“All right. I’ll let someone know.”
An hour later, Tristan was in the same spot at the side of her bed. His mom sat in the recliner. It was enough to know she was there. “I can’t lose them, Mom.”
“I know, sweetheart. Each hour that goes by is closer to them getting better.”
Or worse. Tristan glanced over his shoulder at his mom, debating on telling her the sex of the baby. He decided not to. It would remain his secret.
Sheriff Thompson tapped on the door as he entered.
Tristan stood. “I need to know what happened, Leon.”
The sheriff glanced to the bed, then nodded to Judy. He pointed toward the door. “Step outside.”
Judy stood and went to the side of the bed. His stomach flipped as his mom scooted into the chair to take Nora’s hand in his place. In the hallway the sheriff led them to a small room. Inside he closed the door behind them.
Tristan faced him. “What happened?”
“It was a damn teenager texting. Nora was in the left lane with her blinker on doing what she should’ve been doing. It appears, he veered out of his lane and hit her head-on at about forty-five miles an hour. We’re still investigating.”
The room whirled. Tristan stuck his hands into his front pockets. “Is he alive?”
Sheriff Thompson shifted his stance. Folding his arms across his chest, he hesitated. “He’s holding on but in critical condition.”
Tristan needed to punch something. He cleared his throat. “Good. Maybe he learned a lesson that better not be at the expense of my family because that’ll be the end of him.”
“I’ll make like I didn’t hear that, Tristan. I can understand your feelings, but I can’t have you threatening people.”
Tristan narrowed his eyes. His hands clenched into fists. “You want me to be sorry for him?”
“No, sir. Right now nobody I know feels sorry for him, except his family. I have to get back on patrol. You go back to your wife. Think about them getting better. I’ll take care of this side of it.” Sheriff Thompson gave Tristan a soft tap on the shoulder. “I know what this means to you, Tristan.”
He gave him a heavy nod. “Yeah, okay, Leon.” Tristan left the room, and with an overall weighted down feeling, trudged back to Nora. His mom gave him back the chair.
Judy lowered her voice as she said, “She fluttered her eyes a little while ago. I thought she might wake. Can I get you dinner or a snack from the cafeteria, dear?”
Tristan put his hands on his waist, resting his gaze on Nora. The doctor expected her to wake. How long? He cleared his throat. “I could use some coffee. Then you go home, okay.” He sat and took Nora’s hand again. “I’ll have to bring Destiny up eventually, so she can see that Nora is alive.” Tristan lowered his head. “Destiny lost it in the truck, wanting to know if Nora died like her real mom.” His eyes misted again and his throat ached.
Judy wrapped her arms around him. “Oh, good Lord, honey. I agree that she needs to be here, too.”
“Soon as I know I can handle it, I’ll let her. Get ready to leave, Mom.”
“I’ll get your coffee.” Judy headed for the door.
Tristan lowered his voice. “A teenager did this.” He squeezed his eyes closed as the image of the wrecked cars formed in his mind. How can this be happening?
“Oh, dear.”
“Texting. The phone was still in his fuc…his hand.” He took a deep breath. “I’m sorry.”
Judy came back and patted his back like she’d done when he was a little boy.
Tristan sat forward. “The phone should’ve been shoved down his throat.”
“I understand your anger, but honey—”
“Don’t say anything. I can’t think of him right now, or I’ll go looking with my .45 in hand.”
“Tristan.”
His jaw clenched. “No, Mom, don’t. Just don’t. This is my wife, my child here. He did it to them. He injured my wife and maybe my child.”
“I’ll get that coffee, but I’m not going home yet.” She left the room.
Tristan leaned on the mattress, his hands on Nora. “Please, please let them be okay.” He closed his eyes and shook his head but turned when the door opened.
Jase entered. “Hey, Mom took Des to the cafeteria.” He came to Tristan’s side. “Man, I’m so sorry. This is pure hell.”
He glanced up at his brother. “I can’t lose them.”
Jase put his hand on Tristan’s shoulder. His voice cracked. “I know, Trist.”
“I’m having a baby girl.” He swiped tears from his face, trying to catch his breath at the same time. It wasn’t an easy task to swallow when his throat constricted. “No one else knows. Can we keep it that way?”
