Tears 4

 

Okay folks here we go again…

 

Disclaimer: I don’t own them (I know, shocking isn’t it!)

 

Chandler watched Monica’s face contort, another searing pain rushing up through her body. The ambulance siren wailed dully in his ears as they crawled their way through the rush hour traffic. He couldn’t believe this was happening, it was too surreal and terrifying to contemplate, instead he focused all his energy on soothing both Monica and Chloe. Hoping in some way he could ease the pain of mother and daughter.

 

Another contraction hit Monica, causing her to gasp for breath and squeeze Chandler’s hand tightly. She turned her face towards his blurred image and tried to articulate the thoughts circling around her pain filled mind.,

 

“Chandler it’s too soon, this isn’t right, it’s not right, I’m scared…”

 

She screamed again causing Chandler to wince. Chloe tugged on his sleeve and sniffed loudly,

 

“ What’s happening Uncle Chandler?”

 

He turned and looked despairingly at her tear filled eyes,

 

“I don’t know honey, I really don’t” he told her honestly.

 

It was true; he hadn’t a clue what was going on. As far as he could gather Monica had been secretly pregnant and had then gone into premature labour in the apartment, beyond that it all became a panic filled blur. Snap shots of phoning the ambulance, Monica’s searing screams, phoning Ross and soothing a terrified Chloe filtered through the fog in his brain. But that was all they were, snap shots, a moment in time devoid of feeling and emotion. He supposed he must be in shock of some sort, his disbelief numbing his panic making him calm and emotionless.

 

The ambulance pulled up in front of the hospital with a screech. All of a sudden the paramedics became a bustle of activity, springing up and taking command, their body’s filled with orderly bustle.

 

Monica was wheeled away into the hospital, leaving Chandler and Chloe to fade away into the hazy summer air. Coming to his senses Chandler stood up, bundled Chloe under his arm and followed Monica’s retreating figure into the hospital.

 

The first thing that hit him as his entered the building was the tidal wave of noise.  Chandler felt like he was going to be sick, the noise, the smell, the clinically white walls all combined to make him feel dangerously dizzy. Just when he thought he was going to faint, a familiar voice punctured through the heavy air.

 

“What the hell is going on Chandler ?!!”

Ross shouted barging through the crowds of people thronging around the emergency room. Rachel ran in close behind, trying, to no avail, to get Ross to calm down. For the second time in 7 months Ross had received a stuttered call from Chandler concerning Monica, he was now frantic with worry. Grabbing Chandler’s shoulders he repeated his question,

 

“What’s happened Chandler? Did the bastard come back? Is Monica going to be alright…”

 

Ross’ torrent of questions rained down heavily on Chandler’s head. Seeing the glazed look in Chandler’s eyes, Rachel grabbed Ross’ arm and pulled him away,

 

“Ross! Just give him a chance to answer,” she turned back to Chandler,

 “Chandler, honey, what’s happened?”

 

Chandler looked at Ross and Rachel’s confused eyes and tried to gather his equally confused thoughts. Chloe squeezed his hand and he sighed, running a hand through his hair,

 

“Ummm, well I came home from the park with Chloe and Mon was in the apartment, she’d just come back from her shrink. And we were talking when all of a sudden she got this look on her face, and she turned to me and told me to phone an ambulance.”

 

Rachel looked suitably bemused, “Why?”

 

Ignoring her interruption Chandler continued, “ She said she was giving birth”

 

Rachel’s jaw dropped, her gasp of surprise causing people to turn round in their chairs and stare.

 

Ross just stuttered in disbelief, “ Wwwhat? That can’t be right, you must have it wrong. That’s impossible!!!”

 

Exasperated Chandler continued, his voice steadily rising,  “ That’s what I thought Ross but its true. Your sister is in there,” he pointed vaguely in the direction of the room Monica had been wheeled into, “ and whether you believe it or not she is giving birth, and from what I can gather things aren’t going great, so either we can stand out here and yell at each other or we can go in there and try and support our friend!”

 

Ross stared at Chandler’s face, creased with worry, and realised that he wasn’t the only one who cared and worried about Monica’s safety,

 

“I’m so sorry man, it’s just..”

 

Chandler nodded his head, “ I know man, I know,” his embrace telling Ross he understood completely.

