by Lexy Timms
Emily groaned as the nurse put the bedpan under her.
* *
While he was with Emily, Luke did his best to look calm and composed. His wife would only freak out more if she knew how scared he was.
When he’d seen Emily crumpled on the living room floor, his heart stopped in his chest. Only when he saw her breathing could he catch his own breath. Though he loved their child, he cursed the day he was careless enough not to put on a condom all those months ago. Had he known even for a second that Emily could get so sick bearing his child, he’d never allow it. He was supposed to protect her, and his carelessness now threatened her life and their child’s life. Luke would never forgive himself, especially if something happened to either of them.
Loving Emily was easy. Realizing how wedded she was to his soul was not. Losing her would cleave him in half. He realized that when he saw her passed out on the floor. This was not how he envisioned his life, which was once carefree and independent.
Not that he’d wanted things any other way now. He did try during the summer to cast her from his life for her own good. He was into too much shit with the DEA, Rojos, and Hombres to make it safe for her to be with him. It was the most miserable summer of his life. He didn’t eat, didn’t sleep, and didn’t enjoy riding his motorcycles. It was as if he’d died and just walked around in a meat suit. He came alive again when she showed up in the Spawn’s clubhouse with the message that she carried his child.
He couldn’t lose her again or lose his child.
This married thing was damned hard. This being a parent thing was even harder.
He found the cafeteria and shuffled through the food line, but nothing looked good to him. Out of habit he purchased a burger from the grill, and some fries. He moved toward the checkout when someone rudely bumped him, nearly causing him to drop his tray.
“Sorry, man,” said a gravelly voice.
Luke turned, ready with a volley of sharp words, and stopped short. His mouth gaped opened. It had to be a freakin’ ghost. Standing before him was Gibs; from the shabby clothes to the long, gray, straggly beard.
“Gibs?” he said.
“Do I know you, man?”
Luke saw subtle differences now. The man had a scar near his right eye that Gibs didn’t have. One front tooth was chipped.
“Sorry. You look like someone I knew.”
“I had a brother. People said we looked a lot alike. His name was Frank.”
“Oh, then you’re Robert.”
The man grunted. “Rob. How did you know him?”
“He worked for me.”
“Yeah, the motorcycle shop.” The man stared at him hard. “So, you’re Luke. Helen told me about you.”
“Helen?” Guilt stabbed him then and he suddenly lost what little appetite he had. Luke hadn’t seen Gibs’ wife for several months, even though he had resolved to keep in touch.
“Yeah, I came back to settle up with Frank’s estate. She’s a bit upset about that; got heart palpitations, so I brought her in.”
Luke moved to the cash register and paid for his food, with Rob following him. “I see,” said Luke, gritting his teeth. He felt uneasy next to this man who seemed at ease discussing this subject with a relative stranger. If he was like this all the time, no wonder Helen got upset. Gibs’ wife didn’t deserve any upset, not since she lost her husband. And certainly not from a brother-in-law who hadn’t spoken to either Helen or Gibs for many years.
“Let me ask you,” said Rob, “you handling the sale of Frank’s bike?”
“Yes. Helen asked me to.”
“But it’s not sold yet?”
“Not a great time of year to sell bikes. There’re several bike nights in the spring. I was going to take it then.”
“Well, you might not have to bother. I might take it to settle part of my share.”
“Share?” said Luke. He couldn’t believe this asshole was discussing Gibs’ possessions like they were his.
“Yeah. I’m his only living relative.”
We’ll see about that, thought Luke. If he had to pay Matt Stone himself, he wasn’t going to let this bozo take anything away from Helen.
“Besides his wife, of course.”
“Yeah, besides Helen.”
“So where is she?”
“Emergency room. They’ll let her out soon I think. I’ll take her home then.”
Luke resolved he’d check on things to see what he could do. It couldn’t do Helen any good to have this creep hanging around her. “Well, I’ve gotta go.”