“No problem. That’s cool.” Jase pulled the recliner over beside Tristan and sat down. “They’ll be okay, bro. I feel it.”
“A few prayers won’t hurt.” He squeezed Nora’s limp hand.
“Done. The word is already out. Both of them are on Mom’s church prayer list.”
“Thanks.” He peered down at his hand when the baby moved beneath it. “She’s moving.” He whispered, “She’s strong.”
Jase stood. “I’ll leave you alone for now. They have to be okay.” He squeezed his shoulder before leaving but ducked back in the doorway. “Mom wants to know if Destiny can come in.”
“Yeah, tell her it’s okay, but give me five minutes.” Tristan strode to the window. He rubbed his eyes. Get it together. A couple deep breaths helped to get his breathing slowed. He stepped away from the window when his mom brought Destiny though the door. Shuffling over to her, he took her hand. “Come on.” He returned to the chair and sat back down with her on his lap.
Judy set his coffee and Destiny’s ice cream sundae on the table. Both she and Jase left them alone.
He hugged his child. “The tube in her nose is helping her breath right now.” He pointed out the monitor on the baby. “This is telling us what the baby’s heart rate is. How the baby is doing.” Tristan pointed to the monitor on the wall. “Do you understand that?”
“No, but is it beating?”
“Yeah, honey, it is. Watch up there.”
Destiny shifted around on his lap until she faced him. “Can I give Nora a hug and kiss?”
“Yeah, sure.” He lifted her over Nora’s bed, and it reminded him of the first time he lifted her into Nora’s window. How she hugged her the day they met. Oh, man. Don’t take her away from us. Just don’t.
Her eyes filled with tears. When they sat back down, Destiny asked, “How did Nora have an accident?”
“It wasn’t her fault.”
Destiny ran her fingers over her dad’s arm. “Because Nora is a good driver.”
“Yes, she is, sweetheart.” Tristan surveyed Nora’s face. She appeared to be at peace, lying as if she were sleeping. He loved that woman so much. Their baby. Tristan took a deep breath and hugged his daughter. “Your ice cream is melting.”
“I don’t want it.”
“All right. How about we scoot over to the recliner, so I can drink my coffee?”
Destiny climbed onto the bed when he reached for his cup. “Des…” Never mind, let her go. “Be careful up there.”
She lay beside Nora, rolling up into the fetal position. Something he wanted to do, too. He pushed the straight-backed chair against the wall—the recliner closer to the bed. Tristan took a seat, coffee in hand. There lay his family right there in one spot. Destiny’s eyes closed. He removed his phone from his pocket and took a picture that he’d have for his eyes only. His three girls all right there. The loves of his life.
Judy came back in. When she saw them there she came forward, whispering, “Do you want Jase to take her home?”
“No. All the ice cream in the world couldn’t bribe her out of here.” He observed her there cuddled on the bed. “She can stay. I need her here. She needs to be here.”
“Okay, I’ll tell Jase to go home.”
Tristan whispered, “G
o with him, Mom. I’ll call you if anything changes.”
“No, I’ll stay.” She took the seat against the wall. “We’ll see. I’ll send a text telling him to go home.”
“Uh huh. Thanks.”
Sometime later, Tristan opened his eyes when the room got quiet. The fetal heart monitor was silent.
For the love of— He hit the button for the nurse and picked up Destiny from the bed, holding her in his arms.
A nurse rushed into the room and made some adjustments. The sound of the baby’s heartbeat filled the room.
He breathed again. “What happened?” asked Tristan in a daze.
The softness in her eyes calmed him. “The baby moved position, but the readings look normal. It happens sometimes.”
Thank God. He sat back down with his daughter in his arms. She stretched out across the front of him. He sent a text to his mom, asking if she was still at the hospital. When she replied that she was, he told her to go home, but he’d keep Destiny.
A little while later, Judy tapped on the door and entered with another cup of coffee for him. “I’ll go get some rest, then be back later.” Judy glanced at the monitor. She faced her son. “Are you sure I can’t take her, Tristan?”
