Chapter five

You can't give up

Jack froze, not knowing what to do, then he noticed the bloody towels in his hand. Cal saw his gaze, and his shocked expression. "you'd better go," he said quietly, his voice was almost sad, like he was trying to hide the emotions, "she's been asking for you," and he walked away.

Jack entered the room.

Rose was lying on a bed, her eyes closed, face pale as a ghost. Her hair was limp, and moist with sweat that now ran down her forehead, there was blood on the sheets.

"what's wrong," jack managed to say, he rushed to her side, "Rose! Rose!" but she didn't respond. "what happened!" he shouted, spinning around, "what did you do? Is she dead?" he felt tears well up in his eyes, "rose?" he took her hand in his softly.

"the child is stuck," the doctor said quietly from the corner, "I've tried everything, believe me, but she's just too exhausted too push it out now, and I believe it may already be dead…" Jack felt as if his heart was being torn into tiny little shreds, "and rose!" he demanded, "what about her?" but only awful silence filled the room.

"I'll give you a minute," the doctor mumbled, and summed for Cal's wife to follow him, to Jack's surprise, there were tears in her eyes.

"Rose?" jack whispered silently as he heard the door click. "Rose, rose can you hear me, rose?" slowly her eyes fluttered open, "jack." She whispered hoarsely, "jack.." just seeing him brought immense comfort to her. "rose," he managed to smile, through tears still spilled down his face. "I love you jack," she whispered, he squeezed her hand.

"no, rose, don't say goodbye," he struggled to find the words, "you can't do this rose, do you hear me? You can't do this to Cora, or the baby, or …me. What happened to not without you? I jump I jump, right?"

she gave a small sob, "I can't." "yes you can!" he was almost shouting, but he controlled himself, "please rose, don't give up, don't leave me," he clutched her hand, "please, I can't lose you, not after everything that's happened, not after everything we've done. It's meant to be rose, we're soul mates, so you can't give up." He could feel his heart breaking, because he knew if rose died, he would never really live again.

Rose, took a deep breath, squeezing jack's hand harder. How could she keep going? She felt ready to die now, she was exhausted, had given up…she couldn't do it. And yet something inside her urged her to keep trying, "you have to," it said, "you went through so much for what you got, don't give it up now,"

She closed her eyes and nodded.

She heard jack yelling, the doctor ran in, as well as prudence, he saw the look in roses eyes of determination, and was in awe of her will to never give up.

"Alright miss, push!" he instructed, Rose screamed, panting and struggling, "its coming!" he cried, "come on, three more, three more!" Rose pushed harder, screaming even louder, the bay was almost out now, Rupert glanced at rose, "okay we only have it's head left now, just one big bush left. Ready…1…2..3!" but rose didn't push. "I can't!" she sobbed, "I can't! I can't!"

"yes you can rose! You can do this!" jack yelled, kissing her hand, "come on, only one more left, now on the count of three! One…two…three!"

With newfound strength rose pushed the child out, sobbing wildly, but from the child there was silence. Jack caught the doctors eye, he was leaning over the baby, he could that he was worried, and then-crying, loud healthy crying!

"oh thank the lord!" cried prudence, who had been quiet forgotten in the corner. "congratulations young rose," said Rupert, handing the baby towards her, wrapped in a towel, it's a healthy baby boy."

"oh jack!" whispered Rose, as she took him in her eyes, "he's beautiful, oh jack he's so beautiful," she kissed his forehead, before laughing. Jack could only grin.

The baby boy had rose's pale blue eyes, with exactly the same fiery spark in them, but he had a head of blonde hair he had inherited from his father.

"have you thought of a name?" the doctor inquired, Jack grinned, "we had settled on. William, but he doesn't seem like a William to me." Rose smiled, "Cody," she whispered quietly, "jack, I think Cody." "hello Cody," jack said, taking his sons tiny hand into his.