by M.J. Kane
“Hello?” I didn’t hide my irritation.
“Kaity, it’s Antonio. Are you okay?”
“Did Tiffy put you up to this?” It was impossible to hide my annoyance.
“Up to what?”
“Never mind,” I mumbled while trying to get comfortable again.
“Are you home?”
“Yes.”
“I thought so. I saw your car outside and have been ringing the doorbell for the past ten minutes. I got worried. Were you in the shower?”
“No.” Rung my doorbell? I’m a light sleeper and didn’t hear a thing.
“Can I come in?”
I sighed. Having Antonio over was not high on my list of priorities right now. Along with being aggravated, I looked like a hot mess. Being in bed all day, I still wore the oversized t-shirt from last night. My head hurt and eyes stung, which meant they were probably bloodshot. The pain shooting up my abdomen left me in no mood to get out of bed.
“Antonio, I’m laying down. Come back later.”
There was a muffled noise. “Kaity, don’t be mad, okay?”
“Mad about what?”
The line went dead without explanation. Down the hall, a faint scraping sound came from my front door. Was he breaking into my apartment? Irritation gave me a shot of adrenaline. I forced the covers off my body, ready to meet him in the hall and curse him out. The minute I sat up, my head spun and derailed my attempts. I lay back down.
Moments later, the front door opened. “Kaity, it’s me, don’t shoot.”
Oh, wasn’t that freakin’ funny? He appeared in the doorway of my bedroom, hands in the air in mock surrender. If I could have summoned enough energy, a pillow would have hit him in the chest.
The playful smile on his face quickly faded. “Kaity?” He evaluated me from head to toe.
Okay, did he really need to stare at me as if I were on my deathbed? Self-conscious, I attempted to straighten disheveled hair. “What?”
“You don’t look so good.” He tested my forehead with the back of his hand.
I pulled away; embarrassed for not being dressed and irritated he broke into my home. “I don’t have a fever, just a really bad headache.”
“When was the last time you saw your doctor?”
Was he serious? “Are you my daddy now?”
Antonio ignored my smart ass remark, his face stern as if repeating the question was ludicrous.
I was about to roll my eyes but thought better of it. “A week ago.”
“Was your blood pressure elevated?”
“No more than usual.”
“You need to see your doctor, now. Can you make an appointment today?”
I might be irritated with Antonio, but I wasn’t stupid. The concern on his face confirmed my early morning fear. I should have done that when I woke up feeling ill. Instead, I put myself on bed rest, hoping everything would be okay. Apparently not.
I glanced at the clock; it was nearly four-thirty in the afternoon. “No, she closes in thirty minutes.”
“I’m taking you to the emergency room.”
His voice and expression were finite. No coercion, no discussion, no ‘can I call someone?’ His eyes traveled over me, took in my appearance, then looked around the room. “You need to get dressed. Where are your clothes?”
“Um…There’s some jogging pants and a shirt hangin’ up in the closet. Tennis shoes are beside the dresser.”
He went to get them. It was then I remembered beneath the sleeping shirt, I was nude.
“Anything else?” He laid my clothes beside me. “What about socks?”
“Right hand drawer…um, can you grab my bra and a pair of panties?” I closed my eyes and covered my face from sheer embarrassment. When I opened them, he smiled.
“You have nothing to be embarrassed about. I’ve got three sisters. Besides, I’ve removed my share of bra and panty sets.” His smile was devilish.
“Yeah, well, I’m sure the sizes where nothing like these,” I mumbled.
Antonio’s grin morphed into a chuckle, then turned serious again. “Do you need help getting dressed?”
Not in this lifetime. “No, I should be fine.”
He nodded. “I’ll be in the hallway if you need me.”
It took some time, especially since my head pounded with every move. To his credit, Antonio stood on the other side of my bedroom door, talking the entire time.
“Done,” It felt as if it took forever. My smile was weak when he entered the room. “I could use some help with my socks and shoes though.”
He knelt down at my feet, his touch as soft as a feather. “I don’t think so. Your ankles are really swollen. Do you have some sandals or flip flops?” I indicated my closet. He slipped them on, then held my hand and elbow as I stood. “Lean against me, I’ve got you.”
