“That’s what I want to know,” he replied. “You were passed out on the floor.”
“I was fixing to clean,” she murmured, then frowned. “I just felt dizzy suddenly.”
“How long was that after I left?” he asked, running his fingers through her hair, taking deep breaths to calm himself down.
“I’m not really sure,” she admitted. “Maybe about an hour?”
“So, you’ve been unconscious for about fifteen, twenty minutes, then. You know you’re going to the hospital, right?” She protested, trying to get to her feet, but the world spun again, and he caught her as her knees gave out. “I don’t want to hear any arguments. You’re as pale as mine and Chad’s demon hair, and I can hear your heart racing. You’ve been here by your damn self, and God only knows what could’ve happened.”
He supported her gently as they got in the elevator, and he called for the car to be pulled around to the front of the building. He helped her in the passenger side, but he monitored her almost constantly as they made their way to the New York City branch of Universal Hospital. “How are you feeling?” he asked.
Her reply was a whisper so low, even he could hardly hear it. “Bad,” she said, and he knew for her to say that, she felt worse than she looked.
Another wave of dizziness hit her, and he didn’t think it was even possible, but she paled even further. She closed her eyes against the nausea threatening to send her stomach rolling, and he took her hand. “We’re almost there, love,” he said.
* * *
A few minutes later, he pulled up in front of the massive medical center. She tried to get out on her own, but her legs seemed made of rubber, and they wouldn’t support her. He caught her around her waist before she hit the ground, signaling for a wheelchair. The Healing Assistant brought one at a run, then her eyes widened when she recognized who the chair was for. The assistant rushed Mickala straight inside, and another wave of nausea hit, her breath coming in sharp gasps.
The assistant stopped the chair, and Aiden knelt in front of her, taking her hands. “Mickala, what’s wrong?”
“I feel like I can’t breathe,” she gasped, her hands curling into fists. Her eyes closed tightly, and she felt like she was going to be sick.
“Hyperventilating?” he asked, looking up at the assistant.
“That’s what it sounds like. We’ll know more once we can run a few tests,” she said.
He looked back at his wife, and a cold sweat covered her skin. He held her eyes, and he could see the panic surfacing. “You’ve got to calm down, Mika,” he whispered, hearing how fast her heart was beating. “It’s going to be okay. I’m going to be right here, and we’re going to figure out what’s going on.”
She closed her eyes, and slowly, she began calming herself down, but her breathing was still shallow, and she was shaking from head to toe. She looked incredibly weak, and she could hardly hold her head up. “I feel like I’m going to pass out again,” she whispered. “Everything keeps getting blurry, then starts spinning.”
They got her into a room, and he had to pick her up and lay her on the bed. He felt her shivering, and he asked if the Healer Assistant could bring her a warm blanket. She brought two, and it had come straight from the warmer. He wrapped them tightly around her, and she laid on the bed, her eyes closed. The dizziness didn’t fade, and wave after waves of nausea rolled through her. She ended up throwing up twice before the head Healer came in a few minutes later.
“I’m Healer Mitchell,” he said. “It’s an honor to meet you, Your Highness.” he started asking several questions, which she answered in a voice seeming to grow steadily weaker. She was still in a cold sweat, and the Healer wrote down many notes, then took her vitals. Her blood pressure was part of the problem, being so high it was almost in stroke levels. Her heart rate was also extremely high, and he ordered a series of bloodwork and tests, including an MRI and CAT scan.
They drew her blood, and even though she normally wasn’t squeamish at all, she still had to look away, but she threw up anyway. Aiden stayed right by her side, brushing her damp hair away from her forehead. Healer Mitchell was back about thirty minutes later. “Did you find anything wrong?” Aiden asked, gently wiping her face with a cool, damp rag.
“Aside from her blood pressure, there’s nothing wrong with her,” he said.
