Chlollie Fanfic: Beauty in the Breakdown X - Snow Angel, Chapter 6
Hi Peeps,
...some more Snow Angel. I've had this ready to post for over a day, but LJ was being mean to me and not letting me post. :-(
Enjoy! Brilliant banner by Ellashy.
Title: Beauty in the Breakdown X: Snow Angel
Author: BabyDee1
Pairing: Chlollie
Rating: PG13
Warnings: ***Angst*** A re-telling of Chlollie post-Warrior
Timeline: Season 9
Disclaimer: All characters belong to the CW & DC comics.
Series Summary: With Oliver by her side, Chloe learns to let go, find peace, and fall in love. Tenth story in the BITB Series.
Story Summary: Very early into their marriage, Chloe and Oliver suffer a crippling loss. Very angsty
Feedback: …Always. :)
Read previous chapter here.
Read story from the beginning here.
Chapter 6
The ambulance arrived a few minutes later.
Oliver and Lois waited nervously outside the room as Chloe was examined by her doctor. After several long minutes, Lola Johnson emerged from the room, her expression grave as she walked towards them.
“I’m very sorry, but she’s lost the baby,” she confirmed quietly.
Lois wiped away tears that were streaming down her face. “Can I see her?”
“She’s okay to have visitors, yes,” Lola replied. “But she’s still in shock, so she won’t much feel like talking.”
Lois thanked her and immediately went into the room. As the door closed softly behind her, Oliver turned to the doctor with a stony glare.
“How?” he asked harshly. “How could this have happened?”
Lola closed her eyes and shook her head. “It’s almost impossible to say how or why, Oliver.”
“There has to be a reason.”
“Not always,” she replied. “Sometimes, these things just…happen. I’m very sorry for your loss.”
“I made love to my wife yesterday,” he said, his voice laced with self-loathing. “Could I have caused this?”
“No!” Lola answered emphatically. “Absolutely not.”
“How can you know for sure?” he roared. “She was fine yesterday, and now she’s not!”
“There are a million and one reasons why miscarriages happen, Oliver. Marital relations is hardly ever one of them.”
“But you do advise potential parents to abstain from sex sometimes, correct?”
“Only in extreme cases, and there was no reason to recommend that to you and Chloe.”
“Well, something went wrong here,” he barked. “What was it?”
The doctor sighed. “The sonogram would have clued us into any abnormality with the development of the baby or the placenta,” she said patiently. “Unfortunately, we never got to carry that out.”
Oliver shook his head and fisted his hand in his hair. “This is all wrong,” he growled. “This shouldn’t be happening to us. Our baby, our child, is just…gone? How am I supposed to accept that?”
“I am so sorry,” Lola replied, her expression grave. “By the time we arrived, it was too late.”
Oliver felt the sting of tears in his eyes, and turned away. “I shouldn’t have touched her,” he muttered brokenly. “This is all my fault.”
“This wasn’t anyone’s fault, okay?” Lola said behind him. “No-one is to blame for this.”
“There must be something could we have done differently to prevent this from happening,” he insisted stubbornly.
“Oliver, I know you want answers,” she said carefully. “…but looking for reasons why can only lead to the apportionment of blame and neither of you need that right now.”
She rested a hand on his arm. “I know this is painful, and you don’t deserve this; but what’s happened has happened, and dwelling on it won’t bring your baby back,” she said gently. “You both have to move forward together. And you probably don’t want to hear this right now, but you’re both young and healthy, and when Chloe’s physically and mentally ready, you can-”
“You’re right - I don’t want to hear it,” he said curtly. He knew she was trying to be supportive, but right now he didn’t even want a hint of a suggestion that one baby could be replaced by another.
“I understand,” she replied. “I’ve examined Chloe; she’ll have a slight bleed for the next few days as is expected in situations like this, but otherwise she’s physically in good health.”
He let out a ragged sigh of relief. “And emotionally?”
“That’s a different story,” she replied gravely. “This was her first baby. I know she wasn’t aware of her pregnancy for very long, but she’ll have already begun to bond with her child and is bound to feel a strong sense of loss right now; you both are.”
Oliver closed his eyes and nodded, a fresh wave of pain coursing through him. To be given a child, and to have it taken away so suddenly was incredibly unfair, and he felt like he was drowning in a sea of agony. For Chloe, who had been carrying the baby inside her, the pain had to be far worse.
“Just be there for each other,” Lola continued, clearly sensing the direction of his thoughts. “Grieve together, comfort each other. A lot of couples drift apart after an experience like this, but several also grow closer, as I’m sure you both will.”
Just then, her pager went off. She gave it a quick glance, and then motioned to the paramedics to gather their equipment together.
“There’s another emergency, so we have to go,” she said apologetically.
Oliver nodded. “I understand. Thank you, Lola, for coming to examine her yourself.”
“Anytime,” she replied. “I’m just sorry it had to be under these circumstances.”
She picked up her medical bag and gave his shoulder a comforting squeeze. “Look after each other, okay? And remember - it’s not anyone’s fault. I can’t stress that enough.”
