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Kenzie must see something she doesn’t like because her face changes before she says something to the nurse, and the nurse rushes out of the room.
“Okay, guys. It looks like it’s time to meet your baby girl.” Kenzie, my friend, is gone, and our doctor is out in full force. The change is instant, and I’d be impressed if I wasn’t scared for my fucking life.
“What?” Caitlin cries. “It’s too early. You said you were shooting for seven days with the steroids. We’ve only had five. We need to give her two more days.”
I lean over and kiss Cait’s head. “It’s going to be fine, Caitie. She’s impatient like you,” I try to comfort her but stare in horror as the color drains from her face. “Kenz?—”
Kenzie hits a button on the wall and ignores me as everything happens all at once and somehow in slow-motion.
“Somebody get him out of here,” she yells, but I refuse to let go of Caitlin’s hand.
“No way. I’m staying,” I argue with a nurse half my size before Kenzie gives me one look, and my heart sinks. “Kenz...” my voice breaks.
“You can’t be in here, Callen. Go. Let me do my job.” She turns away, dismissing me, and an orderly forces me out.
Someone yells, “I need a crash C-section!”before I’m escorted out into the hall, and the door is shut behind me.
We’re not even in an operating room.
Families are milling about the corridor as I lean against the wall and slide down to the floor, staring in horror at everyone going on about their day while my whole world spirals in the room behind me.
What the hell just happened, and how did it go so wrong so fast?
“Callen?” Amelia asks as she walks my way with a tray of coffees in her hands. “What’s happening?”
More yelling comes from the room behind us. Amelia looks at my face and drops the tray of coffee to the floor. The liquid splashes at her feet and mine, but I don’t stand, afraid my legs might give out beneath me.
Seconds later, I have no choice but to get up as we’re escorted through the corridor to the private waiting room our parents have turned into their space over the last few days. Sam stands when we walk in, but I can’t focus on him or Amelia.
“Somebody better tell me what’s happening,” I argue with the orderly, as angry as I am petrified.
“I don’t have any information for you yet, Mr. Sinclair. Someone will be in soon to update you. Please wait here.” He turns and walks away, like that’s supposed to make it okay.
Like there’s anything that can make this okay.
“What happened?” Amelia asks as she steps into Sam’s arms, shaking.
“She was fine an hour ago. Her blood pressure was high when she woke up this morning, but not that much higher than yesterday. She was arguing with me about eating. She wasn’t hungry, and I wanted her to try to eat.” I scrub a hand down my face, trying to remember what went wrong. How she went from smiling, because she loves arguing with me, to scaredand crying. “Then her blood pressure spiked, and the machine started beeping. Cait said her head hurt, and a nurse rushed in to check on her. One minute, she was okay, and the next, she was in pain, and they were laying her on her side and rushing to get the doctor.” I can’t get the scared look on her beautiful face out of my mind. The way she said my name... “It all happened at once.”
I can’t lose them.
Neither of them.
Amelia takes my hand in hers and squeezes. “Our girl is a fighter. She’s going to be fine.”
“Girls,” I correct her. “Our girls. My whole world is in that room.”
“Mr. Sinclair...” An older woman in pale pink scrubs walks into the room, and my heart sinks. She’s not smiling.
“That’s me.” I rush toward her. “What’s happening? Is Caitlin okay? The baby? What the hell is going on in there?”
“Caitlin developed what’s called HELLP syndrome. Her organs are failing. Dr. Hayes is performing an emergency C-section. It’s the only treatment. Unfortunately, with HELLP, there are other complications as well. Your wife’s platelets are low, which unfortunately can complicate surgery because her blood will not clot properly.”
I don’t correct her. I don’t say she’s not my wife. Not yet. She should be. She already is in every way that matters to me. And she’s scared, and I’m not in there holding her hand. Keeping her safe.
I’ve never felt so fucking helpless in my life.
“So what do you do for that? Do you need blood? I can give blood,” I tell her, and Amelia takes my hand in hers. “We can get the family here. We can all give blood.”
