A week before Milou's scheduled birth, Saliou was feeling restless and uneasy, he could barely concentrate at work. He was due on leave for two weeks, and so he busied himself by working extra shifts to make up for what would be a long absence.
It seemed outrageous how he felt more anxious than anyone else in the family, about his brother's pending childbirth. But as the due date loomed closer, the days and nights felt longer.
Saliou felt more tense and uncomfortable, like something bad could happen at any moment. The thought hovered over him like a dark cloud, and he just couldn't shake it.
As it was, Saliou called and texted Milou throughout the day, feeling relieved when the other would respond to him quickly. Keeping in contact may have helped, but it surely didn't ease his worry.
For the next several days, Saliou fell into a routine at work. Nothing came up that seemed worrisome, so he stayed in the museum spending much of his time doing paperwork.
Two days prior to Milou's scheduled operation, Saliou was sent on an overnight business trip a couple of states away. He spent the hours being nervous while he was away, though he stayed in close contact with his brother, which helped his nerves.
Meanwhile, Wren had already gone on paternity leave, and most of his time were spent staying at the hospital by Milou's side. Ever since their last argument, Saliou was adamant about avoiding Wren. But because of this, he hadn't seen Milou for three days straight, up until his business trip.
It was Saliou's final day at work before his long-awaited vacation. He was so busy that he barely had any time to think about anything outside of work. It wasn't until he was driving back home that he remembered to check for messages or calls he may have missed.
It was already 9 PM then, and all three messages were from Milou, sent to him over two hours ago. Scrolling to his inbox, he opened the latest message:
MILOU 18:47 PM
Labor contractions started this afternoon. It hurts like hell. Might be wheeled into OR a day earlier. I'm fine. Kinda nervous but doing OK. See u tomorrow?
Saliou could feel his heart pounding in his chest as he read the text. He immediately pulled to the side of the road to give a quick reply.
21:16 PM
Sorry for the late response. Got a lil busy at work. How are you now tho??? On my way home from Breemont but I can drop by if you want. Do you need me to bring you something?
He waited for Milou's response before driving back along the highway. Three minutes later, his phone pinged.
MILOU 21:19 PM
No need to rush. They'll wheel me in by midnight. You must be tired from work so rest up. See u tomorrow. With Baby of course. :-)
Drive safely!
Saliou breathed a sigh of relief as he placed his phone back in his pocket. He smiled at the thought that, in just a matter of hours, the newest member of the family will be born. He was feeling excited, yet anxious and nervous, all at the same time.
He waited a couple of minutes before restarting the car and driving back onto the road.
Milou seems fine. I guess it won't be too bad if I go to bed and get some rest before heading to the hospital.
He drove for another half hour and arrived home at almost 10 PM. By the time he reached his bedroom, he felt his body ache from the day's work. Feeling totally exhausted, he just wanted to collapse in bed and get some shut-eye. Tomorrow's going to be a busy day after all, and he needed to recharge for the big event.
He brushed his teeth, set the alarm for 6 AM, and climbed into bed. He checked his phone but quickly set it aside. He thought about sending Milou another text, but figured it may open up a flurry of communication his weary body wasn't ready for. He stuffed his phone under his pillow, clicked off the lamp switch, and fell into a deep sleep almost immediately.
The next morning, Saliou awoke with a start and had this overwhelming sense that something was terribly wrong. He glanced over at the clock on the nightstand and saw that it was 5:30 AM – his alarm hasn't even gone off. He had no idea why he woke up so abruptly. He couldn't even recall dreaming of anything.
He jumped out of bed and decided to take a shower. As soon as he was done, he reached under his pillow and pulled out his phone.
However, as soon as he opened his phone, he was stunned by what he saw. It was full of missed calls and many unread messages. He skimmed through the first few messages and saw that they were mostly from his mother, while some were from Wren.
Saliou's heart pounded in his throat, behind his ears, not feeling anything else. The sense of dread was overwhelming.
He clicked on his mother's name and was about to hit the Call button, when his phone rang.
Before he could get a word in, his mother started crying frantically on the other end.
"Saliou?" His mother cried out.
Saliou closed his eyes and steeled himself. "Mom. You called. What's up?" His pulse was racing. He tried to sound calm, but he was finding it difficult.
"Sal! Why haven't you been answering our calls? We've... We've been trying to call you for hours!" His mother let out another sob before continuing, "Darling, you need to come down here right now!"
Saliou sat down on the edge of the bed, pressed the phone closer to his ear. "Why? What's wrong?"
This time, his mother let out a hysterical sob. "It's Milou... It's your brother...!"
Saliou's hands began to shake. "What about Milou, Mom? Stop – Stop crying for a second. Take a deep breath. I don't understand what you're saying. Just... tell me what's going on."
"Saliou... Darling... Your brother... he's... he's gone...!"
Gone?
"M-Mom... W-What do you mean? Gone where? To the operating room?"
"He's dead... Darling... Your brother's dead...!"
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