Chapter 18: Shattered Lives

"Why Gerald, why us?" Ashley's voice was barely a whisper, her words laced with pain and despair as she looked up at Gerald, her eyes filled with tears. Gerald's face crumpled, and he sank to the floor beside her, his eyes locked on hers. "I don't know, Ashley," he said, his voice shaking. "I don't know why this happened to us." Ashley shook her head, her gaze drifting back to the lifeless body in her hands. "We did everything right," she whispered. "We went to the doctor, we took care of ourselves...why did this have to happen?" Gerald wrapped his arms around her, holding her close as she rocked back and forth, the tiny body still clutched in her arms. "I don't know, Ashley," he repeated. "But I promise you, we will get through this. We will find a way to heal, to move forward." Ashley pulled back, her eyes searching his face. "How?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. "How can we move forward from this?" Gerald's face was etched with pain, but he tried to smile. "We'll find a way," he said. "We'll get through this together, as a team. We'll find a way to honor our baby's memory, to make sure that their short life wasn't in vain." Ashley nodded, her eyes welling up with tears again. She knew that Gerald was right. They would get through this, together. But for now, she just wanted to hold her baby close, to mourn the loss of the tiny life that had been taken from her too soon. The sound of sirens grew louder, and Gerald looked up, his eyes locking on the door. "The ambulance is here," he said, his voice firm. "Let's get you some help, okay?" Ashley nodded, her head barely moving. She knew that she needed help, that she couldn't do this alone. As Gerald gently took the tiny body from her arms, she felt a pang of loss, but she knew that she had to let go. She had to let the medical team do their job, to try and save her life. As the paramedics rushed into the room, Ashley closed her eyes, letting them work around her. She knew that she was in good hands, that Gerald was by her side. But as she looked up at him, she saw the pain and fear etched on his face, and she knew that they would be facing this dark journey together, as a team.