W–EMERGENCY
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EMERGENCY
JESS
“Jess. Babe! What happened!” Luke burst through the hospital door, his face etched with concern. He rushed over, his eyes darting all over my body, searching for injuries. Once he was satisfied I wasn’t missing a leg, he took a breath and sat down, taking my hands in his rough, calloused ones.
Pulling my hand up, he kissed my knuckles. “You have to stop ending up in the hospital. I don’t think my heart can take it anymore.” His eyes pleaded with me, and I gave him a small smile. “The truck’s brakes failed while we were at the traffic light. I was wearing my seatbelt, but… Laura…” My voice cracked, and tears threatened to spill.
Luke leaned in and kissed me, resting a large hand on my swollen belly before kissing me there, too. “She’s okay. The doctor said she’s fine,” I whispered to him, running my fingers through his messy curls. I could feel him take and release a deep breath, his body weight collapsing onto me.
“Sorry for scaring you,” I said softly, hoping he would relax. I could feel his tension radiating off of him in waves. He was angry but not with me; I knew that. He was probably furious that he wasn’t there, or at the truck driver or the weather…
B
“Anything about Laura?” I asked, and he sat up. “Let me go find out for you. Don’t move,” he said with a small grin and a nod.
“I promise I won’t go anywhere. Well, maybe the bathroom. This
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girl has been on my bladder for the last few days.” Luke stood up reluctantly, glancing back at me before leaving to find out about Laura.
She had to be okay. I can’t lose her… neither can Josh. I don’t think he would survive.
I stared at the ceiling, sending up a prayer–it was about as much as I could do right now. Well, that and staring at the clock, waiting for Luke to come back with news. My phone buzzed, and I picked it up to see a message from the nanny. Emersyn ate all of her potatoes, and she’s in bed.” I responded, thanking her for staying late and letting her know Luke would be home
soon.
That girl has so much of her father in her. At first, we thought she might take after me, but over the last few months, that little rebel has gotten away with things only her father could have.
The door opened, and Luke stepped in. His face was passive, not giving me a hint of information. “The nanny said Emersyn ate all her potatoes, and she’s in bed,” I said, trying to fill the silence.
Luke nodded and sat down again. “No, what’s wrong?” I asked, but honestly, I was too scared to find out. Luke reached over and brushed a stray hair from my face.
“She’s in surgery. They say she has a brain bleed, and they have to find out where it’s coming from. It’s a very risky operation, and the anesthesia will be too much for the baby.”
I sat up in bed, my heart pounding in my chest, threatening to burst out. “What do you mean–too risky for the baby? She’s 36 weeks! They have to be able to protect the baby.” I was starting
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to panic. If Laura woke up and knew she’d lost her baby…
“No. Wait. Babe. Wait. I said that wrong. Laura needs the surgery, but they will do an emergency C–section for the baby first, and then she will have her brain surgery. The baby is okay. She’s fine,” Luke assured me, steadying me with both his palms on either side of my face. I felt the tears spill over.
“Josh… How is he?” I wiped at my face, and Luke swiped away a tear from my cheek with his thumb.
“He’s hanging in there. He knows he needs to be strong for his little girl, and he’s going to be a father in a few hours,” Luke said, his voice wavering slightly.
I couldn’t even fathom how it must feel. The happiest day of your life is also the worst. “You think they would allow me to wait with him?” I asked, hopeful. Luke nodded.
“Yeah. I spoke with the doctor, and he said it’s okay as long as you technically stay in the hospital overnight. I’ll go make sure Emersyn is okay and be back in the morning after I drop her at daycare,” Luke said, leaning in to kiss me. I always feel Luke’s kisses down to my core, no matter how quick the kiss is.
I watched him leave and stared at the ceiling again. This has to all turn out to be okay. It just has to. We’ve been through a lot- all of us. We deserve a break.
The minutes crawled by, each second heavier than the last. I tried to focus on my breathing, but the anxiety gnawed at me. Every sound outside my room made my heart leap, hoping it was Luke or a nurse with news. Instead, the halls remained silent, save for the occasional beeping of machines and distant -voices.
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Finally, the door creaked open again. A nurse stepped inside, her face calm but serious. “They’re about to begin the C- section.”
I nodded, my throat too tight to form words. Relief mingled with dread as I realized the next few hours would determine so much. Clutching the thin blanket around me, I whispered another prayer, holding on to the hope that this storm would pass, leaving all of us whole.
BACK IN TIME
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BACK IN TIME