“Great meetin’ ya,” said Rob, with a grin that could have been copied from Gibs’ face.
Luke’s gut clenched, being unable to reconcile his feeling of dislike for this man with the image that parroted his dead best friend. “Same here,” said Luke as he slammed his uneaten burger and fries in a nearby garbage can. He moved as quickly as he could away from the man who was the specter of the man who died for Luke.
* *
The doctor came in while Luke was getting something to eat.
“Mrs. Wade, the IV magnesium seems to be doing the work. Between that and the diuretic, your blood pressure, except for a spike, is coming down. We will keep you for observation for a few more hours, but I see no reason for you not to go home tonight.”
“That’s great news.”
“Provided you stay on bed-rest until you see your obstetrician, which will be tomorrow at noon. I’ve called your obstetrician and let him know your condition. Most likely with symptoms like these, you’ll be on bed-rest for the rest of your pregnancy, have to keep to a strict low-salt diet, and take medication as prescribed.”
“What do you mean by bed-rest? There are so many things to do for the baby. And Christmas is coming up.”
“Sorry, Mrs. Wade. Whatever needs to be done, you’ll have to get other people to do for you. Your most important job is keeping you and your baby healthy.”
Emily sank back into the pillow with a feeling of defeat. Her body had betrayed her. It couldn’t keep her or the baby healthy without the doctors hovering over her. There were things she wanted to do before the baby came. Now her life was on permanent hold.
“Thank you, doctor,” she said. As he left, tears slid down her cheeks. This wasn’t right. It wasn’t fair. She’d gone through so much this year: her ex-boyfriend making her life hell, reuniting with and then losing Luke, the shootout where Gibs died, finding out she was pregnant, Luke getting shot and nearly dying—and now this? It was all too much.
“Hey,” said Luke as he walked back into the room. “What’s this?”
“The doctor said I had to stay on bed-rest until the baby comes.”
“Really,” said Luke. “That’s not so bad.”
“Not for you! I’m not allowed to go anywhere or do anything. And there’s so much to do to get ready for the baby, and then Christmas too.”
“You know, they have this new thing called the Internet. I hear people shop on it all the time. Ships right to your door.” He grinned. “You’ll be fine.”
“Luke! It’s not Christmas if I can’t shop the malls.”
“It’ll be Christmas, baby. Our first Christmas together, and I want to make sure that happens. You’ll do exactly as the doctor says. There’s no discussion about it.”
CHAPTER SIX
Life and Death
Emily had to use the bedpan again, and the nurse shooed Luke out of the room again. He went to hunt for Helen and found her a few rooms down. The blond-haired fifty-ish woman lay with her head up in the hospital bed, looking tired and upset.
“Hey,” said Luke.
“Luke, oh my lord.” She sounded distressed. “What’re you doing here?”
“Emily fainted, but I heard you were here too and thought I’d check up on you.”
“Oh, it’s nothing… Just some arrhythmia. My heart galloped there for a few minutes, but I’m okay now. I was more frightened than anything else. Nothing like that ever happened to me before.”
“I saw Gibs’ brother in the cafeteria.”
Helen hissed in a breath. “Yeah. That guy won’t leave me alone.”
Luke moved into the room, closer to her bed. “Helen, you should have called me.”
“You have your own stuff to deal with, Luke. I can deal with Frank’s brother.”
“He talks like he owns half of your stuff, Helen.” If not all of it.
“Yeah, well, according to the law he owns some of it.”
“I have a very good lawyer, Helen. I’ll have him call you.”
“Okay, on one condition: You don’t pay that man a cent. I’ll take care of my own bills.”
“Now, Helen.”
“No! You have enough on your plate with winter business dropping off and a new baby coming, plus paying for your own wedding.”
“Who told you that?”
“It’s a small town, Luke. Don’t think the ladies at the knitting club don’t talk about how Sam Dougherty is footing the bill at the Westfield Country Club for Angela’s big-time spring wedding, but you and Emily had yours at the Hades’ Spawn clubhouse. And don’t give me that ‘Emily wanted to keep it small’ crap. No bride wants to keep her wedding to the love of her life small.”
