by Margaret Kay
Upon entering his condo, he found Elizabeth in the shower. A grin formed on his lips as he viewed her through the glass doors. “Do you mind if I join you?”
Her head shifted so her eyes landed on him. “You’re home faster than I thought you’d be.”
He took that as a yes and disrobed.
Elizabeth watched Alexander strip through the shower door. He stepped in and her eyes were drawn to the four purple bruises on his chest and abdomen.
“Paintball rounds,” he said as he moved in close, wrapping his arms around her. He kissed her,
“Does it hurt?” She asked as she gently ran her hand over them.
He relocated her hand farther south. “No, but this feels better.”
A smile spread over her face. “I’m sure it does. But, the bruises?”
“Later,” he murmured and then engulfed her in a kiss that would keep them in the shower for quite a while.
Victor
Life proceeded with no hiccups over the next few months. Doc and Elizabeth fell into a comfortable routine. The team was away nearly eighty percent of the time, the normal rotation for a field team. The two online classes Elizabeth took, consumed a good forty hours a week. The amount of reading required was overwhelming. Between her classes and helping at the office a minimum of one day a week, she was kept busy.
He called and they text messaged as much as he was able to while away, which over the two months, forged an even stronger bond between them. When he was home, it was as though he’d never been gone. They were like any other couple. They prepared for the arrival of their daughter. They were both excited as the pregnancy progressed. Life was good.
Even though both Angel and Sienna kept feelers out, so far, a unit in the same townhome complex had not come on the market. Several of the single-family homes in that portion of the development did, but with his schedule, the maintenance-free townhomes just seemed smarter to Doc. Plus, he really wanted their place to be within a few blocks of his teammates.
When he was away, she usually stayed with Sienna or Angel. And since Jackson was on a reduced mission schedule, he was home fifty percent of the time the team was away, so Doc knew Jackson was looking out for her too, not that the rest of the agency wasn’t. With Elizabeth helping at the office, it gave her an understanding of what he did and gave her a connection she would not have otherwise had.
Although she easily passed the rules of the road test and got her temporary driving permit, she wasn’t anxious to drive anywhere but in parking lots and on little used, side streets, which was fine with Doc. He had nightmares of Elizabeth driving and getting into a car accident as Victoria had. He kept those nightmares to himself. The last thing he wanted was to get back on Lassiter’s radar, who had pretty much declared him emotionally stable.
Everything at work was good and Doc felt normal again, no longer the odd man out. His relationship with his teammates was back to how it had been before Africa. He liked having Elizabeth live with him and he liked the growth and changes he’d seen in her. She had become a confident equal, a wife in every way, but he still couldn’t say that he was in love with her. He wasn’t sure that word would ever be part of his vocabulary again.
Doc packed his bags, feeling uneasy about leaving Elizabeth at home alone for the next, maybe five days. Something felt different this time, something he couldn’t put his finger on. Maybe it was his own anxiety about this mission. This would be his first mission back to Africa since he’d met her. Maybe it was because Jackson would also be on this mission. He wouldn’t be there to look out for Elizabeth.
He knew that she had plenty of food in the house and that Angel and Sienna would both invite her out to do things. They would give her a ride anywhere she needed. She understood his issues with public transportation and hadn’t mentioned it in months. He suspected Angel had something to do with that too.
He embraced her as she came into the bedroom, his hand finding its way to her expanded abdomen. At five months pregnant, she sported a large belly as she carried the baby completely out in front. It had been a healthy pregnancy, which he was grateful for. Elizabeth pressed his hand to the other side of her tummy. He felt the kick. He’d been home for nearly a week and was fascinated with feeling the baby’s many movements. The 4D sonogram at the doctor’s visit the previous day was amazing. They saw in detail the features of their little girl.
“Be safe,” she said, embracing him.
“I promise I will,” he replied. “You too. I’ll call and text when I can. Remember, I’ll be dark the first sixteen hours.”
She nodded. Sienna had theorized that meant a mission to the Middle East or Africa. The possibility that was his destination was unnerving and worried her. She knew it was his job, but the thought of him in danger bothered her tremendously. She wasn’t scheduled to work at the office over the next five days, so she wouldn’t be able to find out firsthand where they were going or what the mission was. It was very likely though that Angel would fill her and Sienna in.
“I love you,” she said to the door after Alexander closed it behind himself as he left, like she had done for the last two months.
That was the only thing missing in their relationship, his declaration of love. So many times, she nearly told him to his face how she felt, but she always stopped herself. It would be horrible if she said it and he did not in return, or worse, if he’d admit he didn’t love her. She knew it would crush her, so she took the coward’s way out and didn’t tell him how she felt.
Elizabeth finished the online exam, scoring one hundred percent. She closed the textbook beside her and breathed out with relief. The test had been a tough one. She logged out of the student portal and checked her phone. There was a text-message from Alexander. They were finally ‘engaging’ and would be out of contact for a day or two. But then he should be home after. He’d been gone four days. He’d call her as soon as he could but would be ‘dark’ till then.
