Fade to Black

by Unknown

  He pushed through the door and followed the noise into the bathroom. Kate was crumbled on the floor, a towel resting around her hips.

  “Kate?” She looked up from the floor, tears streaming down her face. Rich knelt at her side, lifting the towel to assist her with a bit of modesty. “What’s wrong? Are you okay?” He was glad he didn’t sound as panicked as he felt.

  “I slipped and fell right on my…” She lifted the bottom edge of the towel to show him traces of blood on the fluffy white bathmat she was sitting on.

  The panic that had been under control just a moment ago shot through the roof. He scooped her into his arms, his pulse pounding like a jackhammer behind his ears. “Come on, I’m taking you to the emergency room.”

  She didn’t argue, just sat on the edge of the bed as Rich rooted through the drawers for some clothes. A set of pink pajamas finally made the cut. He tenderly helped her dress then picked her up again.

  “I think I can walk,” she protested.

  “When the doctor says you can walk, love, then you can walk.”

  She rested her damp head against his shoulder. “I’m sure everything’s fine.” The words themselves weren’t convincing due to the tears rolling down her cheeks, wetting his shirt.

  He kissed her head. “I’m sure it is. And in a few hours we’ll know for sure.” It was important to keep Kate calm, even if it was impossible to convince his own central nervous system that he should also be calm.

  After getting Kate settled in the passenger seat, Rich took a deep breath before he got into the car. His every instinct was shouting that he drive like a lunatic, break every land speed record to get them to the doctor, but he forced himself to follow the speed limits.

  Rich watched Kate bite on her lip and rub circles on her belly while they made the short trip to the emergency room. Rich pulled up to the front doors and threw the car into gear. “Wait here. I’ll be right back with someone to help you.” Then he jerked the door opened and ran inside, hoping he would be able to keep it together.

  Kate smiled as Rich ran into the double doors of the emergency room. He was so concerned—so was she, if she were going to be honest—even though he tried to hide it. When he scooped her into his arms, she’d never felt so protected, so loved.

  A few minutes later, Rich appeared with a guy dressed in scrubs who was pushing a wheelchair. The hospital worker opened the door and smiled. “Hello, Miss Callahan, I’m told you need some help tonight.” He tossed Rich an annoyed glance, then reached up to aide Kate into the wheelchair. “You’re going to need to move the car. This space is for ambulances only,” he told Rich.

  Rich bent down on his haunches and took Kate’s hand. “I’ll be right in.”

  “Let’s go, Miss Callahan.” Mr. Scrubs pushed the chair away from where Rich was still squatted on the ground.

  Kate heard a door slam, and an engine protest as Rich moved the vehicle to a spot where it could wait for them to finish up with the doctors. A soft chuckling caused her to look up at the man who pushed her through the double doors. “I’m glad to see that you two finally hooked up.”

  “Excuse me?” Kate felt her brows pull together.

  “Oh, come on, the way you came rushing in when he got hit in the head… Congratulations on the baby, by the way.”

  “You remember us? That was…” She tried to calculate how much time had elapsed since the time she’d overreacted at Rich’s head wound.

  “Don’t hurt yourself,” he said with a laugh. “I don’t remember how long it was either, but it was pretty obvious that you two would end up together.”

  “You saw that…then?”

  “I guess I’m just a good reader of people.” He patted her shoulder. “And he acted the same way you acted when you brought him in with his head wound.” He laughed. “You should have seen the way he came running in like a crazed man, saying how you were pregnant and bleeding. I expected blood to be gushing everywhere.”

  Kate felt the corners of her mouth lift and her heart soared. “Yeah, he tends to get carried away.”

  He raised a brow. “And you don’t?” When she scowled, he laughed. “I’ll see about getting you looked at sooner than later. Who’s your OB?”

  “Dr. Tipton.”

  “Aaron Tipton?” He sounded ecstatic and quickened their pace, wheeling her behind a curtain. A metal on metal sound ripped through the air as he yanked the curtain around to give her some privacy.

  “Yeah.” The blood pressure cuff was cold, then increasingly tight on her arm.