***
After he’d seen Lola and the paramedics out, Oliver gently pushed open the door to his and Chloe’s room. Lois was kneeling on the floor by the bed with her hand on Chloe’s shoulder, murmuring words of comfort and reassurance. She turned and glanced up as he walked in.
“Hey,” she whispered. “She, um…she hasn’t said anything…”
Oliver swallowed. “I’d like to be alone with my wife, please,” he said quietly.
Lois looked disappointed, but nodded and got to her feet, keeping hold of Chloe’s hand. “Of course. Is there anything I can do?”
Oliver gave her a sad smile. “You were here when she needed you, Lois. You’ve done more than your fair share today, and I’m grateful for your support.” He gave her free hand a quick squeeze. “I’ll give you a call tomorrow, okay?”
“Okay.” Lois stepped back and placed Chloe’s hand in his. “Look after her for me, alright?”
“You know I will.”
Lois smiled and affectionately ruffled Chloe’s hair. “I’ll see myself out.”
***
After Lois left, Oliver crouched down and cupped Chloe’s cheek in one hand. Her face was pale, her skin clammy and cool to the touch.
“Hey, bella,” he said softly as he stroked her cheek. “How’re you holding up?”
Chloe didn’t answer. She stared blankly at the ground, her eyes filled with sorrow and grief.
“We’re gonna be okay,” he said reassuringly. “We’ll get through this, I promise.”
No response. She was obviously still in shock, which was to be expected, but knowing that didn’t make it any easier to see her so broken-hearted. He tilted her chin with his finger.
“Look at me, sweetheart,” he urged quietly. “Please.”
Her eyes welled up with tears, and the edges of her mouth quivered, but she kept her gaze squarely on the ground. Despair welled up in him, but he swallowed it down and focused on her. Surely she wasn’t blaming herself for this?
“It’s not your fault,” he whispered.
Her eyes squeezed shut and the tears rolled down her cheeks, and the pain in his chest intensified.
“Oh, honey,” he breathed. He wiped her tears away with trembling fingers, then took her hands and lifted them to rest very loosely on his shoulders, desperate for her to acknowledge his presence somehow.
He waited patiently, and after several agonising seconds she tightened her hold around his neck and buried her face in his shoulder. He sighed with relief and tenderly stroked her hair, soothing her with his fingertips. She felt so fragile, so lost, and he ached to take her pain away.
Oliver scooped her up in his arms and stood. “We’re going to get through this,” he repeated thickly as he carried her through to the bathroom. “Together.”
***
Chapter 7…
...some more Snow Angel. I've had this ready to post for over a day, but LJ was being mean to me and not letting me post. :-(
Enjoy! Brilliant banner by Ellashy.
Title: Beauty in the Breakdown X: Snow Angel
Author: BabyDee1
Pairing: Chlollie
Rating: PG13
Warnings: ***Angst*** A re-telling of Chlollie post-Warrior
Timeline: Season 9
Disclaimer: All characters belong to the CW & DC comics.
Series Summary: With Oliver by her side, Chloe learns to let go, find peace, and fall in love. Tenth story in the BITB Series.
Story Summary: Very early into their marriage, Chloe and Oliver suffer a crippling loss. Very angsty
Feedback: …Always. :)
Read previous chapter here.
Read story from the beginning here.
Chapter 6
The ambulance arrived a few minutes later.
Oliver and Lois waited nervously outside the room as Chloe was examined by her doctor. After several long minutes, Lola Johnson emerged from the room, her expression grave as she walked towards them.
“I’m very sorry, but she’s lost the baby,” she confirmed quietly.
Lois wiped away tears that were streaming down her face. “Can I see her?”
“She’s okay to have visitors, yes,” Lola replied. “But she’s still in shock, so she won’t much feel like talking.”
Lois thanked her and immediately went into the room. As the door closed softly behind her, Oliver turned to the doctor with a stony glare.
“How?” he asked harshly. “How could this have happened?”
Lola closed her eyes and shook her head. “It’s almost impossible to say how or why, Oliver.”
“There has to be a reason.”
“Not always,” she replied. “Sometimes, these things just…happen. I’m very sorry for your loss.”
“I made love to my wife yesterday,” he said, his voice laced with self-loathing. “Could I have caused this?”
“No!” Lola answered emphatically. “Absolutely not.”
“How can you know for sure?” he roared. “She was fine yesterday, and now she’s not!”
“There are a million and one reasons why miscarriages happen, Oliver. Marital relations is hardly ever one of them.”
“But you do advise potential parents to abstain from sex sometimes, correct?”
“Only in extreme cases, and there was no reason to recommend that to you and Chloe.”
“Well, something went wrong here,” he barked. “What was it?”
The doctor sighed. “The sonogram would have clued us into any abnormality with the development of the baby or the placenta,” she said patiently. “Unfortunately, we never got to carry that out.”
Oliver shook his head and fisted his hand in his hair. “This is all wrong,” he growled. “This shouldn’t be happening to us. Our baby, our child, is just…gone? How am I supposed to accept that?”
