The atmosphere was cold as the four friends stood outside the hospital door. They couldn't look inside, in fear of the pain that would haunt them forever.

Through the door, Monica lay sleeping silently in her bed. Her pale skin was patched with moist sweat from sheer exhaustion; her thin black hair scattered in strands all over her pillow. One hand lay lost on the bed. She lay slightly on her side, facing away from Chandler, who had her other hand grasped gently in his. His face was drained, under his eyes was grey and shadowed and stubble had begun to pierce through the pores on his chin. His baby blue eyes were cloudy and lost, staring in Monica's direction but not looking directly at her.

She would shatter. She would be destroyed. He didn't want to open his mouth to her. He adored her cherished blue eyes yet prayed she would sleep longer so he wouldn't see them fade.

A few minutes later, Monica began to stir and Chandler felt himself shaking physically. She was innocent to anything and he was petrified. She opened her eyes, turning her head to face the love of her life.

"Hey," she whispered to him. He struggled to muster a smile, so just squeezed her hand in recognition of her words.

But Monica was not stupid. She knew something was very wrong. She began to feel physically empty. Chandler was not assaying a word, and Monica began to feel physically empty. Something had been torn from her. She reached her hand out and pulled up her dress from under the bed sheets. A long line trailed across her stomach, which was gently sagging and stained with dry blood.

She felt petrified, remembering suddenly the past few hours. She had gone in natural labour, and then, it had all gone black.

Her head immediately shot round in the direction of Chandler, who was shivering with fright. He looked like he was about to die.

"Chandler? What…what..happened?" Her voice was stronger this time, demanding an answer, praying for a miracle.

A single tear rolled down Chandler's cheek, and he only had to look inot her eyes to explain it all.

"No….no…no, no, no... NO!" Monica was gripping her bed sheets in fear, wide eyed at the scar at the stomach.

Chandler nodded and hung his head in grief, unable to even try and comfort her.

The four friends outside heard the scream from Monica's room as they sat in the waiting room. A woman plunged into bitter self-denial, crying loudly, and shouting the word "No!" over and over.

It wasn't fair. A woman desperate to cradle life in her arms, to nurture and love a child, had just had every possibility torn from her. Two years of trying, and finally she was granted her wish.

Now it was all torn apart.

If the four friends outside felt helpless, it was nothing compared to what Chandler was going through.

He fought his own grief, desperately trying to control his hysterical wife, who was shaking and sobbing violently in his arms. He remembered the moment the doctor told him what they'd done to Monica. Chandler felt like a demon for having to tell her, causing her this pain was like a knife through hi heart.

With a devastated and almost uncontrollable wife in his arms, Chandler felt like all hope was gone.

Monica eventually cried herself to sleep, after having collapsed from sheer exhaustion, the doctors had then injected a temporary anaesthetic to calm her, and she had eventually fallen asleep.

Phoebe, Rachel, Ross and Joey had tried top get Chandler to come home for some rest, but Chandler refused to leave Monica's side. He needed to be with her.

As Monica slept, Chandler studied her face. It was clearly drained and affected, but he could see the old Monica shining through as she lay in peace. Her face had gained colour and Chandler had smoothed her hair flat again. As before, she looked so innocent, so beautiful, and so Monica.

Chandler remained by her side for two hours. He just held onto Monica's hand gently and waited for her to stir, for the pain to resurface once more.

Her eyes slowly fluttered open. Among all the red and puffiness, her piercing blue eyes were there, shining brightly, as the day he proclaimed his love for her.

"Hey," Chandler said.

He mad himself look confident and strong, sitting uprightly and smiling softly. He waited for her tears to begin flowing.

"Hi, " she whispered back, smiling softly in response to his.

Chandler stroked her hand and felt himself lose control again.

"I'm ….so….sorry," he said, gsping for air, every single word killing him. He felt his eyes water, and waitited for Monica to join him in grief.

Instead she reached out and gentlywiped away the welling tears in his eye.

"Sssshhh," she whispered, as Chandler began to sob. "It's not your fault."

He saw control in her eyes, determination to stay strong, and wanted to join her.

"It is my –"

"Its no-ones fault, Chandler. It just…wasn't meant to be."

2But, we waited so long…and now…"His words were a stutter..

"I know. But we'll work this out."

She gazed at Chandler, and saw his pain. She saw and realised and how guilty he was feeling. He had had to break this shock to her. So he felt like it was his fault.

He was still sobbing slightly. She opened her arms out to him.

"Hey, hey. Come here you." Monica gestured towards Chandler.

Chandler got up and clambered onto the bed, letting Monica wrap her arms around him. She kissed the top of his head.

"I promise you, we'll get through this. We're strong, we always cope. I know, this is a horrible thing, but we will. I promise." She stroked his hair and held him tighter.

They lay together on Monica's bed for the rest of that night. Both were shattered, destroyed and devastated. But they were strong. In their sleep they held hands, there wedding rings touching together, a symbol of their bond.

They were in love. And love would get them through this.