A/n: Hey hey, shout out to my new Tumblr bestie Kaitlin, cuz she RoxMySox and all :P Warning: this chapter is sad and deals with a touchy topic for some people but I had to use this situation for the sake of the story in future chapters, because CONTRARY TO POPULAR BELIEF! I dooo have this shit somewhat planned out :))
After Ian hung up with Emily he pulled on a black t-shirt and rolled lazily out of bed. He meandered through the house in his plaid pajama pants, quite out of character for a man like himself, but he was home alone and he intended to revel in it to the fullest. He ate a large breakfast of the ridiculously sugared cereal that Declan was so fond of, that he always protested Emily buying. He sat on the couch and watched ESPN with his feet on the coffee table, also something he protested against anyone doing.
Right as he was about get up and throw himself into a shower, the cell phone beside him rang again. A local number, but one unfamiliar to him, he answered it.
"Hello?"
"Hello, is this Ian? Ian O'Reilly?" A woman's voice came over the phone.
"Yes? Who is this?" He asked sternly.
"Oh, hello, my name is Officer Davenpire with the Auburn Police Department. I'm calling you in regards to an Emily O'Reilly?"
Ian's mind began doing somersaults on him. Police? At 12 in the afternoon? For Emily? What the bloody hell?
"Yes, I'm her husband. What's the problem Officer?" He asked, concerned about the whereabouts of the children.
"Sir, there's been an accident."
Ian's heart stopped beating. Sure he misheard, he asked again, "Come again?"
"There's been an accident. Your wife and children are at DeKalb Memorial." Before she even completed her sentence Ian was halfway up the stairs pulling his pants off as he walked down the hallway.
"Are they alive?" he asked dead calmly.
"I'm not—"
"ARE THEY ALIVE?" He roared into the phone before swearing and hanging up, throwing the phone across the room accidentally shattering the vanity mirror above the dresser.
"FUCK!" He screamed to nobody. Dressing at an unhuman-like speed he was down and out the door striding across the lawn to Izzy and Misty's house. Of course, they only had one vehicle so he had no way to GET to Emily without their help.
Not bothering to knock he barged into the house and stood at the bottom of the stairs.
"IZZY? MISTY?" He yelled.
A sleepy voice came to the top of the stairs.
"Jesus Christ, Ian? What the he—"
"Emily and the kids were in a car accident. I need to get to the hospital!" He said impatiently.
"Ok, ok! Hold on let me tell Misty—"
"You can call her from the car! Bloody HELL! We need to go NOW!" He yelled. He was about to completely lose his precarious grasp on sanity.
"Ok! Jesus, Ian. You need to stay—"
"Izzy, if you tell me to stay calm, I can't promise what I will do to you." He said warningly as they ran out to the car.
After what seemed like hitting every bloody traffic light in town, they finally made it to the hospital.
A nurse with an unnaturally cheerful smile greeted them at the Emergency Room desk.
"Emily O'Reilly! She was in an accident with my kids. Where are they?" He barked.
"Just one moment, sir." She said smiling still. Ian's hands clenched into fists and he felt Izzy put a restraining grip on his arm.
"They have her and it looks like a Landen O'Reilly in trauma surgery right now. Uhhmm lets see, Declan and Lauren are being treated right down this hall here," She said, STILL with a smile and pointed to a hallway on the left.
Without a word he took off in the direction looking for a Doctor or supervising attending. SOMEONE who could give him some fucking information, preferably without looking like they won the fucking lottery.
A man in a white coat stopped him as he made his way down the hallway.
"Excuse me. Are you Ian O'Reilly?"
"Yes. Where are my children?" He asked, Izzy standing nervously at his side.
"Declan and little Lauren are going to be okay. They suffered minor injuries, mostly lacerations and bruising. Declan is in an out of consciousness. Lauren is awake and kicking if you'd like to see them." The doctor said seriously.
"Yes, what about my wife and son?" he asked a wave of relief briefly washing over him.
The doctor paused, "Emily and Landen suffered the brunt of the crash. They were hit broadside in an intersection and the SUV was crushed into them."
Ian felt the blood leave his face and run for his feet. Izzy put a steadying hand to his shoulder. He flinched away instinctively, preparing himself for more bad news.
"Emily is actually coming out of surgery but, she suffered severe head trauma, had a punctured lung, and a broken hip. We were able to repair the lung and we've dealt with her hip and the head trauma. She's not yet conscious and may not be for some time. Landen… Landen has severe internal bleeding, also his ribcage was crushed on impact and he isn't…" the doctor paused again, pursing his lips together and crossing his arms. Ian closed his eyes, trying to remember to breathe.
