Once inside, we hurried down the hall toward the bathrooms, but took a detour to the right. Inside, the dim tones of a locker room greeted us, as well as the rest of the pink shirts belonging to the team. All of the women leaned against the lockers or sat on the benches with worried, sad expressions.
"I have her," called Maddie, and led me around the corner toward a row of empty lockers. On the floor, Saoirse knelt beside Mira who had her chin tucked to her knees and her arms over her head as if preparing for an air raid. Saoirse leaned over her, rubbing her back in slow circles. Her worried gaze fell on me and I dropped to the floor in front of them.
"Maddie, go make sure they're calling the game. If not, tell them we're out," Saoirse said, and a worried Maddie left the three of us alone.
"Hey," I crooned, reaching for Mira and stroking her arms from wrist to elbow. "Mira. I'm here. Hey." She didn't respond and I noticed how her painted nails dug crescents into the back of her hand where she gripped herself. "What happened?"
"She saw…what happened. That stuff upsets her," Saoirse said quietly, her eyes shimmering with concern and threatened tears.
"Okay." I got down lower and pressed my lips close to her ear. "Mira, sweetie. Can you look at me, please?" Again, no response, but the skin of her cheek felt cool and clammy against my lips despite her fast breathing. My heart raced, and my worry for Mira escalated. "Has this ever happened before?" I pulled off my hoodie, and wrapped it around her. She responded to that and pulled it tighter around her shoulders.
"Twice, but she usually passes out," answered Saoirse, blinking away a few tears.
Rapid, clicking heels drew my attention and Eve entered with Ciara. Ciara knelt beside Saoirse, and Eve held my shoulder in a firm grip. No one said anything as I tried to coax Mira back to life. I got down on my stomach, and kissed her temple while I tried to get a read on her.
"Check her pulse," I heard Eve say and I placed my fingers against her wrist.
"Really fast, but not strong and she's cold." My own heart pounded in my ears as my worry only escalated.
"She's in shock." Eve knelt beside us and removed her jacket as well. "Hold her."
"Mira…come here, baby." I shifted to my knees, and wiggled my way to slip my arms under hers. She moved with me, stiffly at first, as I lifted her into my arms and between my knees. Her arms fell around me, and I urged her head to my chest. "I have you. Remember? I have you."
Sniffles echoed in the quiet locker room, and Eve covered Mira with the second jacket. Ciara rubbed Saoirse's shoulder as she looked on, tears streaming her cheeks.
"We need to take her to the hospital," whispered Eve, but it was Mira who reacted. She shook her head, and gripped me tighter.
"Okay, I have you." I kissed her forehead, and she nodded while I held her to my chest. Tears finally streamed her cheeks, and she shifted her legs around. My throat tightened and I couldn't hold on to my tears anymore as I worried for her. "Everyone is okay, you're okay."
"Mimi," said Saoirse as she leaned closer to us, her hand on Mira's back. "It's okay. Everyone's okay."
Maddie returned, her tentative cleats knocking on the hard floor. "Saoirse, the D.T.'s already forfeited."
"Good. Get everyone out of here." Saoirse sniffled as she stood. "Everyone."
"All right." Maddie looked on with a sad expression as she headed back around the corner. We heard her ushering people out.
"Billie, we really should take her…" Eve drew my attention back to me. "Or at least get vitals from the EMTs outside."
"N-no." Mira grabbed at my shirt, balling it in her fist as she sobbed once, tears tumbling down her cheeks. "I'm fine."
"No, baby. You're not fine." I choked on a sob when she began to move around. "Please let them check you."
"N-no. No." Color slowly returned to her cheeks, and her muscles seemed to unlock. She sat up on her own beside me, and I noted she took slower breaths. "I'm fine."
"Easy." I kept my arm around her and helped her to lean against the lockers. I stroked her cheeks, and she met my gaze, her eyes glazed and dim. "You're not okay, honey. Just let the EMTs check you. Please?" She didn't answer me, and the color drained from her face again. I looked to Eve. "Go get them." Eve bolted from the room and I heard her shouting as she thrust open the door.