Mickala struggled to sit up, and Aiden helped, supporting her shoulders. “So, what’s going on, Healer?” she asked, struggling to hold her own head up.
“You’re pregnant, Princess,” he said.
Twenty Nine
The Best Halloween Ever
He saw both their mouths drop in shock. “You didn’t know?”
“No,” she whispered, barely having the energy to shake her head, but her eyes were wide.
“Well, according to your blood work, you’re pregnant,” he replied. “I want to schedule an ultrasound before we go any further.”
It didn’t take long to set up, and they wheeled her down to radiology after Aiden got her into a hospital gown and back into the wheelchair. She had the blanket pulled up around her chin and tucked around her tightly. Once they got her settled, they began the procedure, and they realized she was far enough along to where they didn’t have to use the wand, and they spread the gel on her stomach.
She and Aiden could see the small lump growing in her stomach. It was in that instant, when they could hear the actual heartbeat, Mickala felt her entire world, her entire focus, shift, and her heart felt like it was growing in her chest, immediately filled with love for the small lump. She felt Aiden’s hand in hers, and she looked over to see his eyes glue to the monitors. They were as full of wonder and awe as she knew hers were. They determined she was about three months alone, then the Healer helped her clean off the gel, and they got her back in the wheelchair and into the room. She had only been there for a few minutes when Chad and Philip came running in, then EJ, and Ian and Nehela got there about twenty minutes after the others. They had been across town when Aiden told them Mickala was in the hospital, but traffic had held them up.
Their worry was almost thick enough to cut through. “What in the seven hells is going?” Ian asked.
“Her blood pressure is through the roof,” Aiden said, then explained how he’d found her unconscious in their room. “It’s what’s been causing the nausea, the dizziness, and the cold sweats she’s been getting.”
“Okay, but what’s causing the high blood pressure?” EJ asked, but Nehela was looking at Mickala hard, and her piercing green eyes kept jumping down to Mickala’s stomach.
The elf couldn’t help but smile as they exchanged glances, but Ian was still clueless. “Mickala’s pregnant, isn’t she?”
Mickala and Aiden’s mouth dropped. “How in the world did you know that?”
“I’ve been suspecting it for days now, but the glow around you is unmistakable.”
There was an instant silence, and the other three sets of eyes were huge. Finally, Ian grinned. “I’ll be damned!”
Suddenly, everyone began talking at once, and Mickala managed a weak grin, but they could see even a small amount of talking was wearing on her. The healer came in a few minutes later, but he didn’t seem surprised by the room full of people. “Everything looks fine with the baby,” he said, and Mickala breathed a silent sigh of relief. “But, we have to get that blood pressure down. I want to keep you overnight for observation,” he said, and for once, Mickala didn’t argue. He gave her a blood pressure pill, assuring her it wouldn’t hurt the baby. She drank some water, and the hospital began getting her a private room ready.
It was a long night, with Healers coming and out to check on her, and even though her brain knew she was perfectly safe, her instincts wouldn’t let her go into a deep sleep. Finally, around four in the morning, she grew too exhausted to care, and she was soon sound asleep. Her pressure slowly went down, but it took two days before it was finally down into the higher end of the ‘normal’ range.
* * *
Healer Mitchell ended up putting her on bedrest for a month, and he raised his eyebrows as she opened her mouth to protest. “You can either do it at home, or we can do it here at the hospital, your Highness,” he said, folding his arms across his chest. She just sighed, even as some of her color was returning, and she felt slightly stronger than when she’d been admitted.
As soon as the doctor had told her to stay off her feet, Ian immediately called Ari and told him what was going on. “Tell Mickala don’t worry. I’ll make the arrangements to postpone the tour. She doesn’t need to worry about anything else right now. As soon as she hears anything from the doctor, let me know. And tell her and Aiden I said congratulations.”