  His pen scratched against the paper on his clipboard. “Good.” He stuffed the cuff back into its holder and wrote down more notes. “I actually saw Tipton in the hospital, I’ll page him and see if he has a few minutes to come down and take a look at you himself. That will speed things along for you.”

  “Thanks.”

  “If I don’t see you again, good luck, Miss Callahan.” He flashed her a smile, then stepped through an opening in the flimsy wall.

  “Where is she?” Rich’s voice was frantic.

  “Right through there,” came the reply.

  The curtain whipped back and Rich stepped through the opening. “You okay? What’d I miss?”

  Kate wanted to laugh. Rich was so cute when he was panicked for no reason. At least she hoped he was overreacting. “I’m fine, Rich. I think the bleeding has stopped.”

  He was trying really hard to be cool, to not show her just how nervous he was about the situation, but Kate could see his fear reflected in his eyes, could feel it radiating off him in waves. He was truly frightened—even more so now than this afternoon with Shea.

  Shea. A shudder ripped up her spine.

  “Are you cold?” His head jerked from side to side, scanning their surroundings for something to offer her. When there was nothing around, he actually tugged at the hem of his t-shirt.

  “Rich, stop. I’m fine.” She wanted to ask him for the only comfort she could think of—him, his embrace—but didn’t. Instead she crossed her arms tightly across her chest and closed her eyes.

  The sound of someone entering their little space brought her eyes open. A nurse held the familiar clipboard. “Hi, I’m going to take you up to OB where Dr. Tipton will look at you.”

  A relieved sigh left Kate’s lungs. “Thanks.”

  The nurse took control of the wheelchair and Rich walked along side. He was quiet, reflective, his whole body tense with the nervous energy she felt, too. As if sensing her need to touch him, Rich reached down and took her hand in his. They continued their journey down the long corridor, up the elevator, and over the glassed walkway that would lead to the wing where little miracles were born.

  She finally stopped in a room with two beds, a curtain between them. “This is triage. We’ve been slow so you should have some privacy, but I can’t promise it will last.”

  “Thank you.”

  “Here, put this on, opening in the back.” The nurse handed Kate a pale pink gown with little white flowers on it. “I’ll let the doctor know that you’re here. It shouldn’t be long.”

  Kate and Rich muttered a thank you in unison then when they were alone, Rich turned to her. “Do you need some help?” There was no suggestive nature in his question, and honestly, yeah, she did want his help. If she were being completely truthful in her desires, she just didn’t want to be away from him. Ever.

  “That would be very…”

  “Helpful,” he supplied with a smirk.

  “Yes, helpful.” She scowled at him and bit down on her lip to keep from smiling. Her feet moved from the platforms on the chair and Rich frowned.

  “How about we get the gown on your upper half, then I’ll support you to take your bottoms off.”

  “Deal.” She didn’t want to take the bottoms off with him standing in front of her. The body he knew and loved no longer existed. Now she was enormous, her skin stretched so tight it actually hurt. And she still had weeks—she hoped—before this adventure was over.

&
nbsp; Rich’s fingers were warm against her skin, his face all business, as he helped her ease the fabric up and over her head. The cool air swept over her and Kate was flooded with the urge to use her hands to cover her chest, but refrained, stuffing them into the sleeves of the gown Rich now held.

  “Okay, hold on to me. Don’t let go. I’ll help you get the bottoms started and you should be able to just step out of them.”

  She nodded into his chest. Apprehension caused her stomach to roll. Her belly was big, and so was her ass. The thought of Rich seeing it…

  “Kate, love, step out.” One leg lifted, then the other, leaving her pajama bottoms in a pool on the floor. He reached down and scooped them up, and jammed them and the top into a white plastic bag labeled ‘my belongings’. “Let me help you get into the bed.” He lifted the covers and helped her slide beneath the sheet. “Are you warm enough? I’m sure I can get you another blanket if…”

  “Thank you, Rich.” Her heart filled her chest, overcome by the love she couldn’t express for the man in front of her. “I couldn’t have gotten through today without you.”

