This is from a French competition! It's really an essay I'm doing here, knowing that it has plenty of Ross and Rachel fans and that even though Ross is very toxic. Me being a fan of Chandler and Monica, it was quite a job to write this story, especially difficult for my Mondler heart.
Like my other FRIENDS story, this is not a comedy, I'm unable to write humor, I find it much harder than drama. English is not my main language...
The sky began to lighten as the sun rose on May 12, 2006. Chandler Bing had been instructed by his wife to go outside to decompress and phone their friends to tell them that work had begun. Monica had found her husband nervous, and as he began to moan while waiting for her to receive the epidural, she gave him the task of delivering the good news to their friends, figuring that without her husband's nervousness she'd be better able to focus on the pain. A few years ago, Chandler would have had a cigarette in his mouth, but since the twins arrived two years ago, he hadn't smoked a single cigarette. They had celebrated the twins' birthday exactly a week ago, and here they were already hours away from having a third. The announcement of Monica's pregnancy had sent shockwaves through the couple. But they weren't supposed to be able to create life. Chandler had low-mobility sperm and Monica had a hostile uterus, giving them less than a 1% chance of having a child naturally. They had turned to adoption, and the arrival of their twins had more than fulfilled them. He hated hospitals, and he was doing himself an injustice because the love of his life was about to give birth to a miracle baby, but here, even suffering, Chandler felt it was his fault. Slightly dazed, Chandler picked up his cell phone and began waking his friends.
- Monica's in labor? answered Rachel after the first ring.
- Yeah, well... Actually, no, not yet, but the contractions are close together... How did...
- How did I know? Because it's 5 a.m. and seeing your name on my cell phone at this hour is a first!
Chandler let out a nervous laugh. Rachel Green was Monica's best friend and, for twelve years now, a member of their little group of friends. Rachel spoke quickly and with her mouth away from the cell phone, making what she was saying to Chandler incomprehensible.
- Rach? Rach?
- Chandler?" asked Ross.
- Ross...
- Rachel's all worked up. She's running around dressing Emma, talking about Monica and the baby. Is everything okay?
- Yeah, yeah. We're at the hospital.
- Are you in labor?
- No, we're just practicing for the big day. Of course we are! Otherwise we'd still be sleeping," Chandler replied sarcastically.
- We're on our way.
Ross Geller was Monica's older brother, and since college they'd been friends. His relationship with Rachel was tumultuous. They got back together as often as they broke up. But for the past two years, their relationship seemed stable, at least on the surface. Monica and Chandler no longer lived in Manhattan, seeing their group of friends much less often than before.
Chandler then called Phoebe. Still residing in New York, she was thinking of moving out of New York State, but the project had been put on hold because she was pregnant with her Mike. Conversations between Phoebe and Chandler never really lasted long, but she makes it clear to him.
''Just because I'm about to explode doesn't mean I won't be there to see what a child of yours and Monica's will look like.''
Chandler looked at the clock and figured it was very early, or late at night in Los Angeles, to wake Joey, but he was his best friend. Even though he wouldn't be present at the baby's delivery, he felt it his duty to call.
- Chan?" came Joey's sleepy voice.
- Hi, Joe. I was just calling to tell you that Monica's having contractions.
- The baby's coming!" exclaimed Joey. No, I'm not talking to you, sweetie... Go back to sleep... Shit! I'm in L.A.! Why did I rush back to L.A. after Jack and Erica's party when you're having a baby?
Chandler smiled at his best friend's attitude. He'd decided to move to L.A. a few weeks after their move to Westchester, leaving his soap opera to concentrate on movies, returning to New York as often as possible. But having spent the week with them, in the room he had in the Westchester house, Joey had decided to return to L.A. as Monica still had another month before the baby was born.
- This is our third, man," Chandler replied.
- Yes, but it's the first original Bing/Geller.
Chandler burst out laughing as he reminded her that this baby would surely be the first and only "homemade." Three kids was enough for him, or so he told himself, a miracle wasn't meant to happen over and over again. Joey promised to catch the first plane out in the morning and join them. They hung up when Chandler's second line announced a call. He'd had enough air; it was time to go back up and support Monica. He picked up the line as he headed for the hospital entrance.
- Coming, dear...
- Uh... Thanks, but I was wondering what hospital you're at? asked Ross.
- St. Vincent's.
- In Westchester...
- No, Manhattan...
- Your attitude isn't getting any better, my friend... We'll be there in about an hour. Why didn't you call as soon as her water broke? We wouldn't have wasted all this time.
