Jake's POV

As soon as I hear Tobias screaming for me to start the car, I know something is wrong. I abandon the smoothie I'm making in the kitchen before scrambling out into the hallway. When I run toward Tobias' voice, I find him carrying her limp body inside his arms. My heart slams to the front of my chest when I notice her eyes are closed.

"What happened?" I breathe out with panic.

I grab his arm to stop him from going any further.

"We were just talking and she passed out. I don't know what's wrong with her." Tobias tells me.

My hands find their way to Emily's neck and I feel for a pulse. Her skin is still warm to the touch.

"Emily? Baby? Wake up," I say gently while brushing my fingers across her cheek.

The fear begins to increase until it envelops me like a raging fire ripping through a house. I grab my car keys before storming toward the exit.

"Let's go! I'm taking her to the ER," I say with urgency.

Tobias places her into the back seats and I throw the car keys in his direction. I need to sit with Emily. I need her to wake up.

"Drive fast," I instruct Tobias before sliding into the back.

I pull her into my lap before brushing her dark hair out of her face.

"Emily? Wake up, baby." I whisper while fighting the urge to panic.

Seeing her unresponsive like this reminds me of the time Jones shot her. She was dying in my arms in cold blood and I couldn't do anything to help her. My eyes frantically scan over her body and I remind myself there's no blood... Not this time. I cradle her cheeks in my hands and I don't realize I'm crying until tears drop from my eyes. Tobias glances at me worriedly through the rearview mirror.

"You okay, man?"

I don't have the ability to respond to him. I didn't realize seeing Emily passed out like this would bring back so much darkness for me. I cling onto her with desperation. My brain struggles to differentiate the moment now with the moment she was shot by Jones. My distant screams can be heard from the traumatic memory and I suddenly feel like I'm unable to breathe. I pull her into my chest before shaking my head over and over again.

"This can't be happening. Not again," I wheeze, feeling like the uncontrollable fire is now ripping through my lungs. Tobias talks to me in an attempt to calm me down but it does nothing to help the dark hole I'm spiraling into.

*

It's been almost a year since I walked out of here with Emily, yet I'm suddenly transported back to that time in an instant. The machines beep around me and it's another painful reminder of the dark time I almost lost her. When the door opens, the same doctor who treated Emily for the gunshot wound is back. It's all too much for me to handle. My leg repeatedly bounces up and down as I sit by her bedside. My eyes dart around the room before landing on her face. I can't look at her for too long without crying. Hasn't she been through enough? Haven't we both been through enough?

"Jake? Are you listening?" Tobias calls over to me.

He's sitting on the other side of Emily and I snap my head up before blinking.

"What did you say?" I ask him quietly.

Tobias releases a small sigh before shooting a sympathetic look at me. I hate seeing people look at me with sympathy.

"The doctor is asking you a question."

I turn my attention to the doctor, but I'm not fully listening. My head feels like it's been submerged underwater. It's difficult to see and hear clearly.

"How far along is she into the pregnancy?" The doctor questions me.

I don't realize I'm frowning until my face begins to ache from the strain of glaring at the Doctor. If he's intimidated by me, he doesn't show it. I exhale a deep breath to snap myself out of it. Emily needs me, I can't freak out right now. My hands run down my face and I look up at him with a blank expression.

"I don't know. Her first scan is scheduled for tomorrow," I say to him.

He nods his head before writing notes down in her file. The notes in her file are more than most people generate in their entire lifetime.

"We're going to need you both to leave while we run tests. You can wait in the family room," the doctor smiles tightly at me and Tobias. My shoulders stiffen at the news.

"I'm not leaving her," I tell him bluntly.

Tobias stands from his chair before walking round to me.

"Let them do their job, Jake. She's in the best place right now. The sooner they run the tests, the sooner they know what's wrong with Emily." Tobias says to me.

I hate to admit he's right. Making things difficult for the doctor is only going to prolong Emily's wellbeing. I take a shaky stand to my feet before stumbling over to her. My hands fall to her cheeks and I lean down to press a light kiss on her forehead. I breathe in her scent to calm the raging storm invading my chest.

"I'll be right outside this room, Wentworth. You're not alone," I whisper before pulling away from her.

My throat closes over with emotion and I walk straight out of the room before I begin bawling like a baby.

*

"It's going to be okay, honey." Aunt Myra comforts me.

We're all waiting inside the family room as the doctor runs tests on Emily. We don't know if the baby is alive and the thought of us losing our child before we have a chance to accept the news of becoming parents is slowly killing me. I rest my head on Aunt Myra's shoulder, just like I did when I was a little boy. Across the room, I notice Mom glance at me briefly before she looks away. It must be painful for her to watch me seek solace from her sister, but I don't have the strength to worry about her right now. Tobias walks over before handing me a dirt brown coffee from the vending machine.