Mira's eyelashes fluttered, and she gripped my hand before tumbling over into my arms when she fainted. A yelp left me when I caught her, cradling her between my knees and against my chest again. Saoirse and Ciara burst into action, moving toward us and helping me support Mira.
I pressed my lips to her forehead, and felt the soft puffs of her breath against my cheek. "She's breathing."
"Thank God."
The EMTs raced into the room and ushered everyone away except me since I held on to Mira. The male EMT took her shoulders, and the female her legs as they lay her down on her back. "Okay, kicker. We got you," he said, tucking one of the jackets under her head. The female EMT lifted Mira's legs and propped them up on her bag. Eve grabbed me from behind when I sobbed, catching me in a restraining hug.
"She'll be okay, just breathe. We don't want you passing out, too."
I held on to her arms, and nodded as my whole body trembled. Ciara held Saoirse similarly.
"Does this happen to her often?" asked the male EMT.
"Only if she sees blood," answered Saoirse. "Maybe this was too much."
"How long was she unresponsive?" asked the woman.
"Conscious but not speaking, about ten minutes. She only just passed out," answered Eve this time.
"Heart rate and B.P. both low," called the woman as she tossed the stethoscope back around her neck. "Let's give her a minute." She kept her fingers on Mira's wrist, and as before, the color in her face returned slowly, tinging her cheeks with pink. "Here we go. What's her name?"
"Mira," answered Saoirse.
"Mira, you're okay. C'mon. Open your eyes," coaxed the woman while the man continued monitoring Mira's vitals.
Mira's fingers twitched, and her eyelashes fluttered before she opened her eyes. A tear slid down her cheek and she lifted her arms, grunting when she covered her face.
"Here we go. You're okay, sweetie. Hey. I'm Shannon. What's your name?" The female EMT shined a light in Mira's eyes. I let out a sigh of relief and Eve's grip loosened.
"Mira," she croaked.
"Can you tell me what day it is?"
"Where's Billie?" Mira moved her legs, and pulled them from the bag. "Are you a cop?"
"Who's Billie?" asked Shannon, while she kept her hand on Mira's shoulder. "Don't sit up yet."
"M-my girlfriend. Where's Billie?" Mira's voice lifted as if she was about to panic. She struggled against the EMTs and a jolt of nerves struck me.
"Here, baby. Here." I pulled away from Eve to drop down beside her. "I'm right here."
Mira settled down when she saw me, her eyes wide and wild until she met my gaze. I touched her face, sniffling as I tried to get a hold of myself. With Mira distracted, the EMTs took more vitals while I tucked her hair behind her ears.
"Hi," she said, her freak out cooling off.
"Hi. You passed out," I told her and she nodded, then reached up to wipe her eyes.
"Do you remember why you passed out, Mira?" Shannon asked, her fingers on Mira's wrist again.
Mira grew quiet, and I watched as her lashes began to flutter again. "She's going to faint again," I said, stroking her cheeks. "Mira."
"We need to take her for medical care," said the male EMT, when Mira's consciousness faded again, though not as deeply as before.
"I'm riding," I said, pulling out my badge to show them as I sniffled. "Let's go."
They listened to me, and the two of them worked to get her on the stretcher. Eve gripped my shoulder until they had her secured, and we all followed them to the ambulance.
"We'll meet you there," said Eve as the EMTs closed the door, and we were off in a round of sirens.
Chapter Twelve
We waited
over an hour, maybe two, before anyone gave us any information. I paced the crowded waiting area where some of the purple jersey soccer players gathered as well. Saoirse watched me with worried eyes, while Ciara sat vigil beside her. Maddie and Jenny joined us, and with only a few more positions to fill, we could've held a soccer scrimmage in the emergency room.
"I called Stella," Eve said when she returned. "She just got here. Ainsley's mom told me the other girl is in surgery and okay."
"Who's Stella?" I asked, swiping at my cheeks to make sure I was tear-free. I'd sent texts to Robert and Eleanor to let them know where I was.
"Alice's wife. Remember?"
"Oh. Yeah. I forgot she works here." I ran my fingers through my hair and sat down beside Saoirse. She glanced at me, her eyes sad and worried.
"I'm sorry about this morning," she said, her voice soft.
I said nothing, and drew my gaze back toward the reception desk.