"Isn't what?" he whispered. Izzy's grip on his arm intensified.
"He… isn't breathing on his own. We've got a machine that is having to do that for him. He was without oxygen for quite a while, and from the amount of time he was without that oxygen, most of his brain cells will have been starved. Mr. O'Reilly, your son is on Life Support and we need you to decide whether or not to keep him on it."
Izzy let out a stifled cry of horror. Ian felt like a bullet pierced through his heart exploding nails inside his chest. The doctor cleared his throat, "Ahem, well I'll leave the form with you, and give you some time to consider your options." He thrust a clipboard into Ian's hand and waved him into the room on the right.
After a moment, Ian forced himself to make his legs move, entering the room where Declan and Lauren were laying on hospital beds next to each other. Lauren was crying, not liking the IV tube she was hooked up to. Somehow her cries snapped him back to the present. He walked over to her bedside and took a hold of her tiny hand.
"Shhh, Love, Daddy's here now. You're okay now, Darling." He said making shh-ing noises, pressing her little hand to his lips. Slowly her sobs died down to sniffling whimpers. Izzy walked around to the other side and stroked her blonde curly locks. Lauren had scratches from the shattered glass over her alabaster skin, dark bruising beginning to form. Soon after being comforted by the fact that her daddy was there with her now, and eventually she drifted off to sleep.
Ian sank down in the chair next to Declan's bedside and buried his head in his hands. He had to decide whether or not to end his son's life. And he had to do it alone… without Emily.
He felt hot tears sting his eyes and his blood boil. This was too much. This was his fault. Why couldn't he save his son? He felt like this was god's way of punishing him. The sins of the father and all that…
After an eternity where he thought he would go insane inside of his own thoughts, Izzy's quiet voice spoke from the foot of the bed.
"So what are you going to do?" She said so quiet he almost didn't hear her.
"What I have to do." He said after a moment. "I have to take my son off Life Support." He said voice raspy with raw emotion.
"You sure?" She asked. No, he wasn't sure. He was downright terrified, but what kind of life could he give his son, when there was no life left in him? If this was Landen's time to go, it was his time. At least he wouldn't suffer, would be at peace, with god.
"I—I can't keep him here… alive. It's not fair… to him." Ian said, biting his fist to keep from breaking down.
"Then you do what you need to." Izzy said more assertively. "Landen will understand, Ian. He knows how much love you and Emily had for him and his brother and sister. He won't hold it against you, Ian." She said walking over to kneel in front of Ian.
"Ian, look at me." He shook his head. He couldn't look at anyone, not even Declan, lying there in front of him.
"Ian," She dropped her voice down real low, and said "let me tell you something my father told me. Look at the stars. The great kings of the past look down on us from those stars. So whenever you feel alone, just remember that those kings will always be there to guide you. And so will I." She quoted.
Ian finally looked up at her, a look of confusion on his face.
"Izzy, what the bloody hell are you on about?" he asked.
"Oh, my effing god." She said. "Sorry." She added at his sharp glare at her use of the f-bomb. "You can't tell me you've never seen the Lion King!"
"Of course I have… I have 3 kids… had." He said trailing off.
"My point is, Landen will be one of those Kings. He will always be watching over you, Emily, Lauren and his big brother here."
"I guess…" Ian sighed, brushing his hand under his nose. And without another word about it, he signed his name.
1 week later.
Ian jolted awake as a hand touched his. Emily was awake. She looked around with a look of vague pain and dull confusion in her eyes. Her bruising was turning colors as it slowly healed.
She'd been in a coma for a week now and Declan had been cleared to go home 2 days after the accident after he'd woken up and the doctors had kept him for a few days observation. Lauren had stayed a little longer just because of her age the doctors wanted to be absolutely sure she was responding well to treatment and had more scans done. But she'd been sent home yesterday, and was with Misty back at the house.
It had been 6 days and 9 hours since he'd had Landen taken off life support. He'd had to bury his son alone and now Landen had a small headstone in the Catholic cemetery.
Declan had taken it in stride, quietly. He was upset, but he was comforted to know that Lauren had made it through, and had dedicated to spending every waking moment with his little sister.
Emily slowly turned her head to look at him, and her look of confusion grew stronger.
"Ian?" she croaked out, wincing.
"Shh, Love. Its okay, I'm here." He said squeezing her hand. He pushed the pager for the doctor to come in.
The doctor walked in with an optimistic smile, "Why, hello there. You must be Emily." He teased.
Again, the confused look grew more intense and mingled with a slight look of panic. She looked over at him, then back at the doctor before saying, with an odd look on her face.
"Umm, I think there is a mix up… My name is Lauren Reynolds…?"