- Monica asked me to call you only now.
- And you do what she says?" Ross retorted in a slightly arrogant tone.
- When your wife has her contractions, you don't think about calling everyone. You focus on her.
- I called when Rachel's water broke.
- That's what I'm saying... Come on, I'm going back inside.
Chandler admired Monica's calmness. She wasn't trying to control everything. They'd paid for a private room and she'd taken the epidural. She was sitting, feet off the bed, facing Chandler playing with her husband's sweater, when Phoebe and Mike arrived. The two friends squealed with delight at the sight of each other, which made Mike wince, as he extended his hand to Chandler. Rachel and Ross arrived shortly afterwards. The latter was still pissed about Chandler's comment, but he was happy to see them. Monica was happy to have her friends with her until the last minute.
- Oh darling, you look happy," Rachel exclaimed excitedly.
- I feel no pain and I'm going to have a baby! Of course I'm happy.
Taking the time to talk to each other about the pleasure of seeing Monica so happy and Chandler so nervous. Being the fourth delivery in the group, everyone knew it was going to be a long wait. But for Chandler this delivery was different, because he was the father and he was going to have to watch the woman he loved like crazy push with all her might to get this baby out. As always, Ross wanted to give Chandler advice, thinking that the birth of his two children had the same significance as the Bing baby about to be born. But the father-to-be didn't want to remind his friend that during both his children's births he hadn't been emotionally involved with the mothers, but Chandler Bing had picked his battles long enough and reminding Ross of these events wasn't smart.
The four friends headed into the waiting room when the contractions became closer and closer together. They made Chandler promise to come and see them as soon as the baby was born.
On the way to the delivery room, he was separated from Monica for a few minutes, while he put on the cosmonaut suit required for fathers. He was happy, no longer nervous. He had realized almost ten years ago that his best friend was in fact the love of his life. Since then, he had lived this story as the greatest and most beautiful of all time.
Never had he desired a woman as much as he still desired his wife that very morning. Never had a woman been more beautiful to him than Monica. He had succeeded in discovering the secret of a carefree, pain-free life. All you had to do was give it your all to make the love of your life as happy as possible. And Monica was, from day one. When she'd told him the doctors had been wrong and shown him the positive test, Chandler had been convinced that nothing could keep them apart. He entered the workroom and Monica turned her head toward him with a smile.
He was even more convinced that nothing could happen to them.
So when things had started to get hectic in the labor room, when the nervous doctor had asked him the famous question from another era, Chandler hadn't opened his mouth. He couldn't believe that in such a short time his happiness had become fragile.
- ''...the mother or the child?''
How do you answer that question without feeling like an executioner and condemning someone you love to death? The doctor had repeated and insisted on a quick answer. Time was running out. The landing in hell was imminent. Chandler lowered his gaze to his wife, who lay inert on the delivery table. She was his whole world. He loved her beyond infinity. The twins still needed and would always need their mother. When the nurse touched his arm, her gaze imploring, he let out a breathy "my wife". With the answer, the attendant was signaled to take him out. Monica would be furious at his decision, but he couldn't survive without her. Chandler had felt death encircle him and eviscerate his insides.
He clung to Monica's hand. It was in the chaos and after panicked shouts of "I love you" that Chandler had finally been thrown out of the room, without further explanation or consideration.
How could life so brutally rip your heart out, yet keep it alive to allow you to contemplate the horror of what you're going through? Torture, pure and simple. Ever since the doctor had violently chased him out of the labor room, leaving Monica alone surrounded by an army of doctors and nurses, Chandler had been in that parallel world between the dead and the living. When his friends saw him coming, they quickly realized something was wrong. Chandler, who had always been a talker by nature, was silent. His usually open and welcoming face was closed, and his eyes, empty of all the mischievous gleam that normally made them shine. He sat in silence. With a trembling hand, he removed his face cover and the paper cap from his hair. Phoebe placed her hand on her very rounded belly, before letting go of her husband's hand and approaching Chandler.
He didn't even look up, but stopped her by raising his hand and slowly shaking his head. He had no desire to speak, no desire for comfort. Still, Phoebe sat on his right and laid her head on his shoulder. A few minutes later, Rachel took her place on Chandler's left and, like Phoebe, laid her head on her friend's shoulder. They'd been suddenly invaded by Chandler's energy and were paralyzed with fear, not daring to ask what was going on.
