Chapter 30

Gary's POV

The coldness of the metal strokes in a circular motion around my navel. Suddenly things start to get darker again feeling my vision become weaker until i feel a sharp ripping pain in my stomach. My eyes widen with the pain seeing the knife begin to slash at my bare flesh. Trying to scream out my voice is muffled by a hand which is pushing against my mouth and jaw. Continuing their actions the blade starts to create some sort of pattern into my skin almost like they've carving some meat. Tears stream down my face feeling my eye lids atomically close and numbness fills my body, as i fall into a deep painless sleep.

Gary's dream. 

"Chloe? Babe come on... we've got to leave already." I call gripping to the banister whilst my other hand rests in my pocket. Tonight me and Chloe are going out to celebrate our anniversary. I can't believe it's been exactly a year today since we went on our first date... i can still remember it like it was just yesterday. Who would of thought one year on things would of progressed so much? We're now engaged with a baby on the way. All of a sudden a loud thud sounds upstairs pulling me from my daydream. "Chloe?! Chloe are you ok?" Quickly i run upstairs knocking onto the locked bathroom door. There's no answer only the sound of heavy breathing. "Open this door Chloe?!" Not wanting to wait around any longer i decide to shoulder the door to get it open. After a hard shoulder and a few kicks the door's lock finally breaks giving me entry to the bathroom. As soon as i take a look inside i'm greeted by a puddle of blood. Almost instant my heart stops beating by the scenery set in front of me. A figure clawing against the sink catches my attention. "Chloe! Oh babe..." Coiling an arm around her she weakly presses her face to my chest sobbing quietly. 
"T...t...the...b...b...baby..." She cries falling in and out of consciousness. Immediately i pull away from the hug to look towards the visible bump under her blood stained dress. 

A lump forms in my throat. Surly not... she can't... she can't lose the baby... we've only got a week to go! "Chloe... listen to me... did your waters break at all?" Trying to focus her eyes on mine she fails, as her pupils roll to the back of her head. "Chloe? This is important! Come on baby... i'm here... i'm not going anywhere i promise you." I try to calm her down by kissing her knuckles whilst taking a tight grip to her hand. 
"Y....y...y...es..." Chloe mutters still with her eye lids weakly closed. "Aaarhhh....p....p..pain..." 
"Right...babe listen to me... listen to me?" I hold her face within my palms trying to act calm myself for the sake of our baby. "You're going into labour... we need to get you to the hospital as fast as we possibly can, but we can go unless you keep talking to me... can you do that?" A nod is all i receive in response to my question. "Keep doing deep breathes babe... in..." I demonstrate the deep breathes to her which she soon begins to copy. "...and out." Carefully i lift Chloe into my arms whilst she continues to practise the breathing technique. 
"AAaahhhh Gary!!! It hurts...." Digging her nails into my back she cries out from the pain. 
"I know babe... but it's going to be ok... just keep breathing..." 

After we've collected the hospital bag which has been left sat in the hallway for the past two weeks we head to the hospital speeding over the limit. Chloe's eyes begin to slowly close again and the tight grip on my hand weakens. "Babe? Come on stay with me... tell me about what you've bought our little one." Panic strikes through my body seeing her like this. Many times have i witness women giving birth and going into labour, but having someone so special to you go through it changes things. It brings fear and worry pushing away the excitement. 
"B...baby...gro...grows...one...one...with...i....i...love...D..D...AARRRHHH! Oooooh...." Squeezing my hand harder i can't tell whether it's now my hand bleeding or if it's Chloe's blood. I park the car outside the hospital's entrance yelling for some help. Within a few seconds Doctors in white coats come rushing over to our car. 
"We're here babe... we're going to do this together..." Nervously i standby watching the doctors carefully help her into a nearby wheelchair. The colour's drained from her face into a more ghost like look. Taking a few deep breathes myself seeing Chloe like this makes me feel faint. As soon as Chloe's secured in the wheel chair they begin to quickly push her inside with me shortly following them. 

One doctor sits me down inside the small white room onto the single chair which is placed beside the bed which Chloe is helped onto. "Mr Barlow?" Looking over his shoulder my eyes are glued on Chloe who takes deep breathes on the gas and air. "Mr Barlow are you listening?!" 
"Huh? What?" Shaking my head a little unable to fully hear the doctor over Chloe's screams. 
"Miss Matthew's has lost a huge amount of blood through this labour..." He sighs deeply pinching the bridge of his nose whilst pushing up his glasses. "W...We're...sorry..." 
"Sorry? What for?" I frown my eyebrows at him still being deafened by the screams and cries which are still going on inches from me. I shouldn't be sat here talking i should be over there holding her hand.
"Miss Matthew's...she gave birth... to a girl... weighing 7lbs 8oz... healthy little girl... but unfortunately... Miss Matthew's...she...she didn't survive the birth." Confusion fills my face, and the cries come to a sudden stop. Chloe's no longer on the bed. 
"B...but... she... she hasn't even given birth yet?! How could she..." I stare at the now empty bed even the blood has vanished. "Where is she? Which room have you moved her to?!" 
"Mr Barlow... we're sorry for your loss... a nurse will bring your daughter to you shortly... you can take all the time you need." 
"N...N....No... you're lying. She was just there! She was laid on that bed a few seconds ago in labour! Where is she?!" Tears flood down my cheeks feeling heartbroken yet confused about what just happened within a blink of an eye. 
"Mr Barlow...Dr Barlow...Dr Barlow.." The room fills with darkness followed by a distant cry of a baby. "Dr Barlow... wake up... are you ok?" My breathing increases followed by a huge amount of pain in my stomach. 

"ARRRGHH!" Loudly i call out now able to scream my eyes swing open to find myself staring up at the blackened sky. "FUCK!" I bite my lip whilst looking down the lower part of my body which is dripping with blood. It was a dream. All a dream. The two men who had done this to me seemed to have vanished leaving me alone bleeding to death.
"Dr Barlow... are you ok?" A woman kneels beside me with a baby cradled under her arm. Feeling afraid i try to shuffle away from her contact when a hand is placed on my wound. "It's ok... i'm not going to hurt you... i'm here to help you... i can get you home... just trust me?" The middle aged woman smiles down at my terrified face. Is this just another trick?