Two hours later...

"RACHEL, HELP ME!"

Her eyes shot open at the sound of his voice. She leapt to her feet, running blindly along the pitch black corridor.

"RACHEL!"

She followed his voice, her heart hammering against her chest.

The corridor was endless. The darkness was a thick blanket over her eyes. She couldn't see anything. All she could hear was the sound of her heart pounding in her ears as she looked around desperately for the man she loved who was pleading for her help.

"ADAM? WHERE ARE YOU?"

There was no answer.

"ADAM!"

Her footsteps banged against the floor as she ran, checking each and every door she passed. All were either empty or locked.

"RACHEL!"

His voice was coming from down the corridor, growing weaker and weaker. She ran in the direction of his voice, desperate to get to him.

Her heart dropped when she saw the trail of blood leading into one of the rooms. The door was ajar.

"Rachel" he whispered

He was lying on the floor when she walked in, his body and clothes soaked with blood. Her stomach turned when she saw his leg resting at an awkward angle, the bone poking out through the skin. He smiled weakly at her, his breathing wheezy and shallow.

She knelt down beside him, taking his hand into her own. Tears ran down her cheeks as his eyes rolled to the back of his hand. The hand that was resting in hers became cold and limp.

"Please don't leave me" she whispered

It was too late. He was gone.

The sound of a car engine revving made her look up. The bright lights blinded her as it moved towards her, a silent scream escaping her lips.

...

Eddie jumped as Rachel shot up in bed with a scream. He leapt to his feet, moving to stand beside her as she breathed heavily, clawing at her chest. She was trembling from head to foot, her breathing becoming wheezy and rapid.

"Rachel? Rach, it's ok. It was just a dream" he reassured, rubbing her arm gently

A strangled sob escaped her lips as she gazed at him painfully.

"Deep breaths, yeah?"

Rachel nodded, inhaling slowly through her nose and out through her mouth. She'd lost count of the times Eddie had calmed her down after a nightmare in the past. In that moment, as she watched him breathing with her, it felt like no time had passed.

As her breathing calmed and her heart rate returned to an even pace, she shifted uncomfortably, resting her head against the pillows. She forced herself to keep her eyes open, knowing that if she closed them, she would see Adam lying in a pool of his own blood again. So she lay in the bed, staring blankly at the wall. Her eyes fell on the clock on the wall, telling her it was nine o'clock and that two hours had passed since she'd fallen asleep.

A loud cry broke the silence and pulled Rachel back into reality. Rachel moved to sit up, desperate to get to her little girl. Eddie beat her to it, laying her back down. He walked over to the crib, picking Annabelle up and handing her over to Rachel, who took her into her arms, kissing her forehead gently. She smiled as the little girl's wails turned into soft whimpers as she settled into her Mother's arms.

Rachel hadn't noticed the tear that was dribbling down her cheek. But Eddie had.

"Are you ok?" he asked

She nodded, sniffling.

"Do you want to talk about it?" he offered

"I just- I... had a nightmare about... Adam. I'm used to them now" she mumbled

Eddie took her hand into his, squeezing it gently.

"I just miss him" she whispered tearfully

"I know you do. I wish there was something I could do to make it better, Rach" he sighed

The tears were streaming down her face now, the events of the last few hours and the nightmare hitting her full force. She was happy but heartbroken all in one go. She had gained a beautiful baby girl, but lost the love of her life.

Eddie moved to sit in front of her on the bed, taking her hand into his own. He waited patiently, rubbing her hand with his thumb as she cried in the hopes it would bring her some comfort. He didn't really know what else to do or say. Grief was a complex emotion and there was no easy fix.

"Rach, do you want me to call Kim?" he asked

Rachel shook her head.

"Are you sure?" he checked

She nodded.

"How did you meet Adam, Rach?" he asked gently

Rachel frowned at him.

"What do you mean?"

"How did you meet Adam?"

"We, uhm- well, we went to school together. We were good friends until... well, you know"

Eddie nodded, urging her to continue.

"He applied for a job at the school, Healthy Eating co-ordinator. He was late for the interviews, but he waited until the end of the day when I could see him. I was about to go and send him away, when I realised it was him. He was the best out of all the candidates that applied, so he got the job and... The rest is history I guess" she explained

Eddie smiled.

"I saw the photos of you two on the wall at your house. It seems you were really happy together"

Rachel nodded.

"We were. I know I loved you, but I've never felt about anyone the way I did about him"

"Sorry" she added

"Don't apologise, Rach. He made you happy. All I've ever wanted is for you to be happy. And you found happiness with him. I'm just sorry it all came crashing down when it did" he sighed

Rachel sniffled.

"I think the two of you would have gotten along" she said with a giggle

Eddie raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah?"

"Definitely. You're both goofy idiots" Rachel nodded, smiling

Eddie laughed, squeezing her hand gently.

"He sounds great, Rach. You were lucky"

Rachel agreed. When she looked down at her little girl, she felt even luckier. Adam was gone, but Annabelle was something they would share forever.

She gently laid Annabelle back in the crib, lying back against the pillows. She smiled softly at Eddie.

"Thanks for being here for me" she said

"No problem, Rach"