Out of almost nowhere, Effy feels a sharp pain in her lower abdomen "Shit, Phil." She winces as she clutches her stomach

At the sudden sound of her agony, he grabbed her hand and squeezed it firmly. His eyes widened as the fear began to rush into his blood.

He immediately called the nurse over. "She's feeling pain in her abdomen, I don't know if it's caused by the miscarriage or something else - but I need you to check her now."

"Phil lift the blanket up." Effy told him as she gripped her stomach tighter, she could almost feel a wet surface beneath her

He grabbed the blanket and lifted it up slowly. He was immediately filled with dread as he seen the blood seeping on the sheets underneath the blanket. His heart felt like it had a hole in it, his worst fears were immediately coming to life. He gently turned to the nurse who was standing in the door way. "She needs the gynecologist now. Something's wrong."

"What's wrong? Am i bleeding again." Effy asked as she covered her mouth to stop her screaming in agony

He looked at her and his eyes filled with terror as he slowly shook his head.

"No, no I think the bleeding from the miscarriage has ended. But there is something wrong, the blood is coming from a slightly different place and I'm worried that the miscarriage wasn't the only thing going on inside you right now." He squeezed her hand and spoke again in one last try to calm her. "Look at me, look at me. I need you to take slow deep breaths okay? Trust me. Trust me please."

"I think i'm going to pass out - where this doctor," Effy said as she slowly started to blink "It hurts, it really hurts."

He grabbed her hand tight and squeezed hard. He kept his voice in a soft, calming tone as he spoke.

"She's on her way, she's coming now. We're going to stop the pain, we'll get this under control. You have to do your best not to pass out, you have to hold on, do you hear me? You have to hold on, sweetheart."

"Is it still bleeding?" Effy asked as she could see her leggings covered in the blood "What if my body still thinks i'm pregnant and i'm in labour!"

The thought of that sent a shock through his entire body.

He had no real knowledge about how miscarriages actually worked but he knew that the chances of a complication like that were slim to none. But at the same time, he couldn't just completely rule out the possibility.

"I don't know, it could be anything. But she's right outside the door and she'll give us all the information that we need. Just hold on and stay with me."

He squeezed her hand again and smiled as soft as he could. He was trying to reassure her, but the truth was that his anxiety and stress started to rise up as well. He kept repeating the same words over and over in his head. Stay with me. Stay with me.

After what felt like an eternity, but was really only a few seconds later, the nurse returned with the gynecologist. Phil let go of Effy's hand and stepped back, but he kept his eyes fixed on her. He wanted nothing more than to reach out and touch her, but he knew that he couldn't do that while a professional was looking after her.

The gynecologist stepped into the room, and she seemed very surprised at the amount of blood that she was seeing. She immediately snapped her eyes over at Phil.

"You are the boyfriend?" She spoke out. Phil nodded his head as his eyes stared back at the gynecologist. He knew that he didn't need to say much, she would need to take care of Effy, and he would just be the support system on the outside. "Yes, I'm her boyfriend."

She quickly began to examine the blood to see if it was more than just regular blood loss from a pregnancy loss. She checked her pulse, her breathing and all parts of her abdomen that could possibly be causing problems. From there she looked up at him. "How long has she been conscious for?'

"About an hour." Phil told her as he didn't know an exact time

His response was good enough for the gynecologist. 

She continued to give her examination. But after a few minutes, she finally stopped looking and spoke again.

"I don't think this is a miscarriage, at least not a routine one. This amount of blood that she's lost is not good, and it's coming from her abdomen, which is not normal. There's also something else that's not good. She's showing a lot of signs of infection, which means there's something else going on."

The gynecologist paused for a few seconds as she knew that this was a lot to take in for the couple. She was very sympathetic of the fact that they were probably hoping for a miracle right now.

"I don't want to give you a false sense of hope, but the amount of blood that is leaving her body makes me question the miscarriage aspect. But you should know that if she is still pregnant, then the infection that she has could cause some serious problems for both her and the baby."

He held back a little sigh as he heard those words. So many thoughts were flying through his head, he hated that something like this was potentially going to end up in a life-or-death situation. The gynecologist was watching his reaction closely, he could tell she was trying to decide on her next steps.

She took his silence for a sign that he needed a few more questions answered.

"Are you in contact with her parents? We are going to need to make sure that she has all of the necessary people aware of what's happening. This could turn into a serious situation rather quickly, she's going to need their support and they need to be here."

"Only her brother, her parents disowned her after she became an addict - but she's only 18." Phil sighed as he messaged Mason

The gynecologist sighed as she understood the complexities of the situation.

