He hit her contact on the phone, but it didn't ring once when a crying Lannie answered the phone.
"Gabe? Is that you?" Lannie asked crying.
"Lannie? Honey? What's wrong?" Gabe froze.
"Letty's in the hospital. She..." Lannie started crying again.
"What happened Lannie. I need you to try and calm down.”
"She wasn't feeling good and passed out and was bleeding. The…the doctor said she is miscarrying." She started crying hard again.
Gabe’s heart felt like it dropped into his feet. Everything seemed to slow down into slow motion for a few minutes before he remembered to ask where they were.
"Which hospital?"
"Memorial, in the ER," Lannie cried.
"I'll be right there, honey," Gabe said soothingly. "I'll be right there." He hung up.
Yanking open a drawer, he pulled out a t-shirt, slid it over his head, punched his arms through the sleeves, then slid into his flip flops. He grabbed his wallet and keys and flew out of his bedroom and down the stairs when he quite literally ran into Brock and June as they were walking in the townhouse.
"Whoa." Brock moved out of the way. "What's going on man?"
"Colette's in the hospital," he said hurriedly.
"Holy fuck." A look of concern came over Brock’s face. "What happened? She okay?"
"Lannie called. Said she passed out at work. She's in the ER." Gabe took a deep breath. "She’s miscarrying."
Brock's eyes got huge for a moment, and then he reached out to put a hand on Gabe's shoulder. "Man, I'm so incredibly sorry."
Gabe choked up. Not sure what else to say, so he nodded to his friend and started to leave.
“I’ll drive if you want,” Brock offered.
Gabe looked at Brock, then he looked at June who was smirking behind Brock and when he made eye contact, she lifted her eyebrows in that unspoken ‘I told you so’ way. She crossed her arms over her chest.
That moment right there filled Gabe with so much doubt. Flashes of conversation hit him from when he was at his car, and June told him about Carter that day in the parking lot by the flight line. Colette couldn’t really be pregnant with Carter’s baby could she? Surely June was just being a jealous bitch. Either way, he’d wait until he heard from Colette what was really going on.
“Gabe?” Brock waved his hand in front of him. “Dude, are you seriously alright to drive?”
“Yeah man, I’m good. I’ll let you know what’s going on,” Gabe answered, jogging to his car and made his way to the hospital.
The scene that played before Gabe when he walked in was a hysterical Lannie in her sister Clair’s arms. Clair’s face was worried; boyfriends were behind her. There was a physician in light blue medical scrubs talking to them. The pungent smell of alcohol and antiseptic invaded his nostrils as he took a deep breath looking around the small waiting room for any sign of Colonel Hughes or his wife. With no sign of either, he made his way up to the little group.
“…so, we are going to keep her for a few days. Probably release her Monday if she is feeling better. Her blood loss is the most worrisome problem right now,” the physician explained. “So, we’re keeping the option of giving her a transfusion to help with the blood loss on the back burner, but we’ve got her hooked up to an IV with some antibiotics.”
“But she’ll recover won’t she?” Clair practically begged.
“Oh most certainly,” the physician smiled answering. “She is resting comfortably. We are getting ready to be moved upstairs.”
“Can we see her?” Shawn Thornton asked.
“Certainly. I ask that you only have one at a time.” The doctor smiled. “She’ll be moved upstairs soon, so you’ll be able to spend more time with her before the OB/GYN comes in to see her.”
Clair turned around and took Gabe’s hand. If Colette hadn’t told Gabe about Clair showing her the pictures and how she’d changed, he wouldn’t know how to react to her touch.
“Gabe should be the first one to go in.” She smiled up at him.
The doctor gave Gabe a tight lipped smile, then put his hand on Gabe’s shoulder. “Come on son.”
Gabe realized as he walked back with the physician how much older the man was. He was tall and thin, but his hair was graying at the temples, and his face showed the wear of life. He led Gabe to a room where there was a big window that faced the nurse’s station, the door open.
“Go on son,” the doctor said with a warm smile. “She’s just sleeping. We gave her some phenergan to help with the nausea and vomiting and a light pain killer.”
Gabe walked in, his eyes immediately sliding across Colette’s body. She was covered up to her waist as she lay on her back. Her arm with the IV in it was resting on her stomach, her other arm under the covers still hooked up with a blood pressure cuff. There were still leads that were attached to a machine to her left, showing her heart rhythm. She looked so peaceful when he walked up to her and sat down in the chair by her bed. He gently pushed her hair behind her ear, yet she didn’t move except for the soft rise and fall of her chest as she slept.
So many emotions ran through his head as he sat there looking at her sleeping face. His plans for the future lay in this hospital bed. Right now, this moment, he knew he couldn’t live without her. They’d take their time and have more babies. This wouldn’t set them back; they’d get through it together. He’d talk to Rosa and bring Colette with him to explain that while he wanted Little G in his life, Rosa had to stop the incessant calling and texting. She had to move on.