Luke felt the color rise in his face. The last thing he wanted was he and Emily being the topic of small town gossip. “Helen, Emily and I were very happy with our wedding. And we have what matters—each other. So don’t think we were deprived in any way. And Emily did want to keep it small.” He grinned at her and Helen smiled back.
“Still, what I say goes,” said Helen, wagging her finger at Luke. “Don’t you dare give that lawyer any money. It’s bad enough that I took that money from you after Frank’s funeral.”
“I told you it was a bonus.”
“And I told you that story was bullshit.”
“Yes, ma’am,” said Luke, relenting. He wasn’t going to cross a sick woman now. “How long do you think you’ll be here?”
“I think they’re letting me go soon. At least that’s what the doctor says.”
“I’ll give you a ride home.”
“You don’t have to.”
“No, I want to. There’s no need to spend any more time in Rob’s company than necessary.”
Helen sighed. “You’re right. The man does raise my blood pressure.”
* *
The damned monitor kept going off, and the nurse came in each time to turn it off, her face carrying that professional mixture of detached observation with a shadow of concern that healthcare personnel often wore. Right now, the nurse fussed over the lines in Emily’s arms, pursing her lips like something was wrong. Emily didn’t know what set her nerves on edge more: lying in this hospital bed with tubes in her arms, the prospect of her parents showing up, or the feeling of failure that pervaded her mood.
Other women had babies without a single problem. Why did her body decide it had to be so difficult in doing what it was designed to do? Why couldn’t she have her baby in the normal way?
“Are you hungry, Emily?” said the nurse.
Emily groaned. She remembered the stew in the crock pot set on high. Whatever was in there would now be a lumpy mess. Her stomach growled loudly, answering the nurse’s question. “A bit, I guess.” She grinned, despite how awful the day had become. “Seems my stomach speaks for itself.”
The nurse chuckled. “I’ll see what the kitchen can send. At this time of night, it’s usually just sandwiches.”
“That fine,” said Emily, resting her head back against the pillows, feeling tired and defeated. She wanted to go home and curl up in Luke’s arms, go to sleep, and forget all about this crazy day.
From outside her room came the sounds of paramedics rushing in. She heard the sounds of static-filled police radios, and someone calling out stats. A gurney rushed by, and then another as nurses ran after them.
Oh great, thought Emily, who had heard a few ER tales from Angela. Real emergencies rolled in, which meant that she’d wait even longer to get out while the ER staff worked in life or death situations.
As if things couldn’t get any worse, her parents walked into the room.
“Oh, Emily,” said her mother, looking over Emily with worry in her face.
“Mom, Dad,” Emily said, relenting while her mother kissed her cheek. “You really didn’t have to come.”
“Nonsense,” said Sam Dougherty. “You’re our daughter. And you’re in trouble.”
“I’m not in trouble. I had a little fainting spell.”
“Yes,” said her father. “That’s why they have a bunch of tubes in your arm.”
“They do that to everyone,” said Emily exasperatedly. Her parents always drove her to the edge of reason. They’d treated her like she was damaged goods since the day she was born, unable to think or do anything for herself. For many years their treatment of her caused her to distrust her own feelings and actions. In high school, when they insisted she give up Luke, she rolled right over and played the good girl, once again, to her unending unhappiness.
Before the shootout at the Hades’ Spawn clubhouse, she’d learned the reason. Her mother had made a mistake with the wrong young man and ended up with Emily. Sam Dougherty loved Amanda enough to marry her, regardless of whether she carried another man’s child. But both parents were overprotective in raising her, trying to ensure that Emily didn’t grow up to make the same mistakes her mother did.
It seemed that Emily was doomed to hit a wayward path anyway, especially when she met Luke Wade in high school. And since she reunited with, then married, Luke seven years later, there wasn’t an encounter when Sam Dougherty didn’t treat Luke like he was bent on ruining Emily’s life.