“I don’t know.” Destiny opened her eyes immediately looking at the bed. “Des, you should go home with Grandma. She’ll bring you back later.” Destiny stretched her arms above her head before rubbing her eyes, and peered at Judy.
“Come on. I’ll let you sleep in Grandma’s big bed today.”
Tristan hugged Destiny. “I’ll see you soon, baby cakes. You get some rest, okay?”
“Daddy, I said prayers.”
“Me, too.” He choked up. “I love you.” She wrapped her arms around his neck, whispering that she loved him. She took her grandma’s hand while jumping from her dad’s lap.
“We’ll see you later on, son. I love you.”
She went out the door with Destiny, leaving him with an emptiness in his gut. A few minutes later his phone vibrated. “Hey, Dane. Man, thanks for calling. You must’a heard. Where are ya?”
“It doesn’t matter. What’s the word? How are they…and you?”
“Holding on, right now. I sent Mom home with Destiny. All the vitals look about the same, a slight change maybe.” Tristan stood and ambled to the window. Sunrise turned the sky golden. “It’s good to hear your voice.”
“Yeah, just checking in. So you know, a bunch of my guys are sending up prayers.”
Tristan pivoted and faced the bed. “I appreciate that, Dane. Thanks.”
Dane drummed his fingers against the phone. “Well, I can’t talk long.”
“Yeah, I get that, but it was great talking, if only for a few minutes. You take care of yourself. Tell the guys thanks. Love ya. This call means a lot, little brother.” Tristan hung up, sinking back into the chair. After a few minutes, he leaned on the bed and clenched Nora’s arm. Her blood pressure was higher. Too high as a matter of fact, but the baby’s heart rate looked near normal.
He caressed her cheek as he leaned down to kiss her. Warm lips, but no smile appeared on her face like she did when he had wakened her with a kiss. “Nora, I need you.” He smoothed his hand over where his daughter lay inside. Little baby girl, your daddy loves you, too. She gave a strong kick. A good sign.
Tristan touched Nora’s cheek. Her eyelashes fluttered. “Come on, honey.” He dropped into the chair, rested his elbows on his thighs and bent forward, observing tiny black dots on an otherwise stark floor.
“Tristan…”
He looked up. She gazed at him with fear all over her face. “Nora!” He stood and took her hand. “Honey.”
She glanced around the room but focused on his face. “Where am I?”
“Hospital. There was an accident.”
She withdrew her hands and placed them over her abdomen. “Our baby?” Tears slipped down her cheeks.
“So far she’s okay, I mean, our baby is okay. A few medical issues came up but good right now.” If only he’d remember how to breathe again.
“What happened?” She raised her hand to her head. “My head?”
“Stitches. You hit the side window. A concussion. You have a few broken ribs, so your chest probably hurts.”
“I don’t remember…wait.” She closed her eyes a moment, then opened them, her other hand going to her head. “Bright lights, I remember bright lights. Pain in my chest.” She lowered her eyes, whispering, “That’s all.”
“Head-on. Someone ran into you.”
“Omigod.” She grabbed his arm. “Will we be okay?”
“They’re taking good care of both of you. An obstetrician has been here, and he’s been in touch with your doctor.” He kissed her cheek. “Everyone’s been here.” He clenched her hand tighter. “I need to tell them you’re awake.”
Just then the nurse entered the room. “Hello, Mrs. Carlson. The doctor’s making his rounds. I’ll tell him you’re awake.” She came closer, viewed the monitor readings and wrote in her chart.
Nora studied the fetal monitor readings. “Am I having contractions? Is my baby okay?”
The doctor entered before the nurse had a chance to speak. “Good, I was hoping you’d be here,” said Tristan.” He spoke to Nora. “No contractions, honey. I’ve been watching the monitor. Why, do you have pain?”
Her gaze followed the doctor as he walked around the bed. Nora nodded, “A little bit down low.”
“I’d like to examine your wife,” said the doctor. “We’ll talk after I finish.” Dr. Newman held up a pen and had Nora follow it with her eyes. He asked her to touch her nose, his held up hand, among other neurological tests. The doctor scooted a stool up to the end of the bed and said to Tristan, “Go get some coffee. I’ll catch you before I leave. I need to examine your wife.”
