Chasm

Short story about a young man anticipating a wonderful life-changing event that turns in a terribly awful direction.

"It's time!"  Hadley Overton winced as she clutched her swollen belly.

"Now?  Oh my goodness!"  Pax ran around in circles, clearly displaying new-father jitters.  He turned off lights, turned them on again, picked up the phone then slammed down the receiver.

Moans and groans emanated through the open car window as it sped down the country lane and into the warm spring air.

The young couple had moved to the tiny town of Arlo as newlyweds to get away from the hustle and bustle of city life.  They anticipated a whole passel of children and critters.

"Honey, slow down!"

"We have to get to the hospital.  You're in pain!"

"We don't know for sure, it could be a while."  Hadley turned the volume down on the radio as another contraction seized her body.

Dodging potholes and slow-moving vehicles, Pax pulled into the Beckette Memorial Hospital and ushered his ambling wife into the building.

Be strong, be strong, be strong, he told himself as she was wheeled down the long hallway.

Stepping out onto the cracked sidewalk, Pax lit a cigarette and held it between long, trembling fingers.  He was going to be a father!  He was having a son!  They would play ball together, build model planes together, go hunting together ...

"Excuse me, Mr. Overton?"

Pax looked toward the man in the light blue scrubs.  "Yes?"  Confusion etched across his whiskered face.  Hadley couldn't have had the baby yet, could she?  He looked at his watch.  Hours had passed.

"Mr. Overton, I'm sorry."  The man placed his hand on Pax's shoulder. "The baby was stillborn.  There was lots of blood and ..."

"Stillborn?"

"We tried to save your wife.  We did everything we could."

Pax Overton stared into the bright blue sky as it gradually turned a dark, sullen gray.  The chasm that was his future was ever widening.

Author's Note

Please give an overall review of this short story. Thank you!

Reviews

[Samuel Dickens]

Pure tragedy. As is life, though. We never want such things to happen--indeed, we don't even want to imagine the possibility, but there it is. I wonder if those cursed cigarettes had anything to do with it? (Ex-smoker--yeah, I'm down on them!)

[MelissaAndres]

Hey, Sam! Some of my stories have that darkness or dark undertones in them. I like cheery and upbeat but, unfortunately, life doesn't always turn out that way. One of my sisters had a baby boy when she was just 17 and he was stillborn. It was a very rough, emotional time for us. Years later though she went on to have a healthy baby girl and a baby boy - they are teenagers now. And, btw, I never smoked ... I took a puff off a cigarette once and thought I would choke to death! Most all of my family smokes or did at one time though.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

yes, this is as blunt and cold as life is...you portrayed it perfectly in few words...like a Hemingway story...and such an unexpected downturn in the end...

well done.

[MelissaAndres]

Wow! Being compared to Hemingway? What a high honor! Thank you so much!

[roarke]

Concisely written, fast pace, but stark. Sometimes life is like that. Good writing.

[MelissaAndres]

Thank you, Roarke. One of my sisters had a baby when she was just 17 and the boy was stillborn. It was a very trying time for our family. Years later she went on to have a healthy baby girl and baby boy - they are teenagers now.