She couldn’t take it. Not today. Not after everything that had happened. “Please,” she said, barely containing her tears. “Just go home. I’ll call you tomorrow. I promise.”
“Oh, honey,” said her mother. “We’re here for you.”
Emily barely knew what to say. They weren’t listening to her—again.
“Sam, Amanda,” said Luke as he walked back into the room.
“Hello, Luke,” said Amanda unenthusiastically.
“Has the doctor said anything?” asked Sam. Emily swallowed, feeling bitter that the man who called himself her father wouldn’t ask her directly.
The blood pressure cuff tightened on Emily’s arm again, and, after it deflated, the damned monitor went off again. Emily craned her neck to see the reading, and cringed when she saw it back up to one-hundred-ninety over one-hundred.
“You know,” said Luke. “All this excitement isn’t helping Emily. Why don’t you guys head home and we’ll call you when we know something?”
Sam and Amanda Dougherty just stared at Luke as if he’d suggested they should rob a bank.
The awkward tension between Luke and her parents and the repetitive keening of the hospital monitor brought Emily to the breaking point. But before she could react, the nurse swept into the room.
“You’ll all have to get out of here,” she said crisply, to the point of rudeness.
“I’m her husband,” protested Luke.
“Well, you can stay then, but you and you,” she pointed to Amanda and Sam, “you need to go.”
“But we’re her parents,” said Amanda.
The nurse nodded. “I understand, but the emergency room is not set up for visitors. If you stay, you’ll have to stay in the waiting room.”
“Bye, honey,” said Amanda.
Sam just waved. “Later,” he said.
“Call us,” said her mother.
“Yes, Mom,” Emily said weakly.
Reluctantly, her parents left, and the harried doctor swept in once again. He looked at the blood pressure readings. “Okay nurse, give her the Demerol we discussed earlier. I have it in her chart. That will get her blood pressure down.”
“Doctor?” said Luke.
“With her blood pressure spiking like this, I’m admitting her to the hospital overnight. W
e need to keep that baby safe. There’s no way I’m comfortable sending her home. It’s more a precaution than anything. I’m sure with a night of rest, she’ll be fine.” The doctor gave Luke a reassuring smile, but to Emily’s eyes Luke was near panic.
“Sure,” said Luke. “Whatever it takes.”
“Her obstetrician will see her on rounds in the morning, which is better anyway. We’ll reassess her then and go from there. Trust me, it’s much better to treat pre-eclampsia aggressively than waiting to see what it does. I’ll put in the order for admission now and the nurses will get you settled in your room shortly.”
The doctor and the nurse swept out the room purposefully.
“I’m sorry,” said Emily.
“What? Baby, no. You’ve nothing to be sorry about.”
“But I want to go home and be with you. I don’t want to stay in the hospital.” Even to her own ears she sounded tired and peevish, but she couldn’t help it. The day was much too much for her frazzled nerves.
“You let the doctors and nurses take care of you and our baby. That’s the most important thing right now.” Luke took her hand, curled her fingers in his, and gave her a kiss on the cheek. “If anything ever happened to either of you, I couldn’t take it.”
* *
It took another hour before an orderly came to wheel Emily to the maternity floor. Before that time, the nurse put Demerol in her IV and soon Emily had a silly grin in her face. “Wow,” she said, utterly relaxed. “I feel great.”
Luke wished he had something like that too, since his nerves were on a ragged edge.
When the orderly arrived, Emily giggled. “Looks like I’m going to take a ride,” she said.
“So you’re going to have a baby, eh?” said the orderly brightly.
“No, not yet,” said Luke. “It’s too early.”
“Oh. Sorry.”
The orderly didn’t say anything else until they got to the room. While the orderly lined up the gurney with the hospital bed, two efficient-looking nurses swept in. One of them looked Luke up and down.