She couldn't send a minor back into the care of adults that had completely abandoned her. But she also couldn't legally allow her to make her own medical decisions as she was technically still a minor. The gynecologist spoke to him with a soft tone, but she did have to be direct.

"Do you have any legal rights of guardianship over her?"

"No her brother does, he's on his way now."The gynecologist nodded, and she seemed satisfied with his answer. She knew that everything would be handled properly once the brother arrived. After a few seconds, she spoke again.

"Her condition is worsening at a very quick rate, I'm going to call a medical emergency team and I need to know who will be here for her when I send her to surgery immediately. Which family member will be here for her?"

Phil had to pause for a few moments before he gave his answer, he didn't want to make this decision without discussing it with Effy. If she wanted him, he would always be here for her. But this was a very serious situation, and he needed to make sure that the best decision was made.

"I'm here for her. I'll stay and I'll make sure she gets through this even if I have to fight for it, and maybe the child inside of her." To her credit, the gynecologist wasn't surprised at his choice at all.

It was obvious that he truly cared about her and that he would do anything to protect her. The doctor nodded gently at him as she spoke once again.

"We're prepared to begin the emergency surgery. Her situation is far too dangerous to wait any longer. Are you willing to sign the consent forms and wait here with her until the surgery is complete and she wakes up?"

He immediately nodded his head.  He wasn't going to leave her for anything.His heart was pounding in his chest, but he knew that this was the only choice he could make. He needed to be here for her no matter what. He was always going to be here no matter what.

The gynecologist nodded and turned to one of the nurses and spoke softly to her. She would begin to prepare Effy for the emergency surgery by starting to get her hooked up to the monitors and other medical equipment. At the same time, the emergency team entered the room and began to get ready for their part of the surgery.

He squeezed her hands again as he gently brushed the stray hairs out of her face.

"Phil i'm scared." Effy spoke weakly

"I know, I am too. But you're going to be okay. I promise. I'll be right here when you wake up." He leaned down to her ear and spoke softly. "You don't need to be scared, you are strong and you are so resilient. I know that the doctors are going to do an amazing job and I'm going to be right here by your side the whole time."

"Do you think i'm still pregnant?" Effy croaked. He gently touched her face, as if that could comfort her and give her the reassurance she needed.

"I think the baby is still in there, yes. I think that there's still hope, and as long as you have the strength and the hope to get through this, then I believe that you'll end up having that precious little life that we wanted so much."

"I should've stayed clean, none of this would have happened." He gently took her hand and squeezed it harder.

"No, no this is not your fault. Effy, do not do this. Don't start blaming yourself for it. You were trying to get clean, and you had made progress towards getting there, but you relapsed. You're not a bad person for that, you're a human being going through a tough experience. But what matters is what happens now, what matters is this baby and you getting through this surgery."

The emergency team stepped up to the bed as they began to inject the anesthesia into her IV. The anesthesia was a lot stronger than it would be for a normal surgery, and it was because they needed something that would keep her sleeping for an extended period of time. The doctors were already beginning to prepare for the surgery as they told him to stay strong and be brave for her.

"I- Lo- yo- u." Effy told him as her eyes fluttered asleep. He held her hand a little bit harder as the drugs took over and slowly put her into a deep sleep.

He looked at her for a few more seconds as he rubbed her wrist gently. Then he finally leaned down to her ear for one last time. "I love you darling, and I'll see you when you wake up."

They knew that there was a chance she might not wake up from the surgery, so it was crucial now that they were prepared to get her into the operating room as fast as they could.

The emergency team sprung into action as they lifted her gently off the hospital bed before carefully sliding her onto the gurney.One of the nurses spoke to him quickly before they began to transport her to the operative suite.

"We will be in touch with you immediately after her surgery begins. She will need as much positive energy as possible, so please keep the faith with her."

He nodded rapidly as he looked at the nurse, his eyes full of tears and his entire body shaking. He watched as they gently rolled Effy out of the room and toward the operating room. And in the moment when they were gone, he suddenly collapsed to his knees as the weight of the situation hit him like a ton of bricks. "Shh it's okay." He felt a familiar hand on his back as Mason pulled him into a hug

He suddenly broke down against his friend. This was the hardest thing he had ever faced and Mason was always a rock for him when he was in despair. He pulled his friend tightly into the embrace and began to breathe into his chest, letting his tears flow onto his shoulder as he couldn't fight his pain anymore.

For the next hour, Mason held him, not a word was exchanged between the two but they didn't need to say anything. Mason knew how hard this was for him and he stayed strong while he was there for him, offering comfort and support without any judgment.  "She might still be pregnant, we aren't sure though." Phil whispered

As he spoke again, he felt Mason's arms tighten around him, like he was trying to hold him together right now. Mason knew just as well as he did how desperate they were for any sign of good news from her surgery.Even a slight possibility of hope was a victory in their eyes. "How long is the surgery going to take?"