"Take this. It'll help your nerves," Tobias says before handing me the paper cup. Ivory begins pacing the room back and forth, over and over again. My head numbingly begins to count her steps until I lose track. I lift the coffee to my lips before taking a sip. My face contorts into a grimace.

"God, this coffee is disgusting," I mutter before placing it on the table beside me. My thoughts turn back to Emily and I close my eyes with anguish.

"Why her, Aunt Myra? What did she do to deserve this? She's a good person... The best person I've ever met," I whisper.

Aunt Myra runs her hand through my hair to comfort me.

"Sometimes the best people in life experience the worst hardship. Your girl is strong though, she's going to pull through this," Aunt Myra tells me. Her words slightly lift my spirits. She's right, Emily is the strongest person I know.

"Do you think the baby is okay?" I ask her.

I know she can't give me a straight answer but talking out loud prevents my mind from spiraling into a dark hole. Aunt Myra falls silent for several seconds.

"I don't know, Jake."

After what feels like several painful hours, the door opens and the doctor finally walks in. I spring up to my feet before searching his face for any sign of emotion. Does he look happy? Sad?

"What is it? Is she okay? Is the baby okay? What's wrong with her?" I blurt out question after question.

The doctor clears his throat before glancing around the room. Everyone is silent and waiting on the edge of their seats for the news.

"Do you want to talk alone, Mr Melvin?"

What does that mean? Is that good or bad? Facing the unknown is beginning to drive me crazy.

"No, we're all family. We just need to know what's wrong with her," I respond quickly.

"Okay, the baby is healthy. We did a scan and Emily is currently seven weeks pregnant."

My heart relaxes a notch. A sigh of relief breaks out through the room. Mom claps her hands with joy and Aunt Myra leans forward to squeeze my shoulder. I don't celebrate yet though... I need to hear about Emily. I need to know if she's going to be okay. A look of remorse flashes through the Doctor's eyes and I know the news isn't over. The worst is yet to come. A bad feeling settles deep in my gut and I stare into his eyes while feeling on the verge of throwing up.

"What is it? Something is wrong, isn't it?" I whisper.

Having a safe and healthy pregnancy would be too straight forward for Emily. Life enjoys throwing every curveball in her direction while hoping she's strong enough to fight through it. Everyone else in the room picks up on the tense atmosphere and they fall silent for a second time. My heart falls to the pit of my stomach when he begins to speak.

"Emily's body isn't fully recovered from the trauma she endured last year. The gunshot wound left a severe amount of scar tissue on her body, especially around the reproductive organ. The pressure of the pregnancy growing against her uterus is going to leave her in severe pain. Along with that, the scar tissue increases her risk of complications during the pregnancy."

"What complications?" I whisper.

"The risk of a miscarriage, for starters. Emily is only in the first trimester of her pregnancy. If she's already losing consciousness, it's rare she would be able to make it full term. The longer she carries the fetus, the more strain and damage it'll cause to her body. We don't know the extent of how Emily's body will handle a full term pregnancy. Losing consciousness, abdominal pain, dizziness, extreme nausea and the risk of miscarriage is much higher. It's uncertain to say if Emily's body can handle the risks."

The room fills with a high pitched noise. My heart slams into the front of my chest before thudding in my ears. I feel like I'm on the verge of losing consciousness so I stumble back before dropping down into a chair. If I could bring Jones back from the dead and kill him all over again, I would. He ensured he'd ruin Emily's life for a long time and he succeeded. He ripped her freedom off her and now he's taken her health from her. The aftermath of his horror will follow Emily around for the rest of my life. If I could trade places with her, I would in a heartbeat. I want to absorb all of her darkness until she's left with nothing but light. If only that was possible. I blink several times before looking up at the doctor.

"What is the best course of action for Emily to beat this?" I ask him, already fearing his answer.

The Doctor takes a seat beside me before placing his clipboard down. I place my hand against my mouth to subside the urge to throw up.

"Don't sugar-coat this, Doctor. Tell me exactly what I need to hear," I say to him.

The silence in the room feels deafening.

"From a medical standpoint, I would consider a termination. The health risks are severe and it's Emily's best chance of survival. It could be a long time until her body can carry a pregnancy, if she's able to at all."

There's the words I was dreading. A choked sob slips through my lips and I bury my face in my hands as I digest the information. Fuck, this is going to kill Emily. How is she going to get past this? I hear Ivory burst into tears from the other side of the room. After dropping the bombshell, the doctor stands to give us the necessary space we need.

"I'm sorry, Mr Melvin. We can provide support to both you and Emily during this difficult time."

With that, he turns around and walks away, leaving me completely heartbroken.