amy in the waiting room again and took her hand to leave the hospital, but found himself looking back at Carolyn's room one more time.

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Mort layed in bed that night, not being able to close his eyes. All he could think about was Carolyn...Not like he ever did think about anything else but her and Amy. He loved them both so much.

But he still couldn't fall asleep.

So he got up and went downstairs. He checked the clock which read 11:56. He couldn't really think of anything to do....He looked around the room then opened the refrigerator and searched it, finding a bottle of Jack Daniels. He considered it first though...He didn't want to get drunk....He knew the consequences of getting drunk....But he wanted to anyway.

He stood there and took a drink of the old whiskey. Mort hadn't had this stuff in a while....He was appreciating the feeling it gave him until almost half the bottle was gone. After not getting drunk in several months the feeling he recalled didn't feel too good. He had to see his baby in the morning...Why did he do this? Mort finally collapsed on the couch, clutching the bottle over the side of the couch.

Mort then heard distant footsteps. Amy had obviously gotten up. "Mort? What are you doing?"

She walked toward him and immediately noticed the whiskey bottle in his hand. She just sighed and sat him up straight, then sat next to him. "Mort...what made you want to come down here and get drunk?"

"I couldn't sleep." He smiled at Amy. "I'm-I'm so worried about her....We've never had to bring her to the hospital because she was sick or anything before....I feel like a horrible dad."

"You're not. You're a wonderful dad."

Mort's eyes kept shutting and reopening in desperation of sleep. "I'm going back to bed...What did you come down here for?"

"...I couldn't sleep either."

Mort gave his wife a quick hug and headed upstairs again, hardly being able to walk. But he climbed back into bed and fell asleep before he even heard Amy come back.

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A/N: Sorry for shortness! I could feel your anticipation for this chapter lol. Bye everyone! ---jamie (back to my real name)