When she stood, she felt a warm gush between her legs like she’d peed her pants. But she knew she didn’t. She rushed to the bathroom, peeling the black leggings off as she reached the tile. Her white panties beneath were saturated bright red.
“No, no, no,” she said aloud in a panic to no one. Her cell phone was still in her hands. She dialed 9-1-1.
“9-1-1 what’s your emergency?” The woman’s voice asked.
“I’m five months pregnant and am bleeding, vaginally,” Elizabeth said. Just saying it out loud made the reality even worse. Panic overtook her. She began to feel lightheaded and she couldn’t breathe.
“Is anyone there with you?” The 9-1-1 Operator asked.
“No. I’m alone.”
“I want you to unlock the front door and then lay down on your left side. I’ve dispatched an ambulance.” She confirmed the address. “And stay on the line with me.”
Elizabeth unlocked the door, grabbed her purse from the kitchen table, and then spread a towel on the couch and laid on her left side as instructed. “I’m going to put you on hold. I need to make another call to a friend.” She dialed Ops.
“Hello, Elizabeth, this is Yvette. What can I do for you?”
Relief flooded Elizabeth just hearing Yvette’s voice. She told her the situation.
Yvette relayed it to Mother, who stood beside her. He brought up the tracker app to view who was nearest to Elizabeth.
“I’ll send Sloan. He lives near Doc and is home.”
“Elizabeth, we’re sending Gary Sloan over. He’s a few blocks away.”
“Thank you, Yvette,” Elizabeth said. “Don’t tell Alexander anything yet, until I know if I’m losing this baby or not. I’m only five months, she won’t make it.”
“Hey, think positive. You’re not losing the baby,” Yvette said. “There are a lot of reasons for bleeding.”
“I know,” Elizabeth agreed quickly, without thinking about it. “I need to switch back to the other line. The 9-1-1 Operator is holding and wants me on the line until the ambulance arrives.”
&nbs
p; “Okay,” Yvette said. “Sloan will be there in a few minutes.”
The wait until the ambulance arrived seemed like it was hours. Every minute or two, the 9-1-1 Operator would ask if she was still there, if she was in any pain, or if the friend she’d called had arrived yet. Yes, she was still there, no she wasn’t in any pain, and no, he hadn’t arrived yet.
When she finally heard sirens, she relaxed just a little. “I hear the sirens.”
“The ambulance is just arriving. I’m going to disconnect now,” the 9-1-1 Operator said. “Good luck.”
“Thank you for staying on the line with me.”
The red and blue glow of the ambulance lights radiated around the edges of the closed blinds over the front window. Then, the front door opened and two men with a stretcher, in EMT clothing stepped through. The flashing lights from the ambulance shined brightly behind them.
“My name is Luke, and this is Steve, what’s your name darling?” One of them asked.
“Elizabeth.”
He smiled as he knelt down beside her. “We’re going to take good care of you and get you to the hospital,” he said. “Tell me what’s going on tonight.”
“I stood up and felt warm fluid run down my legs. It’s blood. I’m five months pregnant. I’m a nurse, so I know how bad this is.”
“Easy there, Elizabeth, one step at a time. Let’s get you on the stretcher. We’re going to get you out into the truck and then I’m going to start an IV.”
Gary Sloan pulled up in front of Doc’s condo. He parked beside the ambulance. He didn’t need to grab his medical kit with the EMTs on site. He rushed to the door and entered. They were getting Elizabeth onto the stretcher. He saw the towel on the couch. It was stained bright red with blood.
He pulled his ID and badge out and identified himself. “Agent Gary Sloan, ATF. I’m a friend and colleague of her husband, who is away for work right now. I’m also a former Navy Corpsman.” His gaze shifted to Elizabeth. Her face was as white as the sheet over the stretcher. “How are you holding up Elizabeth?”
“I’m afraid. I’m losing the baby, Gary.”
He came in close and took her hand. “You don’t know that. Let’s wait till we get to the hospital and a doctor takes a look at you.” His eyes went back to the EMTs. “I’d like to ride along. I promised her husband I’d take care of her like he would.”
The two EMTs exchanged glances. He did have a badge. “Sure,” the EMT who stood closest said.
Sloan road in the back of the truck and held Elizabeth’s hand. She squeezed it hard when the paramedic inserted the IV needle in her other arm. He did everything he could to help calm her down. Some color returned to her cheeks by the time they arrived at the hospital.
He had to badge his way into the treatment room too. The doctor came in immediately. After a short question-and-answer session he squeezed the gel on her abdomen and pressed the ultrasound head against her baby bump. His smile spread wide when he saw the baby with her strong heartbeat. He turned the monitor so she and Sloan could see.
“We’ve got a strong heartbeat and an active baby,” the doctor said.
The relief brought tears to Elizabeth’s eyes. “She’s still okay?”
“She’s great. Now, let’s figure out why you bled.” The doctor moved the instrument around. “Ah-ha,” he said. He pointed to the screen again. “Right there is the culprit. The placenta is too low. The baby is laying on it. Placenta previa, usually discovered around the five to six-month mark, right on time.”