"Why we are at your work, Mommy?" asked a small voice from down the hall. "You said we could go to the harvest festival and you promised."
"We will go, Nova. Come sit here a minute." A pretty brunette woman hurried down the hall with two little girls clutching her hands. The older girl, probably around five or six, continued to question her mother as she scurried along with her as the younger girl, maybe three, skipped along without a care in the world. Both of them wore matching autumn-hued dresses, with tiny Doc Martens. The sight of the two of them made me smile, distracting me from my worry. When they drew closer, the older girl, fair-haired with bright blue eyes, pouted but remained quiet.
"Mommy, why?" asked the younger girl, her hair darker like her mother's, but the sharp blue eyes remained the same. "Where's Momma?"
Eve stood up as they approached us and I recognized the woman as Stella. Up close, she was even more beautiful than the pictures on Alice's social media profile. The same could be said for her little girls.
"She's at work, love. Say hi to Eve and Ciara." Stella stopped in front of Eve and they smooched cheeks.
"Hi," both girls said at the same time.
"Hi, munchkins." Eve crouched down to the kids and Ciara joined her. Both of the girls giggled and the little one hugged on to her neck right away. Eve stood, and set her on her hip. "Stell, this is Billie."
I waved to her and she held her hand out to me. "Good to meet you. You're Mira's—"
"Yes," I interrupted, shaking her hand as I glanced to the women around us. "Can I see her?"
"I'll take you back in just a minute. Let me get some more details first." Stella offered me a soft smile, then placed her hand on the older girl's back. "Stay here with Eve and Ciara, girls."
"Do I have to watch her, Mommy?" asked Nova, pointing to her sister.
"Nope. I got Luna. You can hang with Ciara." Eve bounced the younger girl on her hip. "Right, kid?"
"Right!" Luna clapped her hands once.
"Okay." Nova leaned her stomach against Ciara's knees. "Can you braid my hair like yours?"
"Sure, pumpkin." Ciara beamed, and lifted the girl into her lap. "You betcha."
Stella smiled at them then waved for me to follow her. I didn't hesitate and she led me down the hall. No one stopped her, despite the fact that she wore street clothes and no I.D. tag.
"I'm sorry we're meeting under these circumstances," said Stella, glancing to me. "Eve said you know my wife."
"Me too and yes. We worked together for a while." I swiped at my eyes and she paused beside the nurse's station filled with people in scrubs bustling about. "Your girls are very cute."
"Thank you." Stella beamed, her smile meeting her shimmering eyes. "We're expecting a third."
"I saw that. Alice posted the sonogram picture the other day. Congrats." The conversation offered a mild distraction at best. "Another girl."
"Yes." Stella smiled softly as one of the nurses handed her a tablet. "We'll have to get really creative with her name if we want to keep up the trend."
"I think it's sweet." Just Stella's presence, and lack of overt concern calmed me down slightly. "Are they going to let me in? We're not related…or anything."
"Eve told me. She's conscious so she's able to consent." Stella tapped away at the tablet then nodded, handing it back to the nurse. "Mira will be just fine. Let's go see her."
"How do you know?"
"All of her tests were normal. Has she been under significant stress lately?"
"Yeah…and then the blood and gore stuff she saw today. What happened to her?" I asked.
"Neurocardiogenic syncope. Fainting spells that can occur with emotional distress or some environmental factors. It appears she's had it for a long time. It's not dangerous or fatal, though there are fall risks associated with it, of course," she explained, and immediately I found myself calming down. "She'll be released in a bit. They gave her some fluids."
"Thank you. No one told us anything."
"They're not supposed to, but I like breaking rules." Stella led me through a maze of doors and curtains, until we approached a nurse with auburn hair. Her plump cheeks and sweet, comforting smile settled me even more. She greeted Stella with a wink and pointed toward the curtain to the far right. "Go give her a hug."
One of the doctors approached Stella and the nurse as I glanced over.
"Okay." I sucked in my breath and broke away from them. My sneakers squeaked on the floor and I approached the curtain, tugging it aside to peek in. Mira lay on the bed, cross-legged and sipping some kind of juice from a covered plastic cup. "Hey," I said, smiling as soon as I saw her. Her entire expression lifted and she set the cup down.