When Rachel had seen Chandler return to them, his complexion gray and his body trembling, she had felt her soul being torn apart. Chandler was absent, but softly whispering his wife's name. Rachel couldn't imagine anything happening to Monica. She was her best friend, her sister, everything that made her better. With nothing to do but support the man in her life, her Chandler, Rachel promised herself that no matter what happened, she would never let Chandler down.
He was her friend. Minutes quickly turned into hours. Chandler had gotten up and was silently walking back and forth to the door, the four friends had stayed together. They took turns trying to comfort Chandler, showering him with words, each more positive than the last, but nothing helped. Without knowing the fatal outcome, Chandler Bing was already not the same man.
Another hour weighed down the already heavy atmosphere, when finally the door opened on the doctor, who looked defeated.
- I'm sorry we couldn't save your wife...
Rachel and Phoebe's cries, Mike's shock and Ross's hiccups of surprise didn't reach Chandler's ears, who collapsed, his knees on the floor, invaded by the cold that froze his whole being. The doctor's words were incomprehensible to this newly widowed man. Ross approached, announcing that he was Monica's brother. After a slight hesitation, the doctor told him that the child, a boy, had survived, and that he could go and see him. Still no answer from Chandler, the doctor asked Ross if he wanted to see the child.
- No," Chandler's voice snapped, preventing Ross from going to see his nephew.
Still on the floor, Chandler looked up at the doctor. His face was completely disfigured by pain. He staggered to his feet, helped by Rachel who held his arm to keep him from stumbling.
- I want to see my wife," ordered Chandler in a deep voice.
- Chandler..., Ross began, placing his hand on his brother-in-law's shoulder.
Chandler shrugged it off.
- Mr. Bing, I don't think...
- Monica must be the first to see her son..., Chandler insisted in a dull voice.
Nodding silently, the doctor brought Chandler to his son. He took him in his arms, without looking at him, and was then shown into the room where Monica lay. All he could make out was a human form under a white sheet. The doctor reached Monica's head and pulled the sheet down to her shoulders. Chandler held his breath. She seemed to be asleep. Her facial features were as delicate and serene as ever, but her grayish complexion betrayed the color of death. Chandler approached his wife and laid the baby on the blanket, close to its mother's heart. He placed a hand on his son's body and looked at him for the first time.
The little one was sleeping, unaware of the drama that was unfolding and would influence his whole life. He was a beautiful baby. He didn't have wrinkled skin and had a nice round skull. Chandler lightly undid the blanket that wrapped his son to look at his fingers.
- He's beautiful, Mon, perfect, just like you wanted. He's barely a few hours old and he seems to have more of my character. He's quiet. I haven't heard him scream yet, but maybe then we'll know he's more your son. It's hard to say who he looks like... You would have been able to tell the second you laid eyes on him...
A tear fell onto his hand, which was on top of his son, followed by several others. With his free hand, he angrily wiped his eyes. Freed from his cocooning blanket, the baby stretched out his arms, yawning. Chandler ran a finger over his son's cheek, which twitched in what looked like a smile, before closing the blanket over him, confining him to his cocoon of warmth.
- I know we agreed to call him Kyle... I'll... I'm going to call him Daniel, like you chose when you were 14. I miss you already... Oh shit... I love you so much. How can I live without you my love!
Chandler stiffened when he heard the door open behind him. He kept his gaze on his wife's inanimate face as two arms encircled her neck and Rachel's perfume flooded the room.
- He's got your face, Monica. At least the bottom one, because he's got Chandler's forehead. Just like you wanted... Remember when you told me you wanted a beautiful blend of your two faces? This is exactly your son. He has very little hair and it's dark. Geller hair. He's beautiful, Mon.
Chandler's head dropped to Rachel's hands, which encircled him, and he burst into tears. Rachel rested her chin on Chandler's head, rocking him slowly in her arms.
- 'I don't want you to worry about where you are, Mon', Rachel sobbed. 'Your Chandler won't be alone. I'm making it my mission to flood him and your other two wonders with love, Rachel continued, her voice broken by Chandler's loud sobs.
- She won't be alone, little sister..., intervened Ross who had just entered. We won't let the Bing family down.
Phoebe moved closer and buried her face in Chandler's neck, letting go of her sadness. Ross approached his best friend and laid his hand on his shoulder, also letting his tears flow over the death of his beloved little sister.
- What's this prince's name?" asked Ross, taking the baby in his arms.
- Daniel," breathed Chandler sadly.
Monica was dead. Three little words. Five syllables that hid the most painful reality of all.
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