AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Given the circumstances, I guess I should be grateful that the only injury she incurred was a minor concussion from her fall on the driveway, but it's difficult to feel anything other than despair when the woman I love—the woman carrying my child—is lying unconscious in a hospital bed, tubes and wires tethering her to multiple machines.
At least the danger is gone now, I remind myself. Aria's sitter watched the scene from the kitchen window and called the police as soon as she saw the gun. I was able to wrestle Gabriel to ground, knock the gun away, and keep him pinned there until the police were able to arrest him. The one shot he made before I tackled him thankfully missed its mark, embedding into the side of my house instead. The whole situation is over, the men responsible sitting in jail and awaiting a hearing.
Yet I don't feel relieved.
The door opens again, and I turn reluctantly from Natalie to see Jack, a similar bandage taped to his own forehead. “Morning,” he offers simply, handing me a cup of coffee. I accept gratefully and take a sip, the hot, bitter liquid rousing my foggy faculties. “How is she?”
I sigh, my eyes drifting back to Natalie, her chest rising and falling with the steady rhythm of her breathing. “The nurse says everything looks perfect. The only problem is she's still not awake.”
Jack nods, settling into a chair on the other side of the bed. “Have you talked to the doctor yet today?”
I shake my head. “Not yet. Soon, hopefully.”
“And Aria?” he asks gently.
“Back at her aunt and uncle's,” I answer, grateful at least that she doesn't have to be here to see this. It's bad enough that she saw part of the incident through the window yesterday. Hopefully having fun with her cousins will help alleviate some of her stress.
If I wasn’t already planning to give her sitter a major bonus, she’ll definitely get one now for getting Aria away from the window, especially before the gun went off.
We lapse into silence, the beeping of the equipment the only sound in the sterile hospital room. As far as Jack knows, the only concern I have now is for Natalie's wellbeing. He knows nothing about the baby, about the potential risk of losing the pregnancy after an injury like this.
Part of me wants to tell him, to have a friend to help shoulder the weight of my worry. The other part of me wants to keep it a secret, clinging desperately to this tiny piece of Natalie that I alone carry. In a strange way, it's almost a comfort to me; my own private happiness as well as fear.
The door opens once again, and this time the doctor steps in, and my heart leaps to my throat. Clipboard in hand, as he addresses by name. “Good morning, Mr. Rodriguez, Mr. Williams.” We've been around so persistently that the whole staff probably knows us by now. “I thought you two might like an update.”
“Please,” I breathe, setting my coffee down so I can wrap Nat's hand in both of mine.
“First of all, as I'm sure the nurse probably told you, her vitals look great. She's not in need of any kind of life support, which is a great sign. So, for now, we're just going to keep an eye on her and hope she wakes up soon.”
“Why isn't she awake yet?” Jack asks, stealing the question from my own lips. “Shouldn't she be awake by now?”
The doctor tucks his clipboard under his arm. “It's difficult to know with injuries like these. Every person is different. Some wake up within a matter of minutes, others a few days, and others?—”
“Don't wake up at all,” I finish, the words poison on my tongue. It's a possibility I don't even want to consider, but I can't keep myself from thinking the worst.
“In some cases, yes,” the doctor explains, “but I highly doubt that will be the case with Ms. Williams. She's young, strong, healthy. Her CT scan shows only a moderate contusion. In a way, sleep is the best thing for her right now. The body heals much faster when asleep.”
I nod, unable to say anything else. Jack eyes me cautiously before answering the doctor for me. “Thank you. Is there anything else? Any other updates or things we should prepare ourselves for?”
“Oh, yes, one second,” the doctor says, checking his clipboard. I rally at this, steeling myself for whatever news the doctor might have—good or bad—about our unborn child, and what Jack's reaction will be.
“We ran several tests, and after a thorough examination, there’s no cause for immediate concern for the pregnancy at this point.” Relief hits me like a truck, and I crumple, my head falling forward to rest on Natalie's hand. Moisture pricks at my eyes as the doctor continues.
“By our measurements, it looks like baby is measuring at about eight weeks. This is usually a pretty big milestone, as the first eight weeks are the most uncertain. But just to be safe, we're going to keep a close eye on this going forward, and once she wakes up, we'll ask Ms. Williams to take it easy for the next few weeks. I'll also give her a referral to an obstetrician who has experience with cases like hers.”
I can't speak. I can't even lift my head to gauge Jack's reaction. I can only squeeze Nat's hand, my tears falling on her soft skin.
Another moment of silence passes before Jack answers for me again. “Thank you, doctor. That's great news.” His voice is even, giving no hint as to what he might be thinking about the revelation.
“I'm always happy to share good news,” the doctor replies cheerfully. “I'll leave you to it. Just be sure to press the call button if Ms. Williams wakes up.” He exits the room then, leaving Jack and me alone with Natalie once more.
Jack lets out a long, heavy sigh before he speaks, and I tense, preparing for the lecture I not only expect, but probably deserve. “I suspected, you know,” Jack says, his voice sounding tired. “Ever since she got sick a few weeks ago. She never seemed to get totally better after that.”
I swallow hard, trying to force down the lump in my throat, but it won't budge. My whole body is exhausted, all the stress and worry and tension finally lifted after a hellish nightmare that stretched on far too long. I remain folded onto the bed, Natalie's limp hand pressed tightly to my cheek.
“It is yours, right?”
At that I lift my head, about to tear into Jack for such an outrageous question, when I spy his sarcastic grin stretching over his face.