"Hi."
"You okay?" I hurried over to her and she hugged me right away, her strength returned to her.
"I am. Sometimes that happens. I forgot to tell you…" She brushed her lips over my cheek, and I leaned back to stroke her face. "I'm sorry."
"It's okay, baby. I'm just glad you're okay." I leaned over to kiss her but stopped myself, glancing to where the curtain hung open slightly. She caught on, and brushed my lips with her thumb.
"You can…"
"Sure?"
She nodded and I kissed her gently. "You taste like red Gatorade."
"Accurate." She laughed softly, leaning her head back on the pillows. A soft sigh left her, and she gripped my hand in hers. "You look scared."
"I am—or was. You didn't pass out right away. It scared me so much," I confessed. "And Saoirse, too."
"I remember a little…" She brought her thumb over my knuckles a few times. "I—I think I told her you were my girlfriend. Did I do that?"
"Yeah, honey. Eve and Ciara, too." I took her other hand in mine. "I know you didn't want it to come out that way…"
She held her breath for a second. "Did they say anything?"
"They…didn't seem surprised, actually…" A smirk tugged the corner of my mouth. "I don't think we've been very good at being stealthy. And Saoirse apologized for this morning…"
"Everything feels messy," she said, taking another deep breath. The monitor beside her began beeping, but she ignored it. "Is Valerie okay? Her leg…" More beeps followed and I watched Mira's face blanch.
"She's in surgery, doing okay. Think about something else please, Mira."
Stella and the nurse appeared from around the curtain, and both of them looked right at the monitor.
"Miss Lewis," called the nurse and Mira looked at her. "What've we said about dwelling on things?"
"I can't help it. Who are you?" Mira's brow furrowed when she caught Stella's gaze.
"Doctor Corwin." She held out her hand and Mira took it. "But call me Stella."
"What happened to the other doctor?" Mira relaxed again, and the monitors stopped making noises.
"I kicked him out." Stella smiled as she examined Mira, tossing on a stethoscope and pressing it to her chest. "What are your thoughts on that?"
"You're easier on the eyes at least," Mira said, in a bout of candidness that made me laugh.
"Hey. Don
't hit on your doctor in front of me. Totally rude," I teased and she laughed, giving my knee a swat.
"Billie."
"Nurse, would you give us a minute?" Stella glanced to her and she offered her a quick nod before stepping out. "How are you really feeling?"
"Stella is Alice's wife. Remember the coworker I told you about who works at the LGBTQ Center?" I added, to which Mira nodded.
"Good to meet you. I'm okay. I keep getting lightheaded on and off."
"You, too. Have you had syncope episodes like this all your life?" Stella adjusted the cuff on Mira's arm and we watched it inflate while she took her blood pressure.
"Not all my life, no," answered Mira. "Can I go home soon?"
"They're discharging you shortly. When did they start?" Stella asked after removing the cuff. "B.P. is back to normal."
"About six years." Mira's gaze lingered on mine and I nodded.
"Anything change for you around then?" asked Stella, leaning against the bed now near us.
"No," answered Mira and my eyes widened. I gave her hand a squeeze and she shook her head.
"Okay…" Stella's gaze flickered in my direction. "Mira, extreme stress can cause these episodes as well as seeing blood or something like that. Have you been under any greater stress than usual?"
"Nothing really new." Mira stared me down as if daring me to challenge what she said. I didn't, at least not yet.
"All right. I'm going to go touch base with the doctor who admitted you to see where he's at for discharge." She patted the bed beside Mira's hip. "Be back."
We watched her go, and I turned to Mira right away. "You know what I'm going to say."
"She doesn't need to know my personal business." Mira swung her legs off the side of the bed and picked up her cleats from the chair.
"Maybe she does or maybe she doesn't, but Mira, do you feel really stressed out about all of this? Not just about what happened on the field, but about us?" I asked her as I watched her tug on her shoes.
"All I want, Billie, is to be with you. That's all I want," she said, her voice soft while she tied her laces.
"I know that and I feel the same way about you, but if you're stressed, we need to talk about it…"
Entanglement Page 20