Again, he was reminded of his conversation with June. Colette wouldn’t run around behind him with Carter. Hell, she didn’t have time. Between school and work and spending time with him or her family, she didn’t have time for Carter. Did she? No, the answer was no. Carter was deployed anyway. He hadn’t heard Colette even mention his name recently. It didn’t matter. Colette would be his, and he would be hers. Rosa, Carter, her parents, his parents…nobody mattered.
He realized that he was murmuring his thoughts to her that his hand had found her other hand under the blanket when a few of the nurses came in to get her ready to move her upstairs. He let go of her hand and covered it back up gently.
The nurses smiled at him as he stepped back so that they could do what they needed to, unheeded. One nurse unhooked her chest leads from the machine and turned it off. While the other took the blood pressure cuff off, folded it and put it in the basket. Since there was an IV pole on the bed, the bag was switched to that. She hit the brake for the bed when Colette finally opened her eyes a little.
“Just moving you upstairs honey,” the nurse spoke softly. “Go back to sleep.”
“My…family. Did…” Colette couldn’t finish before she choked up and tears were sliding down her cheeks.
“You mean this anxious young man right here?” she moved so that Colette could see Gabe. “Yeah, he’s been here the past forty minutes, while we got you a nice cushy room in the penthouse.”
Colette’s smile broke his heart in two. He saw in her eyes that she thought that she had failed him. Little did she know that she didn’t fail him. This just meant that something different was supposed to happen. He didn’t know what…but that was okay.
“I’m right here baby.” Gabe moved around the nurse to kiss Colette’s forehead. “I’ll follow you the whole way upstairs.”
Colette couldn’t speak. So, she squeezed her eyes shut and nodded her head.
Gabe texted Colette’s phone her new room number and floor, knowing that Lannie still held Colette’s phone. Lannie texted right back that they would meet them upstairs. He smiled at Colette as they got into the elevator and made their way up to her room.
Once she was situated, it was only a few more minutes after the nurses left, that Clair, Shawn, Cale and Lannie walked in after knocking softly. Colette had fallen back asleep. Lannie rushed into Gabe’s arms, hugging him tightly.
“How is she?” Clair whispered.
“She’ll be
fine. They gave her some pain medicine and something to help the nausea and vomiting. I don’t know anything else,” Gabe explained as he rubbed Lannie’s back, trying to soothe her. “The nurses said her OB/GYN would be coming in to check on her after they spoke with the doctor that saw her downstairs.”
“Did they say how long she’ll have to stay?”
“No,” Gabe shook his head.
“Her doctor will tell us that babe,” Cale said, kissing Clair’s head. “She’ll be fine.”
“I just reconnected with her,” Clair said softly as she looked at Colette. “We…we have so much to make up for. I have so much to make up for.”
“What do you mean Clair?” Lannie asked, turning around to face her.
“Let’s let Letty rest and I’ll explain some things to you. But you have to promise Lannie…you can’t tell Bunnie and the Colonel until I get some more answers.” Clair gave her younger sister a hopeful smile as she extended her hand out to her.
“Okay.” She smiled tentatively taking her sister’s hand. “You’ll let us know…”
“You’ll be the first to know,” Gabe smiled.
Gabe, Clair and Lannie exchanged phone numbers, Lannie gave Gabe Colette’s purse, then walked out with Clair, Shawn and Cale. Pulling the seat closer to Colette, he settled in for the long haul. So, he kicked his feet out and took her hand, rubbing his thumb over her knuckles and watched her sleep.
Chapter Sixteen
After a few hours, a tall, dark haired woman came in wearing brown slacks with a camel colored sweater set. She was holding a folder and had a stethoscope around her neck. She gave Gabe a bright smile and extended her hand to him.
“Doctor Collins. I’m Colette’s OB/GYN. When my office got the call that she was in here, I came as soon as I could get away.” The woman’s voice was soft as she extended her hand toward Gabe.
“Gabe Moreno. Colette’s boyfriend.” He stood, shook Dr Collins’ hand and sat back down in the chair.
“Colette,” she said softly, “wake up sleepy head.”
Colette stirred immediately and opened her eyes. Dr Collins had poured a cup of water, handing it to her after she lifted the bed up to more of a sitting position. Taking the cup, she drank most of the water slowly, closed her eyes a moment and then handed the cup back to Dr. Collins who put it on the rolling tray, then sat on the edge of the bed.
“How are you feeling?” Dr Collins asked with a smile.
“A little crampy, but much better,” Colette answered.
“Well that is to be expected.” She smiled and opened the folder again looking down at it. “So, let’s talk about what happened.”