 

Swallowing down the tears that were rising in his throat, Chandler let go of Ross and led Monica’s brother, daughter and best friend to the window outside the room where she was giving birth. What they saw through the thin pane of glass was a portrait of pain

 

Her dark hair hung in limp threads, sweat soaked and matted to her forehead. Her face was scrunched up, her blue eyes dulled as waves of agony washed over her. Hysteria crept into her voice as she clenched her hands in tight fists and thrashed her head,

 

“Please save my baby, please save my baby!” she screamed

 

Assessing the situation the doctor called out, “Okay, this one looks like an emergency C- section”

 

Chandler wanted to punch him, he was so calm and professionally detached from the situation. Rachel tugged at his shoulder,

 

“ Come on honey, you don’t want to watch this. She’s in the doctor’s hands now. She’ll be fine” she pulled him away from the window and led him into the waiting where Ross was sitting, ashen faced, with Chloe on his lap trying to fill in Monica’s details on a form.

 

“She’ll be fine,” Rachel repeated, hoping if she said it enough times everything would be fine, that the nightmare would stop and they could all return to their happy, mundane lives. Shaking her head in frustration at her selfishness Rachel realised that a ‘happy mundane life’ was something Monica hadn’t had for a long time.

 

As the anxious friends waited, seconds blurred into minutes that ticked on for what seemed like eternity. Chandler’s mind was going into overdrive, morbid thoughts of Monica’s pain inhabited his brain like a plague, breeding in his mind until he had convinced himself he was going to loose her forever. Every so often Chloe would whimper in Ross’ arms, causing Chandler to momentarily snap out of his reverie only to be faced with the waxen faces of his anxious friends, living the nightmare just as he was.

 

Finally a doctor emerged from the delivery room. Chandler, Rachel and Ross’ heads snapped up in synchronisation. Their eyes a curious mixture of hope and fear, Chloe remained undisturbed from the deep sleep she had fallen into, unaware that the seconds about to pass could change her life forever.

 

“ Are you the relatives of Monica Lindsay?” They all nodded, waiting with baited breath. The doctor paused,

 

“ Monica has given birth to a baby girl, however she had some complications during the birth causing her to loose a lot of blood, but we’ve managed to stabilise her. She’s under aesthetic at the moment but you can visit her in the morning.”

 

Chandler felt a huge weight lift off his shoulders, he exhaled and a tentative smile spread across his face. He turned to Ross and Rachel who were crying in relief and then promptly burst into tears, the day catching up with him. Chloe remained sleeping through the whole ordeal; her childish face an oasis of calm in the emotional turmoil of the day.

 

The next Morning

 

The golden sun broke through the hospital blinds, casting an effervescent glow on Monica’s sleeping features. The lines of the previous days pain had been smoothed out by the night’s tranquil sleep, leaving her face smooth and serene.

 

Slowly she fluttered her eyes open, oceans of blue shimmering in the pale morning  light. A movement next to her bed caused her to turn her head. With her back to Monica a nurse was bent over an incubator. Turning around the nurse smiled at her warmly,

 

“Morning Monica. Did you have a good nights sleep?”

 

Monica nodded her head absentmindedly, her eyes transfixed on the tiny bundle in the incubator. The nurse followed her gaze,

 

“That’s your daughter. Would you like to hold her?”

 

Again, Monica nodded silently. The nurse picked up the delicate package and placed her in Monica’s outstretched arms. Recognising the look of fear and awe on her patient’s face the nurse left the room, closing the door behind her quietly.

 

Monica just stared, overcome with to many emotions to move. The baby’s tiny nose scrunched up as she stoked the whisper of hair on its head. With a tear of love running down her cheek, Monica hesitantly spoke to her newborn child,

 

“I love you so much. You’re so perfect darling. And I swear with all my heart that I will protect you and keep you that way. You and Chloe are the only things that matter to me, you’re my whole world. Rachel-Erica Melanie Geller I love you with all my heart and soul.”

 

Through the window of her room Ross, Rachel, Phoebe, Joey, Chloe and Chandler looked on and smiled.

 

TBC (?)

 

Now here’s a question for y’all. Should I call it a day with Tears, as this fic would be a nice note to end on OR should I continue it and develop a Chan and Mon relationship. The ball is in your court, please review and tell me what I should do.