Yeah so I don't even know what happened here. But I got a review on this story and it's from February, so I figure if someone cared enough to read something from that long ago, I should care enough to update. So here you are, an update on a long since forgotten but nevertheless very special story. I must admit, I was surprised I wrote something as amazing as my first chapter and the prospect of living up to it was quite daunting, but here you are! Chapter two of What Heaven is Like!
He's unconscious.
He's unconscious, covered in dried blood, coated in fresh blood, and malnourished.
But he's here; he's alive.
They are getting him into an ambulance in a rush, but I hurry over with Jared in tow.
"Mal," I whisper, tearing up.
"Who that?" Jared asks me in his choppy sentences he's been practicing. "He sick."
I pick him up and hold one of his tiny hands in mine.
"Jared, that's your daddy. See? You have the same messy hair." I ruffle his and he giggles. "And you have the same cute big blue eyes."
"I wanna see!" He squirms slightly in my arms. "Eyes!"
"I do too," I whisper. "I do too."
Five strained minutes later and after much screaming, I am cleared to ride in the ambulance. I leave Jared with Amy and give her Neha's number. Under normal circumstances, I would never let Neha babysit him. But he knows her better than anyone else. And I don't know how long I'll be.
There are more protests, but I hold his hand in the ambulance. It is rather cold, I must say. I try not to picture the fact that we're going to a *hospital*. I refrain from laughing at this; even when Mal's unconscious, he's comforting me.
The food in the cafeteria is amazing, I imagine. You'd think I'd know, considering I've been sitting down here for five hours now. I'll admit it smells great, but I can't bring myself to eat.
Eventually I decide to go back up and see him even though they said there is an extremely slim chance of him waking up any time soon. We'd done the impossible together before; why not now?
"Hello, Mal," I whisper, taking his limp hand. Even after only a few hours, the hospital already had him looking a whole lot better. I may just have to reconsider my great dislike of this place. "I'm back. I've missed you." A tear rolls down my face. "We've all missed you. We thought...we thought you were gone." I start crying harder so his face becomes a giant blur. "I should have known you wouldn't leave your unborn son. I'm sorry, Mal. I love you."
After a moments silence, a scratchy, worn voice answers mine, "Don't cry. I love you too."
I struggle desperately to clear my vision and his same, striking blue eyes meet mine.
"Mal," I whisper.
"You seem more shaken up than me." His voice is hoarse and I try not to imagine why, but I can hear his screams echoing distantly in my mind. They hurt him.
"Of course I am. Please never leave me again," I beg unfairly. "Please."
"My memory's a bit foggy, but I don't think I tried to leave."
I smile sadly at his familiar sarcasm.
"I've missed you so much."
An hour later he forces me to leave and get some food after I make the mistake of telling him I haven't eaten. My stomach also contributed, growling traitoriously at the mention of food.
I scarf down a small sandwich and then make my way back to the elevator. I step in and see a small boy run by outside the doors. Some parents have no control, thank God Jared was behaved. Although that might change now, thanks to Mal. I smile and as the doors close, I see a wisp of black hair as someone chases after the boy. I narrow my eyes but don't have time to investigate as the doors bar me from the outside.
"Mal, I'm back," I say, but see he has fallen asleep.
He is so weak and exhausted and I can't stand seeing him like this. They wouldn't give him large portions of food just yet, afraid he wouldn't be able to hold it down. Though if he had his way, I am sure he'd feast like he used to on anything in sight.
"Hey, Nat." He opens his eyes groggily. "I'm sorry. Did I doze off?"
"No, Mal, it's okay! You need rest!"
"I don't want rest," he protests. "I want to be with you. I want to know how you've been. I want to know everything." He screws his eyes up in concentration, trying to remember everything. "We were engaged, weren't we?"
"Yes," I smile. "Yes we were. And we had a house together and everything."
He looks so sickly and sad as he tries to remember every detail of his life before his tragic past month.
"I'm so glad you're home," I whisper. "We've missed you."
I gaze into Mal's eyes and know he's had his whole world ripped apart and given back. That sort of thing traumatizes people. We share the same devastated but relieved look until a little voice pipes up from behind me.
"This is the best birthday present ever!"
Neha winks at me from the doorway and then leaves the three of us alone.
I see Mal's grimace turn into a beam of pride when he sees his son, and I know everything is going to be okay.