Chapter 25: Chapter 25

Lazarus POV

I hear my mother and the doctor coming up the stairs. There is no time to waste. Willow is trying to bring life into this world while she loses her own. I have no idea what to do. I hold her hand. I watch, trying so hard to hold on. Her eyes are already looks of death.

“Hurry,” I scream.

The doctor and my mother rush into the room. “Your father is downstairs,” Mother says.

I nod. I do not care. I am not leaving her. Mother gets on the other side of Willow. She takes her precious hand in hers. “Hey sweetie,” Mother says to Willow.

Willow opens her eyes enough to see my mother. “Prissy,” she says softly.

The doctor begins to work on Willow. He feels her stomach. He spaces her legs apart. “This is not ideal for having a baby. We really should get her off this bed,” Tom says.

“If you move her, she gets sick. Make it work,” I say to Tom.

“Willow honey, in a few moments, you will be a mother,” Prissy says.

She is trying so hard to be upbeat for Willow. Willow would want this to be a moment of joy, not defeat.

“Laz, hold me,” Willow says.

“I am right here. I am holding you,” I say.

“No, when it is over. Please hold me when it's over,” Willow says.

“I will,” I say.

“Willow, you are going to have to push,” Tom says.

“I am so weak,” Willow says.

“You can do it, sweetie. We are going to help you,” Prissy says to Willow.

“Okay, Help me sit up,” Willow says.

We help her position her body to deliver our babies. Willow begins to push with all her might. I look at her, watching the blood stream out of her eyes. “You are doing so good, sweetie,” I say to her.

“I love you, Lazarus,” she says.

As one baby makes its way into the world, Willow lays back to rest. “I have her go see your baby,” my mother says.

I release Willow’s hand. Tom hands me the smallest little bundle I have ever seen.

“It’s a boy,” Tom says.

I wrap him up in a towel. I lay him next to Willow. “We have a son,” I say to her.

She opens her eyes to see him. “Lazarus is his name,” she says as she drifts back into sleep.

“Lazarus it is,” I say to her.

I hit the intercom button to call more staff up. It only takes a few minutes for two of my housekeepers to make their way into the room. They both begin to cry when they see Willow. I hand my son to Angel.”Hold him for a moment,” I say to her.

She sits down with him. I want Willow to spend time with all of them before she leaves me.

“I need her to push again,” Tom says.

I help Willow sit up again. “Come on, sweetie, you are doing so wonderful,” I say to her. Her body is growing frailer by the second. As I raise her up, I see ashes all under her. Her wings are turning to ash.

“Come on, Willow, you can do this,” Prissy says to her.

I hold her up to push. Her body is growing frailer with every second that passes. I try to hide my distress. I need to be the strong one. I can fall apart later.

Willow begins to shake as the second baby leaves her body. “Lazarus, I have some light left in me. I can pass it to her,” my mother says.

“Your light keeps you alive. I cannot lose you both,” I say.

“If I do not give her my light, you could lose the third baby,” my mother says.

“I have no control over what you do, mother. I won’t ask you to commit suicide by giving her your light,” I say.

“I will give her enough to help her through labor,” my mother says.

The second baby is born. I go to see. “It is another boy,” Tom says.

I take him into my arms. I wrap him in a soft towel. I show him to Willow.

“Look at him, Willow. Look at your beautiful son,” I say as I place him in her view.

She can barely open her eyes. The blood has overtaken her vision. “Abraham,” she softly whispers to me.

“Abraham, your father would have loved that,” I say to her.

I pick up my son. I hand him to Liz to care for while Willow tries to give birth to the last baby.

“She is not going to be able to deliver the last baby, Lazarus. There is no way,” Tom says.

“Yes, there is,” Prissy says.

Before I can stop her, she places her hand on Willow. The room illuminates with light. I forgot how bright a fairy light could be. She begins to pass her light to Willow.

“We need to act fast,” Tom says.

I help Willow sit up to deliver the last baby. My mother is too weak to help her. It is up to me to help her. My mother sits down on the floor. She is obviously weak but still alive.

“Willow, you have to push. One more baby. You can do it, sweetie,” I say to her.

Willow begins to push. She uses the fairy light donated to her by my mother to push the last baby out of her body. Her eyes are open. I can see my sweet Willow’s eyes as she pushes with every bit of strength she has.

“It is a girl,” Tom says.

Before I can see the baby, my mother stands. She begins to push her light into Willow. “I can save her, Lazarus,” my mother says.

“Wait,” Tom says.

We both look to see the last baby. The precious baby girl is lifeless. Tom hands her to me. “I am sorry,” Tom says.

“Let me see her,” Willow says to me.

I hand her to Willow. Willow looks at her small baby girl. She begins to cry. “Mary,” she says.

She places my mother’s hand on Mary. “Save her,” she says.

My mother places her hand on Mary. She pushes the last bit of light from her body into Mary. Mary begins to cry. I lay Mary on Willow. My mother lays next to Willow in the bed. She saved Mary but condemned herself.

“It is okay Lazarus, I have lived a long life,” my mother says.

Willow looks down at Mary. “She is beautiful,” she says.

I place Mary between them. Mother sacrificed herself to give Mary life; she deserves to spend some time with her before she passes.

“How long do they have?” I ask Tom.

“Your mother will be gone soon. She has no light left. Willow will live until the light is gone your mother donated to her,” Tom says.

“How long will that be?” I ask.

“It’s hard to say. It could be five minutes or five years. She looks better. We will see. I will stay here through the night,” Tom says.

“I want to see all of them,” Willow says.

I motion for the housekeepers to bring the boys over to her. I help her raise up so she can see them. She smiles at them. She has some color back in her face. “I want to hold them,” Willow says.

I hand her Lazarus first. She glows as she holds him. “He looks like you,” Willow says.

“Abraham looks like your father,” I say to her. I hold Abraham up so she can see him.

“He does,” she says so softly.

“Do you feel okay?” I ask her.

“I feel fine. I am very tired,” Willow says.

“Sweetie, you should be tired after the day you had,” I say to her.

“It was worth it,” she says as she looks over her beautiful boys.

She turns to look at Mary lying in bed between her and Prissy. She reaches for Prissy. Prissy is gone. Mary fast asleep next to her grandmother, who saved her little life.

“Lazarus, I am sorry,” Willow says.

“Mother wanted to save you. She was willing to give her life to save you. When Mary needed her light, she gave it all to her. She only gave you enough to get through childbirth. The doctor said you could live a short time with the donated light, but there is no way to know how long,” I say to her.

“I feel fine,” Willow says.

I lean over and gently kiss her. I pull her into my arms. Please let her live. I reach my arms behind her. Her wings are gone, disintegrated into nothing more than ash.

“What is it, Lazarus?” Willow asks.

“Your wings are gone,” I say.

“I am not worried about my wings. The babies lived; that is what is important,” Willow says.