by J. R. Tate
Michael backed up, fearing he’d witness her puking. He couldn’t handle that. “Need some Sprite or something?”
She shook her head no and slammed the door when he was clear of it. “I’m gonna have to call in. I feel like a truck ran over me,” she said, barely loud enough for him to hear.
“Do what you gotta do, but I need a shower.”
The door opened again and she hurried to the bed where she burrowed under the covers. Poking her head out from under the quilt, she said, “If I were you, I’d spray it down with Lysol first.”
“Great, just great.”
After getting ready, it took everything he had not to wake her up. She finally looked like she was resting comfortably, so he left her a note to call him when she woke up with whatever she may need from the store. The last thing he needed was to get sick with a stomach virus, so he hurried out, feeling determined to get away before it got him too.
Gregg and a few of the other guys were already at the firehouse when he arrived. He tried to duck away from them, but Gregg was quick to notice his presence. His annoyance level with the guy was already at the max.
“Eva okay?”
“Yes. Just one of those twenty four hour things. How in the hell do you already know about it?”
“Captain Rooker started posting the call-ins just in case we know of anyone who can cover. I think it’s something new. Oh, and my bad. I forgot you don’t want to be talked to before your coffee. Just let Eva know I hope she feels better.”
Michael ignored his last comment and found his way to the coffee, downing the first cup as if it were a shot of whiskey. Resting his head on the table, he felt himself doze. He just needed to get through this day. While he feared throwing up and whatever contagious thing Eva had, he wanted to be at home helping her.
“Rise and shine, beautiful! We gotta get some major cleaning done during our down time today!” Lieu yelled, slamming the newspaper down right by Michael’s head. “I surmise you want this.”
Michael lifted his head and looked at his superior through one eye. “And what the hell has made you so damn chipper this morning? You must’ve gotten laid last night. How much you pay her?”
“Well hell, McGinnis. Not all of us can be as gorgeous as you, but where God failed in giving me looks, he compensated well in other areas, if you know what I mean.”
Michael scoffed and put the paper up in front of him. “Enough with the visuals, damn it! Let me read this crap and I’ll get started on whatever mundane task you have scheduled for me, oh fearless leader.”
Lieu peered over the top of the paper. “That why Crisante called in? She caught wind of the busy work today?”
“She caught wind of something, now shut up and let me read my damn paper.” He double checked to make sure they were the only one in the kitchen. “Seriously though, Lieu, can I ask you something?”
“Yeah, what’s up?”
“Since when did Captain Rooker start posting the call-ins for everyone to see?”
Lieu looked surprised, like Michael was talking in a different language. “What the hell are you talking about, McGinnis?”
“One of the guys was telling me he does that now.”
“Well whoever told you that is full of shit. Probably just yanking your chain.”
Michael played it cool, but why the hell would Gregg tell him something like that? He read over the same paragraph three times, finally giving up on concentrating on the news. Fibbing on something as stupid as the schedule? He didn’t get it. It wasn’t a big deal and he had bigger things to worry about.
“Engine, ladder… Engine Ladder…” The tones went off, interrupting their chores.
On the drive over, he filled them in on the call. “Several witnesses say a car drove over the edge into the river. They think there are two victims. McGinnis and Walsh, you’ll be the first guys in. Prepare for a water rescue.”
“Damn, and it’s only forty or so degrees out there. Check your balls now, boys, because once you get in that water they’re gonna be nowhere to be found!”
Michael wasn’t as enthused, seeing as he had to do a rescue with Gregg, a man on his team that he was finding it harder and harder to trust. He had to push the personal stuff aside and focus on the rescue. Right now it was about the victims, not about Eva and Gregg and all of the crap piling up on his shoulders.
They arrived on scene and Michael stripped his coat and boots off. Within seconds, he dove into the river, attempting to get to the people before the car was completely sunk. It was like shards of glass stabbing him when he hit the water, taking his breath away. He pushed the pain aside and dove down to get a better vantage point. Swimming to the surface, he relayed his findings.
“There’s a woman in the driver’s seat and a little girl, probably around four or five in the back. Both are conscious at the moment, but the car is filling up fast.”
Gregg went to the driver’s side, and Michael worked on the back with the child.
“My door is unlocked and able to be opened,” Gregg said.
“Don’t do it yet. You open that door and it’s gonna sink even faster. It’s jammed back here.” Michael tried to bust the window, but with the resistance from the water, it was practically impossible. “Did you grab the window tool?” Michael felt the car edging farther under, and soon the child would be completely submerged. She was beginning to panic and scream.
“I’ll go get it.”
“Damn it, hurry!” He focused on the little girl. “Stay calm. We’re gonna get you out of here.”
“Please help me!” She screamed.
Her mom was also freaking out, and before Michael realized it, had opened her door. The car was quickly sinking, and Gregg was still not back with the tool. It didn’t matter now. He was going to have to crawl in from the front and get the girl. She was now under water and the more time they waited, the chances were greater that she would drown.