When they released her to go home, Aiden got her settled in the living room, and she immediately went to sleep. Since she’d gotten hardly any rest at the hospital, she made up for it now. She slept the entire morning and afternoon, and Aiden woke her up long enough to get her to eat something and to take her blood pressure medicine, then she went right back to sleep until late the next morning.
Her strength slowly started coming back, and there wasn’t any more dizziness. Her blood pressure seemed to stay where it was supposed to, and after two weeks, she went to see Healer Mitchell for a full checkup. While he lightened up some on her bedrest, allowing her to get up and move around, there was a subject he was adamant on. “No touring, no recording,” he stated firmly. “Your body is still recovering, and the last thing you need right now is the excitement and stresses of being out on the road for months at a time.”
She went to Ari’s office to give him the news in person, and to her surprise, he seemed to agree completely. “I’ve already cancelled the tour, Mika,” he replied. “And I’ve authorized refunds on the tickets or allowed them to be used later. I told you, Mickala. Don’t worry about a thing. I’ve got you.”
Ian grinned later that night, eyeing Mickala’s stomach, which was getting a slight arch to it. “I wonder what you’re going to have.”
“It’ll be a girl,” she replied, confident. He asked her how she knew, even before an ultrasound. “It’s how our line works,” she said with a shrug. “There’s only ever one child born to the Royal line, and that child is always a girl. That’s how it’s always been going back to before Solarians even kept records.”
Chad shook his head. “That’s insane.”
She laughed, but it was weak, and Aiden heard the change. “Are you okay?”
She nodded. “I’m just feeling a little off. I guess maybe not going on tour was a good idea.”
Aiden took her hand. “You know Ari won’t risk anything happening to you or the baby.”
Over the next couple of weeks, the morning sickness she’d missed the first three months seemed to come in with a vengeance, and she could hardly keep anything down. She was seeing a Healer every month, and she noticed how she’d lost weight. He assured her it was completely normal, because of the nausea.
* * *
When she was about five and a half months along, she wanted to go home to Georgia, so they transferred over all her medical files to Healer Jones in Atlanta. He picked up exactly where Healer Mitchell had left off. She didn’t have any restrictions yet about riding, and she and Aiden would take the Dellings out every day, and they began turning one of the guest rooms into a huge nursery. She was about seven months along, and Aiden found her in her garden, sitting in the shade of the large trees around her statue. “Are you okay?” he asked, coming to sit beside her.
She smiled, then nodded. “Yeah, I’m just waiting for fall. The colors should be amazing this year.”
He grinned, kissing her. “The time’s coming.” He looked down at her stomach. “You’re definitely showing now, love,” he whispered. A large, well-rounded baby bump had replaced the slight arch she’d once possessed. “Wait until you hit the red carpets. You’ll be even more stunning than you already are.”
She leaned against him as he put an arm around her, his other hand dropping to her swollen stomach, and the baby rewarded him with a definite kick. Both laughed even as she winced, rubbing the spot where her daughter had kicked. The ultrasound had confirmed what she’d already known; she was having a girl, and the unborn infant was already strong.
They went in a few minutes later, and he turned up the fireplace in the living room as they curled up together on the couch and watched TV. Chad and Philip were at their own house, Ian and Nehela were out on a date, and EJ had easily settled back into his apartment, so they were enjoying the rarity of having time alone. As soon as Mickala really got settled, the baby decided she was going to do a few gymnastics, and Aiden watched her stomach move with awe, as if every kick and roll was the most fascinating thing in his world.
Ian and Nehela came back a little later, and the four of them sat around, talking and laughing. “Are you okay?” Nehela asked later.
The question confused Mickala. “What do you mean?”
“You just seem to be a little antsy, and I’m not talking about just because you can’t tour,” she replied.
Mickala gave a small smile. “You know me so well, Nehela,” she laughed.
“I know, so spill. What’s up?”
“I’m just not used to everything being this quiet, and no, I’m not thinking about music part of our lives.”
“What? Oh, you mean, us not fighting for our lives?” Ian laughed. “You’re actually spoiling for one?”