Elizabeth knew what it was. She also knew it meant bed rest either until it resolved or until she delivered. And it very well may mean delivery by a caesarian section. “Is it partial or completely covering my cervix and why didn’t the sonogram scans at my obstetrician show it?”
“It looks to be a partial, but your OB will monitor that. These things usually resolve. As the uterus grows with the enlarging baby, the placenta is pulled up and off the cervix. If it doesn’t, you’ll just be on bed rest longer and the baby will be delivered via a caesarian. As long as you rest, laying down as much as you can, you and the baby will both be fine,” he assured Elizabeth. “That means you only sit up to eat and you only get out of bed to use the bathroom and to take a very quick shower.”
“Will you be admitting her?” Sloan asked.
“No, we’ll let this bag of fluids finish and then you can take her home. But she needs to call her OB tomorrow and follow up with them per their direction. We’ll be sending the report over.” The doctor stood. “I’ll have the nurse come check in on her in about twenty minutes. The fluids should be done by then.”
Elizabeth was relieved, but she was also worried. How would she manage bedrest with Alexander away on missions? And school? She was only half-way through the semester. She needed to finish these two classes. She needed them to start nursing school in the fall.
“Hey, this is good news,” Sloan said. She was in deep thought and frowning.
She had forgotten he was there. “I know,” she agreed. “I’m just wondering how I can possibly be on bedrest for maybe the rest of my pregnancy. I don’t even know when Alexander is going to be home. And then what about during the next mission?”
“We’ve got you,” Sloan said, taking her hand again. “Don’t worry. We’ll figure it out.”
His voice was confident. Elizabeth looked into his eyes. There was something about them that never failed to capture her attention. They were eyes like Alexander’s, eyes that had seen way too many bad things. They didn’t reflect his soul, though. They were cold, hardened, haunted. But she knew from the first she’d met him on that helicopter after she and Alexander had been rescued, that he had a sense of humor, was a great friend, a trusted and loyal team member, and tonight, he had provided her comfort when she needed it.
“Thank you for being here, Gary. I appreciate it.”
“I always have the team’s six, yours included.” He pulled his phone from his pocket. He dialed Ops.
“What’s your status?” Mother’s voice answered.
“Elizabeth isn’t being admitted. She’ll be released in about a half hour. I left my POV at Doc’s. Can you have someone from the team pick us up? And clear with Shepherd her staying in the apartment on nine until Doc is back. She can’t be alone.”
“Roger that,” Mother replied. “Shoot me a text when she is cleared to leave. I’m off in just under a half hour. I’ll head over and pick the two of you up.”
“Thanks, Mother,” Sloan said.
“Why is he called Mother?” Elizabeth asked after Sloan ended the call.
“He’s our Mother hen, has always been that way. Just wait till you see how he fusses to help take care of you.” Sloan winked. “You won’t be asking after you see him in action.”
The hospital lent Elizabeth the bottoms of scrubs to wear when she left. Sloan draped his coat over her shoulders. Mother’s pickup truck was warm, but he didn’t want Elizabeth to get chilled for the brief time she was outside, transferring from the wheelchair to the backseat. Once at the Shepherd Security Building, Sloan retrieved a wheelchair to give her a ride to the apartment on nine. She would not be walking any further than the bed to the bathroom.
Doc unrolled the Fisherman’s Prayer verse and photo. He read it and then stared at the calming scene behind the words. This had become part of his pre-mission ritual. The team was flying in, on a V-22 Osprey in the airspace above South Sudan, heading in to rescue an American reporter who had been kidnapped and held for three weeks. This woman they were going in to get was lucky. Intelligence identified her location quickly, and they had been dispatched to go in and get her.
Doc tucked the photo away in his bag and then mentally went over what types of injuries she might have. Jackson would carry her out if she wasn’t mobile. He had pain killers, splints, butterfly bandages, and skin glue to use on site if she was in such bad shape that he’d have to stabilize her to move her. In the second equipment pack he’d leave on board, he had bags of bo
th IV solution and O Negative blood. Hopefully none of these things would be needed.
He felt the vibration of the aircraft change. The Osprey was slowing, preparing for its transition from the turboprop plane to the rotors assuming a vertical position needed to land.
“New thermal imaging scans shows six heat signatures in the house. Since we assume one is our target, that leaves five Tangos,” Cooper’s voice came through everyone’s comms, startling Doc’s thoughts from the mental checklist that he was running through. “Two minutes till go time.”
Doc watched as Cooper and Madison gave each other a fist bump, the most intimate of gestures the couple ever shared while on duty. He wasn’t sure how they did it, Operating together. He knew he wouldn’t be able to focus if Elizabeth was anywhere near danger.
He got up, secured his weapons and his pack, and waited behind Garcia. The five of them jumped out the second the aircraft’s forward momentum ceased. Three steps off the firmly packed road, their boots sunk ankle deep in the muck of the swampy ground.