Six Days, Sixteen Hours

He wandered round the house mostly. And aimlessly.
It was a fair sized apartment, every room adjacent to the next, so you could walk straight through the house in one straight line, with an exception for the bathroom. From the hall into the bedroom into the living room into the kitchen, with a bathroom leading off it. It wasn't cluttered, because everything seemed to be in boxes. He was extremely tempted to rummage through them all, just too see. He made himself a mug of coffee with a great deal of effort, and cold milk out of exhasperation, and sat on the arm of the sofa. He was considering opening the nearest cardboard box nearest to him, since one of it's lid flaps was already ripped from the sellotape, when the sound of the front door opening made him jump out of his reverie. He spilt some coffee on the carpeted floor. Uselessly trying to rub it off with his foot, he heard Erin calling out to him from the front door. "Umm, yeah, I'm here," he called back, hastily looking for a way to hide it. "just...a...sec..." he threw a book on the stained carpet. Erin came in, slipping her jacket and scarf off, and Frank turned too quickly again, grinning guiltily. More coffee sploshed out. "Oh god," he muttered. Erin smiled and threw her things on the sofa,
"That's okay, you destructionator.."
He laughed, "destructionator?"
"It's okay. I'm not staying here for long anyway." She lowered herself onto the sofa.
"You're not?" he frowned,
"Nah, It's too big for just me. Plus i'll be moving in with Val so she can give me a hand with the baby, I won't be able to make it on my own."
Frank blinked, "on your own? where do you think I'll be?"
Erin sighed and rolled her eyes. She got up and walked back to the kitchen. Frank called after her, "Where the fuck do you think I'll be, Erin?"
He followed her through, as she pulled a carton of milk out of the fridge. She poured it out into a glass and didn't answer. He leaned towards her and spoke a bit softer.
"Look, I don't have a life to get back to. I don't have a tour to get back to. I don't have a person to get back to. So why are you convinced I do?"
She drank and kept her eyes on the glass, placing it back on the table. "I just don't see why you want to stay. There is just so much more you could have than this," she gestured to herself, still not looking at him.
"And I don't want it."
She finally looked up at him and whispered, "stop it." Her eyes glazed over.
He pulled her into his arms. "stoppitstoppitstoppit.." she whispered again, clinging back.
"No."
***
They went out that afternoon, into the cold streets. It had clouded over in the last few hours, big swirling thick clouds, which steadily advanced. As they walked up the high street held close, a cold wind whipped them. "So where were you, this morning?" Frank managed to ask, drawing his coat around him. Erin rubbed her gloved hands and kept her head down,
"Shopping. Oh, I forgot to tell you, it's Val's wedding next week.."
"Wow, with Ryan?"
"'course, who else? I'm sure you're invited too. Victoria was excited this morning 'cos she's found a date for the after party."
"Cool..but I don't have a suit or anything.."
"We'll hire one, don't worry."
"I'll leave it to you. When is it?"
"Umm, friday. Hey that's soon..we can go for the suit now, while we're about it. There's a place on the corner." She grabbed his hand and marched him into a small place on the corner.
***
Bags. Door. Kettle. Mugs. Sofa. Telly. Film. Cold chicken sandwiches. More tea. Tired eyes. Erin admitted it was best if Frank slept on the sofa, as she was always restless lately. He agreed and settled on the sofa.
"Goodnight." She whispered.
"'Night."
He soon fell asleep. The room was cold but under the quilt he was warm.
It was deep, deep into the night when he was woken up.

There was a whimper. Frank turned lazily on his side.
"Frank..help me.." came a whisper thorugh the darkness.
Frank lifted himself up on his elbow and squinted sleepily through the darkness. A figure stood in the doorway.
"Erin?" he croaked.
"Frank.." she cried feebly. He was suddenly fully awake, and lent over to tur the lightswitch on.
She stood, her face pale and eyes wide,strands of lose hair sticking to her wet forhead. He raced over to her as she slid down on to the floor. With shock he suddenly realised her hands were covered in blood, and so were a great deal of her pijama shorts.
"I don't feel so good.." she groaned, a hand on her stomach. Panic gripped at Franks insides.
"Sweetie look at me," He breathed taking her burning cheeks in his hands. "It's gonna be ok, I'm gonna call an ambulance." as hard as he tried to stay calm he found his voice trembly.
He reached for his mobile on the bedside table and quickly dialled 999.
"Ambulance," He repeated to the operator,his free hand stroking the hair out of Erin's pained eyes. He quickly described the situation and the adress. "Be quick," he pleaded, hanging up and taking her face i his hands again. "It'll be ok,it'll be ok.." he assured her.
She nodded, tears slowly running dwn her cheeks and onto his fingers. He rushed to the bathroom and rinsed a towel quickly under the tap. He returned, dampening her forhead and then gently wiping the blood from her hands. A few minutes later the ambulance arrived, and carried her down the staircase on he stretcher.
Frank sat by her lacing fingers with hers for the ride, while the paramedic gave her something for the pain.
"What's happening?" Frank managed to ask. His voice sounded strage to him.
The woman bit her lip and looked at him gravely. "In her condition, almost certainly a miscarriage."
Erins hand tightened around his,and then she felt no more.
***
Frank sat twitching nervously in the corridor. He bit at the last of his thumb nail and stood up from the blue plastic chairs. He paced impatiently, when a voice called out from behind him.
"Frank,what happened?!" Ryan asked panting, rushing along the corridor, holding a worried looking Val by the hand.
Frank slumped forwards into his plastic seat, leaning his elbows on his knees and running his hands through his hair. "She came into my room, she was bleeding,and feverish.."
He felt a hand stroke his back. "I've been waiting for more than an hour...still nothing."
Ryan's hand joined Val's on his shoulder.
"It'll be okay..." Ryan tried to whisper bravely. Just then Erin's room's door opened, and a young man in blue scrubs stepped out. Frank suddenly stood up, the man turned to look at him.
"Are you family?"
"I'm her.." Frank hesitated a moment. "I'm the father."
The young man looked down at the clipboard in his hand, his eyes suddenly full of sadness.
"I..yes, yes, I'm afraid to tell you this, but unfortunately there was a miscarriage."
Frank felt the words like a blow at his chest.
The man looked up at him again. "Come," he said, and held the door open for Frank.
Frank looked at him blankly, and slowly moved his feet through into the room. He looked up at Erin, who lay curled up hugging her knees, her chin buried between them. Frank stepped over to her,his eyes burning with tears, and wrapped his arms around her suddenly small figure. He felt her breath tremble against his skin, and he cradled her,rocking slowly backwards and forwards.
A few moments passed, and he slowly drew back from her, holding her face in his hands and kissing her forhead.
The young doctor stood close by, waiting.
Frank looked up at him. "What happened?"
The man spoke softly, "Ms Rae has been diagnosed with cervical incompetence, which unfortunately could have been treated beforehand, if we had known about it. This means that the cervix dilated much too early,causing premature birth. It caused the rupture of membranes, which lead to the bleeding. I am afraid the baby was too weak.." his voice trailed off.
He cleared his thorat slightly, "the nurse will arrive shortly with some pain killers." Erin nodded slightly, and the doctor left.
"Are you ok?" Frank whispered.
Erin shook her head.
"But you're here." She whispered back.