“Not exactly. It’s just, it’s been so quiet since Xiden. I guess I’m still not used to it,” she sighed. “I know this is how it’s supposed to be, but…”
“But, you’re a warrior, a fighter,” Ian finished for her.
“I guess so,” she said, shrugging, then grinned impishly. “I never thought it would bore me not fighting.”
“That’s what happens when you let out a blast of energy like the one you did with Xiden. You sent every demon in either realm scurrying for cover, and even after all this time, some of them are still there.”
EJ came in from the kitchen. “What’s going on?”
Aiden chuckled quietly. “Mickala’s getting bored with the peaceful life, and she’s ready to kick demon ass again.”
She glared at him. “That’s nowhere near what I said.”
EJ just raised his eyebrows. “I’m surprised it took her this long to get bored.”
“What?” she asked.
“Oh, yeah. I’ve been waiting for it. You’ve never been one to sit still for this long.”
“Maybe,” she said, her face thoughtful.
* * *
By the time she was eight months along, she felt like a beached whale, and it was hard for her to sit or stand for any length of time. She had just left from her appointment with Healer Jones, and he’d warned her to be careful because her pressure was trying to creep up again. As soon as she went into the house and stepped into the living room, about thirty of her closest girlfriends, including many she hadn’t seen since leaving New York, jumped out from everywhere, surprising her. Nehela was obviously behind it, and the elf unceremoniously shoved Aiden and Ian outside. “This is Mickala’s baby shower. Get out.”
It lasted well into the night, and they could hardly see her behind all the gifts they had given her. They’d decorated the entire living room in pink, and she had more stuff than she’d ever dreamed she needed. Finally, everyone began clearing out, and Nehela came to sit beside her after closing the door behind the last one to leave. Mickala hugged her. “Thank you so much, Nehela. I had a blast. What did you do, anyway? Go through the nursery and write down everything I didn’t already have?”
“Pretty much,” the elf admitted cheerfully, allowing her pointed ears to show.
Aiden stuck his head in the kitchen door. “Is it safe to come in now?”
“Quite safe, love,” she said, and all the guys came in, and she began showing off what she’d gotten. They helped her carry everything upstairs, and she began getting everything organized. She was hanging bab
y clothes up in the closet when a kick to her spine sent her to her knees with a low groan. Aiden was right by her side, asking if she was okay. “Yeah,” she said breathlessly. “She’s getting stronger every day.”
He helped her to her feet, not convinced. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
“Oh, yeah,” she said with a nod. “She’s just a little powerhouse already. You know, there’s only one thing left to do, and that’s to give our daughter a name.”
“I was thinking about that, and I was wondering. What do you think about Victoria Selene?” he asked.
Tears filled her eyes, and he wrapped his arms around her. “I love it,” she whispered.
A couple of weeks later, Aiden was out in the barn, making sure Adelaide and Titus were okay, since the weather people were calling for snow that night. It was the day before Halloween, and the house was glowing with spooky lighting, decorations beginning at the road and going all the way up to the house before continuing inside. Halloween always had been one of her favorite holidays, being the one day and night of the year they could show their true selves and get away with it. Ian and Nehela were out on a rare date, and Chad and Philip were at their house. Mickala was in the kitchen, prepping everything for a huge Halloween party she and the others were having the next night.
She straightened from unloading the dishwasher, and a sudden wave of dizziness hit her. She gripped the counter with white knuckles, her eyes closed tightly as she hoped to ride it out, but it steadily grew worse. Using the counter for support, she tried to make her way to the intercom to reach Aiden, her mind not being stable enough to call for him or EJ mentally. She was fighting a losing battle, however, as everything spun violently. She reached for the button, and her finger just barely grazed it as she fell, grabbing onto the handle of the stove, and the door opened with a crash.
Releasing the Demons: Solarian Chronicles II Page 26