Mason had to take a moment to collect himself as he answered. It seemed like time was slowing down for the both of them. But this was reality and he had to face it with him.

"They said something around 2 hours, depending on how complex the surgery is and how much damage they discovered, but this could be a while. We need to prep for the long haul."

He swallowed hard as the reality of their situation started to set back in.
The hours ahead of them could be the longest hours they've ever had to face, and all they could do was wait.
He took a deep breath. "Just tell me you're going to stay with me for all of this, because I couldn't do it without you."

Mason just squeezed him harder as he nodded his head slowly. The two were a team and they had been through thick and thin, but this was a whole new kind of experience for them.

Mason nodded again. "I'm not going anywhere, we're going to get through this, okay? We'll do this together." He wrapped his arms around him tighter, feeling his friend's presence around him and slowly finding the strength to get through this ordeal. They sat together for the next 30 minutes, waiting for any type of information that they could receive about the status of Effy's surgery.

Finally after what seemed like forever, the doctor who was overseeing her surgery stepped out into the waiting room and approached them.

He took the time to first acknowledge Phil's state with a slight nod of his head and a firm grip onto his arm. "The surgery went a little over two hours, but it was necessary for the circumstances. She's okay. They're in the process of waking her up now, but she'll be unconscious for another 30 minutes at least."

"Is she still pregnant." Phil quickly asked, as he smiled knowing Effy was okay. The doctor nodded slowly as he responded.

"There was a lot of damage done when she relapsed, but the baby is still alive in there. She has a long road of recovery ahead of her, and if she intends to keep the pregnancy, there are some additional risks. But as for now, they both made it through the surgery. She'll be moved into the recovery room soon and if you'd like I can send you in as soon as she's alert."

Phil instantly nodded his head, there was no choice he needed to see her as soon as possible. But something in the doctor's response had caught his attention. "You said there are additional risks if she intends to keep the pregnancy, can you explain that to me?"

The doctor nodded his head gently as he realized that he was now breaking the news to the couple that they would be having more obstacles going forward.

"When an addicts body goes through the changes that are necessary for a pregnancy, the body is much more delicate and brittle than you would expect. The amount of damage that was done to her body when she relapsed was severe and she was already considered high risk. With this added stress to her body, there is a chance of complications. I don't want to scare you, but it's important for you to know this."

He took a deep breath as he processed the information, it was scary news to hear but he was glad that the doctor was so open with them about what was going on. There was no sugarcoating the words and he made it as clear as possible what could happen. "Is there anything we can do right now that would give us the best chance at avoiding those complications?" The doctor shook his head slowly as he spoke.

"We will do everything in our power at this hospital to make sure that she and the baby come through this okay. But the fact of the matter is that a lot of this is now out of our control. It's time to hope, to pray and to give it everything we have to make sure that they're both safe."

Phil nodded slowly as he processed yet another difficult piece of news. He took a deep breath. He had one question left. "Will there be any time to see her before they move her to the recovery room? Or should I wait for her to wake up fully before I come in? I don't want to overstimulate her by pushing too much."

The doctor nodded slowly as he realized that Phil was asking a very good, very thoughtful question. It showed that he cared about her and he was showing his maturity in the situation.

"If I were you, I would wait until she is fully awake and alert. She's going to need time to recover from the procedure, and it might be too much if you immediately go in to see her. She's going to need your support when she gets to the recovery room, so waiting until she's fully alert is probably the best choice."

He nodded slowly at the doctor's answer, he knew that it was the right decision. But it was going to be one of the hardest things he's ever had to do to wait to see her again after all this time. "I can see that you truly care about her and you want to make this situation work no matter what. I will send her into the recovery room as soon as she's fully alert, and I will send in a nurse to help guide you there. In the meantime, take some time to rest and prepare yourself for the next 24 hours. Both of you are going to need it."

Phil nodded back, it seemed like the best advice he could get and right now he was extremely exhausted. He rubbed his eyes as he felt himself grow heavier and heavier, the fatigue from the last two days was starting to become apparent. He looked at Mason now. "Are you going to be able to stay here with me until that time comes?"

Mason nodded his head vigorously.
He wasn't going to leave his side during all of this and he wasn't going to let him face this alone. "I'll stay until she wakes up, until she's fully recovered and until she's back home with us. You don't have to face this alone, I'm here for you and I'm here to support her too."

He nodded slowly at his friend's words. He had never had a friend as loyal and as dedicated as Mason was. He leaned forward and embraced him gently. "Thank you, you don't know how much I need you right now."

