@noahmcdowell || flashback
âCharlie...you did everything you can butâ
Hazel eyes looked up leveling with the doctor across from her. She swallowed hard and shook her head and backing up while simultaneously pulling off her medical gloves and throwing them.
Lily was gone and Charlotte needed to face her brother and tell him that his wife and the love of his life was dead. Behind her a colleague said he could do it but she shook her head. This couldnât be done by anyone else.
How many times has she done this? Half a dozen. A dozen. Notifications to family members never got easier. We did everything we could. Iâm so sorry. Please take a seat. You donât want to see them like that. Is there somebody I can call for you.
There were never the right words but she always did her best to dig deep and offer them the compassion sheâd want if she was in her shoes and now in a way she was...Lily hasnât only been Noahâs wife she had been her best friend.
Charlotte walked through the double doors and entered the hospital corridor. A million miles away sat her brother doubled over in the arm chair. Fore arms pressed to his knees. Head buried in his hands. She sat and stared at him for a long while before forcing herself to take a step forward.
âNoah,â she cleared her throat drawling all the strength she could. Sheâd seen war. Been in the middle of the battle field but this...this was a nightmare. âLetâs go in here.â
Here was a private area where the door could close behind them. Where she could face him alone.
This was his fault. In his mind, the words echoed, with Lilyâs voice. âHoney, youâve had too many beers. Letâs just get a cab or walk.â Heâd insisted theyâd never find a cab at this hourâhell, it was Fourth of July. They had had a great barbecue and enjoyed the day together. It was something that had been weighing on their marriage latelyâcouples time. With a kid like Autumn, who was clearly too smart and over skilled for her age, they always had a handful. Plus the extra hours Noah was putting into work so that they could possibly afford a better school or a tutor for her to develop all that brightness she carried. There was barely any time left for Noah and Lily themselves.
So Autumn had spent the day with her grandparents and they had the day for them. Heck, all he wanted after leaving the barbecue was to get home fast and make love to his wifeâwhich he made sure she knew by the time they were slipping inside the car. Her giggles still echoed in his mind too. He always loved her laugh... Hell, he should have fucking listened to her this time. They had a fight once about thatâhow he was such a man, a brute who didnât listen. Of course, it was in the moment and they apologized later for the things they said to each other. But it came back to him in such a moment. He should have listened to her.
Charlotte calling his name broke his road down memory lane. He was up in a heartbeat. âHowâs she doing, Charlie?â He didnât like how she didnât answer and instead lead him to a private area. His hear clutched inside his chest as the air seemed rare with his throat tightening. The worst thoughts came, but he told himself to be positive as he shook them off. âWhat happened, Charlotte? Howâs Lily?â