“I am so sorry,” Lola replied, her expression grave. “By the time we arrived, it was too late.”
Oliver felt the sting of tears in his eyes, and turned away. “I shouldn’t have touched her,” he muttered brokenly. “This is all my fault.”
“This wasn’t anyone’s fault, okay?” Lola said behind him. “No-one is to blame for this.”
“There must be something could we have done differently to prevent this from happening,” he insisted stubbornly.
“Oliver, I know you want answers,” she said carefully. “…but looking for reasons why can only lead to the apportionment of blame and neither of you need that right now.”
She rested a hand on his arm. “I know this is painful, and you don’t deserve this; but what’s happened has happened, and dwelling on it won’t bring your baby back,” she said gently. “You both have to move forward together. And you probably don’t want to hear this right now, but you’re both young and healthy, and when Chloe’s physically and mentally ready, you can-”
“You’re right - I don’t want to hear it,” he said curtly. He knew she was trying to be supportive, but right now he didn’t even want a hint of a suggestion that one baby could be replaced by another.
“I understand,” she replied. “I’ve examined Chloe; she’ll have a slight bleed for the next few days as is expected in situations like this, but otherwise she’s physically in good health.”
He let out a ragged sigh of relief. “And emotionally?”
“That’s a different story,” she replied gravely. “This was her first baby. I know she wasn’t aware of her pregnancy for very long, but she’ll have already begun to bond with her child and is bound to feel a strong sense of loss right now; you both are.”
Oliver closed his eyes and nodded, a fresh wave of pain coursing through him. To be given a child, and to have it taken away so suddenly was incredibly unfair, and he felt like he was drowning in a sea of agony. For Chloe, who had been carrying the baby inside her, the pain had to be far worse.
“Just be there for each other,” Lola continued, clearly sensing the direction of his thoughts. “Grieve together, comfort each other. A lot of couples drift apart after an experience like this, but several also grow closer, as I’m sure you both will.”
Just then, her pager went off. She gave it a quick glance, and then motioned to the paramedics to gather their equipment together.
“There’s another emergency, so we have to go,” she said apologetically.
Oliver nodded. “I understand. Thank you, Lola, for coming to examine her yourself.”
“Anytime,” she replied. “I’m just sorry it had to be under these circumstances.”
She picked up her medical bag and gave his shoulder a comforting squeeze. “Look after each other, okay? And remember - it’s not anyone’s fault. I can’t stress that enough.”
***
After he’d seen Lola and the paramedics out, Oliver gently pushed open the door to his and Chloe’s room. Lois was kneeling on the floor by the bed with her hand on Chloe’s shoulder, murmuring words of comfort and reassurance. She turned and glanced up as he walked in.
“Hey,” she whispered. “She, um…she hasn’t said anything…”
Oliver swallowed. “I’d like to be alone with my wife, please,” he said quietly.
Lois looked disappointed, but nodded and got to her feet, keeping hold of Chloe’s hand. “Of course. Is there anything I can do?”
Oliver gave her a sad smile. “You were here when she needed you, Lois. You’ve done more than your fair share today, and I’m grateful for your support.” He gave her free hand a quick squeeze. “I’ll give you a call tomorrow, okay?”
“Okay.” Lois stepped back and placed Chloe’s hand in his. “Look after her for me, alright?”
“You know I will.”
Lois smiled and affectionately ruffled Chloe’s hair. “I’ll see myself out.”
***
After Lois left, Oliver crouched down and cupped Chloe’s cheek in one hand. Her face was pale, her skin clammy and cool to the touch.
“Hey, bella,” he said softly as he stroked her cheek. “How’re you holding up?”
Chloe didn’t answer. She stared blankly at the ground, her eyes filled with sorrow and grief.
“We’re gonna be okay,” he said reassuringly. “We’ll get through this, I promise.”
No response. She was obviously still in shock, which was to be expected, but knowing that didn’t make it any easier to see her so broken-hearted. He tilted her chin with his finger.
“Look at me, sweetheart,” he urged quietly. “Please.”
Her eyes welled up with tears, and the edges of her mouth quivered, but she kept her gaze squarely on the ground. Despair welled up in him, but he swallowed it down and focused on her. Surely she wasn’t blaming herself for this?
“It’s not your fault,” he whispered.
Her eyes squeezed shut and the tears rolled down her cheeks, and the pain in his chest intensified.
“Oh, honey,” he breathed. He wiped her tears away with trembling fingers, then took her hands and lifted them to rest very loosely on his shoulders, desperate for her to acknowledge his presence somehow.
He waited patiently, and after several agonising seconds she tightened her hold around his neck and buried her face in his shoulder. He sighed with relief and tenderly stroked her hair, soothing her with his fingertips. She felt so fragile, so lost, and he ached to take her pain away.
Oliver scooped her up in his arms and stood. “We’re going to get through this,” he repeated thickly as he carried her through to the bathroom. “Together.”
***
Chapter 7…