The woman had found Gregg at the surface, and Michael took a long breath in and dove down. He would have to do this all at once for it to be a success. Moving through the car, he fought against the current the vehicle was creating. The girl was now unresponsive and dead weight as he got to her. Her seat belt wouldn’t budge and he had to cut her loose with his pocket knife. His lungs were burning and his body begged for a breath of fresh air. The edges of his vision were growing fuzzy, but he fought it. It was about the little girl.
He lurched at the lack of oxygen and hoisted her under his arm. Kicking as hard as he could, he kept his eyes up toward the surface where the water grew clearer with the sun shining through. Just a few more seconds. He’d be able to breathe in a few more feet.
The first air he took in was like nothing he’d ever experienced before. Coming to his senses, he swam to the medics standing at the edge of the water. They went to work on her and Michael tried to wait patiently. Someone offered him a towel that he didn’t care much about, but draped over his shoulders anyway.
“Come on,” he whispered. The cold air was strong and he had several people coming up to him, telling him to get changed into some warm clothes. Ignoring their comments, he focused on the child. “Come on, damn it.”
The cops were trying to distract the mom to keep her away, but were failing at it. Michael couldn’t keep from looking. With each second that passed, his hope was dissipating. He ducked his head and closed his eyes. How could they have forgotten the window tool that would’ve shattered the window instantly? He should have made sure himself.
A loud gurgling sound followed by coughing brought his attention back to the chaotic scene. The girl was awake and breathing. Michael felt a small smile part his lips. One of the medics walked up to Michael and patted him on the back.
“She took in a lot of water, but at least she’s awake and breathing. Good job.”
“No, I don’t deserve the credit. You guys did the hard part.” Turning to Lieu, he said, “How about we call clear so I can get my ass in to some dry clothes? Walsh and I
are looking like a couple of drown rats.”
***
Eva had finally managed to move from the bed to the couch at around noon, still feeling dizzy and nauseous. She flipped through the channels on TV, suddenly reminded that daytime television was horrible. After a couple episodes of Judge Judy, she grabbed her phone and dialed Michael. She tried not to call him too much when he was doing a tour, but he wouldn’t answer if he was busy anyway.
“Hey Eva, how you feeling?”
“Sorry to call, but I’m too tired to text. On your way home tonight can you pick up some crackers and ginger ale? Maybe some chicken broth too?” She closed her eyes to fight off some vertigo, unsure if she could throw up anymore. There was nothing left in her stomach, not even acid.
“Sure, hon. You sure you don’t need to go to the doctor? Is the virus that bad?”
There was concern in his tone and she was glad he was there for her. “We had to pick up a few people for dehydration yesterday. They needed IV’s. But don’t worry, I’m drinking a lot of water and keeping an eye on it.” She pulled the phone away and gagged, fearing he’d hear her. “I’ll try and eat when you get home and see how much I can keep down.”
“Okay. By the sound of things, I might spend the night at a friend’s. Not sure I want to get your nasty germs,” Michael replied, laughing off his comment.
“Hey Mikey, guess what?” She smiled through the discomfort.
“What?”
“I have a nice, big, juicy kiss with your name on it when you come through the door tonight. Bet you really can’t wait now, can you?”
“Yeah, I guess I’m gonna have to break down and see if Gregg has an extra place for me to sleep tonight. I’d rather chance it with weird guy than with vomit girl.” There was a short pause. “Seriously though, please call me if you get worse. I’ll be home right away to help you. I love you.”
“Love you too, Mikey.” She hung the phone up and pulled a blanket up around her, sighing at the choices on the TV guide. Her phone rang again and she felt like ignoring the call completely. Just talking felt like she was out running, but when she saw it was her friend Janet, she decided it was best to answer or the phone would ring until she did.
“Hello?” She tried to hide the fact that she felt like death ran over twice, but Janet knew her too well.
“Hey Eva, you at work today?”
Clearing her throat, she tried sitting up. It was a bad idea and she stayed in the one spot where she was somewhat comfortable, and that was on her back. “No, I’m home.”
“Oh good, can I come over? Since we had drinks the other night, I feel like we haven’t talked! Has Mikey been keeping you hostage?”
“No, it’s probably best you don’t. I’m a bit under the weather. Think I got a stomach bug or something. My damn job makes me catch everything that comes through.”
“Stomach bug? Sure Eva, that’s what we all say.”
She ran her fingers through her tangled hair, needing a shower, but far too exhausted to even attempt it. “What the hell are you implying, Janet? Just spit it out.”
“Let me think for a sec, sugar. You’re tired more than usual, yes? Nauseous? Barfing up everything that hits your stomach?”
“Damn it, Janet, get to the point!” In the back of her mind, she knew exactly what her friend was assuming, but she had to hear it from her mouth just to make sure.
“Stomach bug my ass, sweetie. You’re pregnant!”
“And what makes you so sure? I work around sick people all day….”
“And I happen to know you can’t keep your hands off of Mikey. You said so yourself. I remember your exact wording was he was the best you ever had. Quit denying it. He knocked you up.”
“I’m hanging up now, Janet. You’re crazy.”
“I’ll be over there in ten with a pregnancy test!”