“I’ll wait outside the door, thanks, but you can catch me when you finish here.” Tristan left the room and paced in the hall. When the door opened he went back inside, grasping Nora’s hand.
“Tristan.” Dr. Newman turned to Nora. “Nora, you’re still bleeding due to a small placental tear, but barely now. This showed up during the ultrasound. Another will be scheduled along with more lab studies. As you know, we have the electronic fetal monitor hooked up—”
“Wait, what? Placental t-tear? That doesn’t sound good,” said Tristan.
“The placenta has a small tear, more than likely caused from trauma to the abdomen. Nora was lucky in this case, and the placenta isn’t separating from the uterus. We’re keeping a close eye on the bleeding. Right now it’s minimal and the tear could heal itself. The baby isn’t in any distress at the moment. So you know, at the first sign of distress, we’ll deliver the baby by cesarean. If we don’t deliver the baby before you leave, Nora, you’ll be put on bed rest for a while, starting now.”
Tristan lifted his hands. “Wait, wait. Cesarean section? Is Nora okay to have surgery?” He released her hand but paced to the door twice before settling back in the chair.
“Nora is healthy enough for surgery if there’s an emergency with your child. I don’t see an issue, but we’re keeping close watch. Of course, we’re hoping she’ll go to her due date.”
“Dammit. This is my family we’re talking about here.”
“I understand.” The doctor spoke to them both. “We’ll keep you on intravenous fluids to maximize the flow of blood to the uterus and oxygenation for the fetus. I’m confident at this point.”
Tristan took a big breath, holding it before blowing it out. Nora held his arm.
“We have to believe it’ll be okay, Tristan. Our baby will be okay.”
“Stay calm, honey, I know.” He also knew the living hell he just went through in a matter of hours. The same hell he had never wanted to go through again. I need to tell myself to calm down. Tristan spoke to the doctor, “Thanks for all you’re doing.”
Dr. Newman wrote on the chart. “I’ll be a phone call away if you need anything. Have them page me.”
> “Thanks, Doc.”
“I’m so tired,” said Nora. “I don’t want this to be true.” She cupped her hands around her face.
“It’s true.” He sat on the edge of the bed. “Destiny slept right there beside you for a few hours in the night. She was very worried.”
“My poor baby. I’m glad she wasn’t with me. How did this happen, Tristan?”
“Nora, it was a damn kid on his phone. I can’t go into it right now because it makes me too angry. I’ll go down to his room and kill him myself.”
“Tell me. How is he?”
“He’s in critical condition. Enough about him.” He stood but dropped back to the chair. No, for sure I can’t think about what he did.
Nora glanced out the window. “What day is it? How long have I been in here?”
“It happened yesterday when you left your mom.”
“My mom? Does she know?”
Tristan raised his hands. “I don’t know. I’m sorry, but I didn’t even think of contacting her. Hell, I didn’t think of anything except you—our baby.” He stood, rubbed his hand over the back of his neck, thinking about going through his pacing ritual again. “I’ll have someone tell her.”
“Thank you.” She glanced at the clock on the wall. “You’ve been here all night.”
“Of course I have.” He sat beside her on the bed again. “I was so scared. I couldn’t stand the thought of losing you.” Tristan brought her fingers to his lips.
“The doctor seems to think we’re okay. I’ll be delivering soon.” Her eyes held a fearful lonesomeness. “Do you think our baby is really okay?”
He sure as hell hoped so. Be confident. “Well, she had an active night. My hand was practically on your abdomen the entire time.”
Nora sniffled and reached for a tissue. “What do you mean, she?”
“Oh, nothing, it was general. Next time I might say he. It’s one or the other, we both know that.” Tristan stood. Be more careful, dude. “Now I’ll go grab another cup of coffee.”
She stopped him at the door. “My mom’s car?”
“She’ll need a new one. Let’s give her your SUV. You need a gigantic truck you’ll be safe in.” He opened the door but rushed back to the bed and wrapped his arm around her. He struggled to get the words out for fear of choking up, but he had to. “I love you so much. Don’t ever scare me like this again.”
Tristan's Destiny, Bonus Book #1.5 Page 13