  His lips curved up at the corners into a smile his eyes didn’t register. “You wouldn’t have had to if not for me.” His voice was hard, bitter. “I’m sorry…for everything.”

  “Rich, please, don’t be sorry. If not for you, I wouldn’t…”

  “Kate Callahan,” the deep voice of Dr. Tipton interrupted her words. “I hear we’re having a little trouble. What happened?”

  Rich began the rundown of how he found her lying on the bathroom floor, bleeding. Dr. Tipton listened, but his face had a look of surprise on it. Kate had told him that the baby’s father was dead and that she would be doing this all on her own. Rich’s composure, his intense expression left little doubt that he was more than just her roommate, or her co-worker. Rich loved her.

  And her heart ached to let him, but…

  “Dr. Tipton,” Kate hedged when Rich took a breath, “this is Rich, my…”

  “Boyfriend,” Rich answered when she paused. The smile he flashed her was defiant, confident—loving.

  Dr. Tipton didn’t miss a beat. “Nice to meet you, Rich.” He turned to look at Kate once again. “Okay, Kate, let’s get an ultrasound before we start poking or prodding. We wouldn’t want to make anything worse.”

  “Yeah, we wouldn’t want that.” She tried to force a smile.

  He stepped outside the door and tugged an ultrasound machine through the door. With Rich’s eyes safely on the doctor and his contraption, Kate lifted her gown and pulled the blanket down to expose her swollen midsection. Deep blue eyes met hers for a moment before focusing on the mountain where her flat stomach had once been. She didn’t want to need to cover it, to hide from him, but her hands moved of their own free will.

  Rich smiled, his eyes twinkled brightly as they slowly drifted up to hers. “You’re beautiful, Kate. I love you.”

  She blinked back the stinging sensation in her eyes, not wanting to turn into a blubbering idiot.

  Dr. Tipton sat down on the rolling chair next to the bed and took the transducer in his hand. “I’m sorry, this is going to be a little chilly.” Goosebumps broke out on her skin as the cool gel hit her belly. “Let’s see what we’ve got going on here.” A few swipes later, he pointed to the monitor. “Right here is your placenta, it’s completely attached, no problems there.”

  The sweet little man on the screen moved, and an audible gasp filled Kate’s ears. It wasn’t a surprise that Rich reacted to the baby—Jesse’s baby. His eyes were the size of dinner plates with a deer-in-the-headlights expression that tied her intestines in knots. She may have fallen even harder for him in the last few minutes, but it looked like he was second-guessing his decision to be with her.

  Tears filled her eyes and began to roll down her cheek. She sniffed and swiped at them which only caused them to come more quickly. She sent a prayer to the heavens, needing Rich to look at her, but his gaze was focused on only one thing—the baby.

  “Is that…”

  The doctor chuckled. “Yes, he’s definitely a boy.”

  Rich laughed. “Yeah, definitely a boy,” he said in a tone that sounded like awe.

  The transducer moved slowly over Kate’s belly, revealing more bits and pieces of the little person residing within her. Dr. Tipton pointed out bones and the internal organs. Rich gasped again at the tiny beating heart. “And here’s his face,” Dr. Tipton said, not even needing to point at the little face that seemed to be smiling out of the monitor. “It looks like he might have a head full of hair.” He turned to smile at Kate. “I guess we’ll know soon enough.” There was a soft scratching as he yanked a handful of tissues from the box, handing them to her. “I’d like to do an exam just to see if I can tell where the blood came from and to make sure that everything’s okay on that end.”

  Kate wiped her belly, then scooched down on the bed and pulled her feet to her rear. She shot Rich what she could only imagine was a panicked expression and he smiled as he came to stand by her head, taking her hand and pressing it to his lips.

  Dr. Tipton tugged at the blankets until Kate felt a rush of cool air hit her bottom. “Just a little pressure.” He shook his head. “You’re cervix has dilated to a two. A little more than I would like, but certainly not something to worry about. No thinning, which is good.” The doctor pulled back, and his eyes glanced down at her intimate area. A smile spread from his lips to his eyes. “Well, it looks like…” He met her eyes. “I’m going to touch you, okay.” She nodded. “It looks like you have a cut on your labia. That’s probably where the blood came from. The area gets engorged during pregnancy and a little cut can bleed quite a bit.”