Eva pushed the phone down on the coffee table and stared at it. Pregnant? The thought never even occurred to her. There was definitely something going around. She had witnessed it out on the street. Numerous calls of people dehydrated from it. Or maybe she was over-exaggerating, and they really didn’t run as many calls as she had thought. Her heart was beating so fast it felt as if it would burst through her chest. So many thoughts flashed in her mind.
She buried her face in her hands, desperately attempting to calm down. There was nothing saying she was pregnant yet. She could sit around and ponder all of the possibilities, but it was best not to panic until she knew the facts. Right now it was all assumption, based on the possibility that she could either be sick with something contagious, or Janet could be right – After all, she and Mikey hadn’t been that careful with contraceptives. It was something they didn’t think about, and now she wished they had.
A loud knock on the door pulled her from her daydream.
“Eva, I’m here!”
Opening the door, she saw her friend on the other side, a Walgreen’s bag in her hand. She was waving it around like a damn flag and Eva pulled her inside.
“Let’s get this over with. You’re causing me to freak out over something that’s gonna come out completely opposite from what you’re thinking.”
Janet winked as she pulled the test out. “I guess we’ll find out in a few short minutes. I bought two different kinds for accuracy. I hope you have to pee!”
Chapter Seven
Michael hurried at the store, grabbing everything Eva had asked for. He didn’t want to get home with anything missing, especially since he was in no mood to get back out again. Maybe it was a good plan, pretending to forget an item to get out of the apartment and away from her germs. Grabbing a box of saltines and some soup, he went to the check-out stand and as he waited in line, gave Eva one more phone call to make sure she didn’t want something else.
The phone rang a few times, and she sounded distracted when she answered. “Hello?”
“Hey Eva, I’m about to check out. Did you want anything else before I leave the store?”
“Um, no. I think I’m good. I uhh, I’ll see you when you get here, okay?”
“Okay, be home in a few.” He slid the phone in his pocket. She was so out of it. If it was potent enough to knock her on her ass like that, he could only imagine what it would do to him.
He carried the bags up the stairs and juggled them as he fumbled for his key. The TV volume was low, but Eva wasn’t on the couch. She was staring vacantly out of the kitchen window, clutching a bottle of water. She was still as pale as she was that morning, but she didn’t look quite as bad. Something was on her mind, and he sat the groceries down and walked to her, pulling her in for a tight hug.
“How you feeling, babe?”
She leaned in, letting out a deep breath. “There’s something I gotta tell you.” Her hazel eyes were sharp and she wasn’t smiling.
“Everything okay?”
She shrugged and pulled his arm toward the couch. “You might want to sit down.”
He was suddenly feeling sick himself. They had been through some rough times, but even then, Eva always found a way to laugh through it all. Right now, she was showing no signs of a smile. What in the hell could possibly be going on? Did she cheat? He felt horrible for even conjuring up such an idea. Was her medical condition more serious than what they had thought? He clasped his hands and leaned forward, waiting as patiently as he could for her to break whatever bombshell she had to him.
“What I’m about to tell you changes everything. Our life together, our life as a couple, everything. Possibly even our jobs.”
Michael chewed on the inside of his cheek, a sarcastic laugh escaping from deep in his throat. “Well hell, if it’s that serious don’t you think you ought to go ahead and tell me, rather than making me sit here sweating bullets like I have since I walked through the door?”
She placed both of her hands on either side of his face. Her palms were smooth to the touch against his skin. “My nausea wasn’t a virus. Hon, I’m pregnant.”
Michael’s heart skippe
d a beat. Did she just say what he thought she said? Pregnant? Was he dreaming? No, he wasn’t dreaming. Her hands on his face, her closeness, it was all a strong reminder that he was awake and that this was truly playing out.
Scooting back, he looked into her eyes, a rush of various emotions flooding over him. “Pregnant?” His voice cracked as if he were a teen going through puberty again.
Nodding, she pulled the pregnancy test from the pocket on her sweat pants. “I took two different ones. Same result on both. Didn’t even take five minutes for it to show up.”
He studied the lines that were so dark that there was no way to even remotely think the test was flawed. “I...” he couldn’t find the right words.
She leaned her forehead against his. “Say something, Mikey.” Her whisper was almost inaudible.
“Truth is…” he cupped the back of her head, keeping her skin against his. “Truth is this is the best news I’ve heard in so long.” He felt warmth underneath his eyelids and a few tears fell down the bridge of his nose. “What are you thinking?”
Finally, he heard her beautiful laughter. Her worried brow had faded, and her grin made her already beautiful face that much more vibrant. “It’s a tad bit out of order, but when I saw those lines come up, it was amazing. I wish you could’ve been here to see, but Janet kinda forced her way in with it all.”
“It’s okay.” He kissed her, unable to break physical contact with her. “Out of order is fine. Since when have we ever done things how they should be?”
“It’s just so strange.” She wiped the moisture from her face and leaned against his shoulder. “I’m excited and terrified all at the same time.”
“You and me both, Eva.” He clasped his fingers within hers and they sat in silence for a few minutes, the ticking of the second hand loud as he let it all sink in. His mother would be thrilled. He wasn’t sure how her family would react, but that was a worry for another time. “I gotta admit something…”
She looked up at him. “Yeah?”