Colette drew her eyebrows together in thought. “I remember a lot of cramping, worse than normal. Not so bad when I first woke up…but as the day progressed, the nausea, even after eating was brutal.”
Dr Collins nodded her head and scribbled in the folder. “How about your last menstrual cycle?”
“Um…about three months ago.” Colette couldn’t remember. “I just spotted for like four days, but I’ve always been irregular.”
Nodding her head, Dr. Collins looked up at Colette. “We have you on birth control right?”
“Yes ma’am.”
“Were you on any antibiotics?”
“No ma’am.”
Closing the folder and setting it on her lap, Dr Collins explained, “What you experienced was a spontaneous abortion.” She paused to let that sink in for both Colette and Gabe. “Your body can react to a lot of different factors. Stress, being sick, strenuous activity, you name it. After talking with the OB/GYN that saw you downstairs and looking at your labs…I agree that we don’t have to do a D and C. You did lose some blood. That’s why we are keeping you in here until at least tomorrow. You need to rest.”
“If she’s on birth control, how can she get pregnant?” Gabe asked quietly.
Dr. Collins smiled, “No birth control is a hundred percent effective except abstaining.”
Gabe nodded in understanding, “How far along was she?”
“Almost six weeks,” Dr. Collins answered.
Colette looked over at Gabe and could practically see him doing the math in his head. Her mind started whirling with questions. He didn’t think that she was with anyone else did he? Once carter made her decide, she didn’t look back. She was only with Gabe and she’d had a few menstrual cycles while she was with him. There was no way, no question that this was Gabe’s baby.
“Will we…I mean, will she be able to…” Gabe couldn’t finish the question.
“Oh yes, without a doubt,” Dr. Collins answered with a bright smile. “This is just a minor setback. You’ll be able to have gorgeous, healthy babies.”
When neither Colette nor Gabe said anything else, Dr Collins got up and squeezed Colette’s hand.
“I want you to rest while you are in here. I also want you to try and take it easy for a few days, just until you are at one hundred percent. If that’s tomorrow…fine. We’ll see where you are at tomorrow and go from there. I want to see you next week to see how you’re doing. Okay?”
Colette nodded her head. “I’ll call for an appointment.”
“Thanks doc.” Gabe offered his hand smiling.
“You are very welcome,” Dr Collins replied smiling and shaking his hand.
Colette watched as her doctor walked out of her room and pulled the door closed. She took a moment to gather her thoughts as she looked over at Gabe.
“I saw you calculating the time in your head when she said how far along I was.”
BUSTED!
Gabe didn’t say anything as he looked down at his hands.
“Do you honestly think that I’ve been with someone else since I’ve been with you Gabe?”
Still he didn’t answer. He didn’t look up at her. He didn’t move.
“I think maybe you should leave,” Colette whispered as she rolled on her side facing away from him toward the wall. Tears filling her eyes.
It was a few minutes before she heard Gabe move.
“June cornered me on the flight line recently,” he began.
Colette rolled back over looking at him, feeling rejuvenated suddenly at the topic of conversation. “That was your first mistake,” she spat out, “listening to June.”
“She said that you and Carter…” Gabe couldn’t say it. He didn’t want to think of Colette in Carter’s arms, much less the guy’s bed.
“She said that Carter and I what?” Colette sat up, looking at him.
“She said that you’d always run to Carter when something went wrong.”
“He’s my best friend.”
Gabe looked up into Colette’s watery eyes. “She said that you and Carter…”
“That we had sex?” Colette looked into Gabe’s tortured eyes.
He said nothing, but his face showed it all.
“We had sex one night. That was before you,” Colette answered him. “You had sex with Brock and June several times, I only had sex with Carter once! I can tell you that I never told her. I never told anyone!” she practically screamed.
Gabe stood not saying anything.
“I told Carter that I wanted you. I told him that I had to see where it would lead,” she explained. “Yet, instead of asking me, you listen to June and let it fester. She never knew. She was playing you.” She paused for a moment as Gabe looked toward the door. “I’m curious as to what else she’s told you, since you can’t look at me.”
“You want me to look at you?” Gabe turned to look at her. “Here, I’m looking at you.”
“But you don’t believe me,” Colette whispered.
“I don’t know what to believe.” Gabe ran a hand through his hair.
“That’s rich,” Colette huffed. “I could say the same thing to you about Rosa, but I don’t.”
Gabe’s eyes narrowed. “Be careful what you say Colette.”
“You can stand there and accuse me of fucking Carter, because June says it’s true, after
I’ve just lost your baby, then tell me to be careful of what I say about Rosa?” Colette licked her bottom lip. “Please, leave.”
Gabe just stood there shaking his head slowly in disbelief. How had it come to this?
“Get out,” Colette said louder.
Pick Me (Wait for Me Series Book 2) Page 11