Mason patted him on the back as he squeezed him tighter. "I don't have to know, I can see the toll that this has taken on you just by looking at your face. I'm glad I'm here for you now, and I'll stay here for as long as you need me to."

Phil's eyes were beginning to grow weak, and he suddenly began to feel drowsy and extremely tired. He had been fighting back that exhaustion for the last two days, but he couldn't anymore. He began to speak to Mason but he couldn't make out any words, it was mostly grunts as he leaned back against him. His eyes shutting quickly afterward.

Mason noticed his friend falling asleep against him and carefully leaned him back into the chair he was sitting in. He didn't want to leave his side, but he also knew that he needed to get some rest at some point. He would be there when he woke up and continue to be by his side until the time to see Effy was available.

A few more hours later, Mason could tell that something was happening. He noticed that the activity around them was beginning to pick up and he could hear the doctors and nurses beginning to speak a little more loudly outside the room. He slowly leaned over and shook his friend, trying to wake him. "Phil, come on man, wake up."

Phil groggily opened his eyes as he tried to get his bearings. He suddenly sat up immediately after he saw Mason and he rubbed his eyes to get rid of the sleepiness.

"Let's go, I think they're ready to talk to us." Mason spoke softly to him and got up first before gently helping him to his feet. Phil nodded his head slowly as he got to his feet, his strength was growing more and more by the minute and it was because she were here. He leaned on Mason as he walked slowly out the door and down the hallway to the recovery suite where Effy was laying in her bed.

The moment he stepped into the room, his entire world turned a much brighter tone.The room was warm and Effy was laying there, still heavily sedated but she was stable and she was safe for now. He walked to her bed slowly, looking her over and inspecting her for any potential changes that could have happened from the last time they were together.

"Hey Phillip." She said weakly. He stopped in his tracks the moment he heard her voice. He suddenly realized that she was awake and he didn't even notice until she spoke. He walked over to her quickly and brushed her hair away from her face.
"Baby. How do you feel?"

"I feel like that time i went on a straight 4 day drug binge but worse." She joked, Phil laughed softly as he gently grabbed her hand. He hadn't heard her laugh in days and it was like music to his ears. "You know what I'd say in response to that?"

"Hmm i don't." She said drowsily

He leaned in slowly and softly kissed her forehead. He brushed her hair away from her face again, she was pale and she looked weak but she was awake and he was about to take that for everything it was worth.

"You're an idiot."

"But i'm your idiot." Effy smiled,
His heart stopped for the briefest moment as he smiled back.

This was the first genuine smile he'd seen from her since her relapse and it was the most precious thing in the world to him.

"You are and will always be my idiot. I'd do anything to keep you safe and to keep you happy. You understand me?"

"Phil?" She asked, He immediately looked up and saw her eyes focus on his. She was still groggy but she was alert and aware of what was going on.
He nodded slowly. "Am i still pregnant?"

"The baby is still alive and that's all that matters right now. The doctor told me that because of your relapse there's a possibility that the pregnancy becomes high risk. But we're still going to stay positive until we get more information. Is that okay with you, sweetheart?"

Effy nodded slowly as she fought to stay awake, the fatigue of the last two days was really catching up with her.

She smiled and squeezed his hand back. "If there's a chance for our child to live then it's worth taking it. Plus if there's even a slight chance I could get to be a mom with you, I'd take it in a heartbeat. We can take the risks."

Phil smiled back at her as she spoke, her words were tired but the determination in her voice was clear.
It was the same determination that she showed when she fought so hard to keep her sobriety. He leaned forwards and kissed her softly on the lips. "I would take any risk for us as well, you know that. We're in this together, and we're going to get through it, no matter what."

He squeezed her hand more tightly and pulled her closer to him. All he wanted right now was to hold onto her and to make sure that she was completely safe and protected.
"Yes, baby. Just stay clean and I promise you that we're going to have a beautiful family one day. This has been a wake up call for you, and this is the beginning of a life that's filled with us, our love and our child. You just have to get through this."

The doctors came into the room at that exact moment, breaking the tender moment that had developed. They immediately began to update them on the status of everything and what they expected over the next 24 hours. They updated them about the progress of their child, how her body was responding to the surgery and how they were going to prepare her to be transferred back to her room soon.

Phil nodded slowly through the majority of the information, he was focused just on the fact that Effy was recovering successfully. When the doctor finished speaking, he leaned in and spoke in his calmest voice. "Is there anything else we should know?"

The doctor shook his head and glanced at the charts before speaking. "There's really not a lot more to say at the moment, everything looks promising, and we've done everything we can to give her and the child the best chance for recovery. The healing process is now a waiting game that we won't know the ending to for a while. This is definitely a good sign though."