  Well, that was a relief. She sighed, trying not to think of how painful a cut on her labia was.

  The blanket was tugged into place, and Kate slid back up to the head of the bed. Dr. Tipton made a few more notes in her chart. “Here’s our plan, Kate. I want you to cut back on your work load.”

  “But…” she protested.

  Rich squeezed her hand. “No problem, doc.”

  “And since you’ve started to dilate, I’d like to place you on pelvic rest. If your cervix continues to dilate, or begins to soften, we may have to deescalate your activities further.” He shot Rich a pointed expression. “You okay with that?”

  “Yes, no problem, I’ll make sure she follows your orders to the letter.” His warm, strong hand squeezed hers reassuringly, and she almost allowed herself to believe that he could still love her.

  “Alright then, I want to see you this week. Call my office tomorrow morning and make an appointment.” He put his pen back in the pocket of his white coat and said, “Take care,” then left the room.

  “I’m, uh, I’ve got to…make a phone call.” Rich’s voice sounded weird, different, detached. “Why don’t you start getting dressed and I’ll be right back.” And then he was gone.

  Kate’s eyes stung with emotions she didn’t want to recognize. His emotional detachment made her heart ache. And as hard as she tried to chalk it up to hormones, she couldn’t. It was obvious that he couldn’t get away from her fast enough.

  It won’t be long now, Katie, she told herself, and he’ll run like that right out of your life.

  Never before had Rich felt so overwhelmed in his life. Seeing, actually seeing, the little boy whom he loved was nearly more than he could handle. He kept his eyes away from Kate, couldn’t even think of looking at her, or the stoic façade he’d attempted to construct would have crumbled in an instant.

  “Rich?”

  “Hi, Dad.” His voice cracked.

  “Rich, what’s wrong? Are you okay? Is Kate?” His dad’s voice was full of the concern a father should have for his son.

  “I saw him.” Rich leaned against the wall and slid down until he rested on his haunches.

  “Saw who, Rich? Who did you see?”

  “The baby.” He quickly relayed the story of the day, only giving the Reader’s
Digest version of the slashed portrait and near run in with Shea, then the fall and consequent visit to the emergency room. “It was incredible! The little guy was moving like crazy and has a ton of hair, the doctor thinks. I can’t wait to meet him in person.”

  Richard started to laugh, and Rich could hear his mother’s voice in the background. “It seems that our son is in love.” Marilyn let out a squeal that nearly stole his hearing.

  “Come on, you guys, that isn’t a surprise to you.”

  There was a shuffling of the phone and then his mother said, “We’re just glad you’re happy. It’s been a long time coming, you know.” Rich snorted unable to deny that to get to this point had taken forever. “When are you bringing her to meet us?”

  The thought of Kate meeting his parents was one that both excited and scared the hell out of him. Marilyn could be hard on the girls he dated. She’d hated Shea from day one. And now he realized that she’d been completely right. Marilyn could also be overbearing and opinionated and—a mother.

  “You know what?” she continued. “We’ll meet her when we get a chance. Go back to your girl, Richie. Love her and don’t let her get away from you.”

  “Will do, Mom.” Rich closed his phone and went back into the small room to find Kate, her legs dangling over the edge of the bed, still in the hospital gown, and she was crying. “Kate, honey, what’s wrong?”

  “Nothing,” she lied, rubbing at her cheeks. “I just want to get out of here.”

  “Okay, let me help you.” He rushed to her side and took her elbow to ease her feet to the floor. His hands riffled through the plastic bag and pulled out her pajamas.

  She snatched them from him and waddled toward the bathroom in what seemed to be a huff. “I can get dressed myself.”

  “I’ll be right here when you’re ready.”

  She muttered something under her breath that sounded very much like, “Sure you will,” before closing the door with emphasis.