I did, and for a moment, the pain and queasiness disappeared. It was impossible to ignore the contact of his strong arms as he supported my weight, nor the comforting musk of his natural scent.
****
“Ms. Rodgers looks like you made it here in time.”
I stared at my doctor. “I don’t understand. I’ve still got three weeks before my baby is due.”
She studied the chart in her hand. “That may be so, but according to the tests we ran, your blood pressure is too high, and your liver isn’t functioning properly. Your baby is in distress. Left unmonitored, it would have been fatal to both of you.”
“What happens now?” Antonio’s brow creased in concern.
“Now, we wait. We’re going to give her fluids because she is seriously dehydrated. We’ll keep an eye on her for the next few hours and see if she improves. If there is no improvement, I’m going to schedule a C-section tonight. You’re close enough to your due date, so your baby should be okay. Either way, you are officially on bed rest. Dad, you’re going to need to get her baby bag from home. You’ll be transported up to the maternity ward shortly.” She closed up the chart, slipped it in the holder on the outside of my door, then left.
My mind spun. High blood pressure, liver problems….fatal.
And I had been home alone.
Tears filled the corners of my eyes. If Antonio hadn’t come by then….
Oh God, the doctor thought he was the father. My cheeks heated. I could only imagine what Antonio was thinking.
I opened my mouth to apologize for the confusion and thank him for coming to my rescue, but shut it when I saw his face; it was pale.
“God, Kaity, what if I hadn’t come by? How long would it have been before Tiffany got home?”
That was a sobering thought. “Too long. Thank you for checkin’ on me. I don’t know what would have happened…”
He reached for my hand and squeezed. “My persistence and nosiness paid off. Just don’t report me for breaking and entering, okay?” His smile was forced as his eyes told the truth of what he felt.
“You get a pass.” I lay my head back, closed my eyes, and rested a hand on my belly. Beside me, Antonio stood, my hand in his, gently stroking with his thumb.
The room filled with the cadence of my baby’s heart. The rapid beat was accompanied with the beeps from other equipment monitoring my blood pressure, heart rate, and anything else they observed.
“Tiffany should know you’re here,” Antonio pulled out his phone. “I can call her and anyone else you like.”
“Oh, yeah.” With the truth of the situation weighing heavy on my mind, notifying anyone was the last thing I thought about. Despite my fear and anxiety, Antonio’s presence soothed me. “I have some numbers in my phone. Can you hand me my purse?”
He retrieved it from the other side of the small room. When he returned, his face was unreadable. “Are you going to call him?”
My fingers curled around the handle of my bag. Wasn’t that the million dollar question? I hadn’t spoken to Luke since our last argument. What would happen if I told him about the fetal distress? Would he drop
everything to be by my side? Or would he not care at all? No doubt the stress of his decision either way would prove disastrous.
I studied Antonio’s face. He apparently thought the same thing, even though he had no idea about the true issues forming the gaping hole in my relationship with Luke.
“No, I can do this without him.”
Chapter 19
“Ms. Rodgers, how are you doing?” A nurse entered the room carrying a basket filled with needles, syringes, and other blood drawing equipment, and checked the name on Kaitlyn’s ID bracelet.
“Not much better.” Her faint voice and deathly pale appearance were worse than when I discovered her home alone. Her eyes were red and her face, hands, and feet were swollen more than normal.
“I understand, sweetie. We’re going to make you feel better soon, okay? It’s time to draw some blood so we can run more tests. Sir, you can have a seat over there if you like.”
“No problem, I’ll step out. I could use a drink and didn’t want to leave her alone. Where are the vending machines?”
“Down the hall and on the right.”
“Thanks.” I walked over to the bed, placed a hand on her shoulder. “I’ll be back soon. Don’t go anywhere, okay?”
She closed her eyes. “Well…I was gonna run a marathon later…”
Even in obvious pain, Kaitlyn still had a sense of humor. I chuckled, squeezed her hand, then walked out of the room. The moment the door shut, my knees went weak. I leaned against the wall.
Kaitlyn had been moved from the emergency room to the Maternity Ward three hours ago. Constant monitoring, fluids, and rest didn’t cause her blood pressure to drop. Instead, it appeared to be steady. At least it wasn’t getting any worse.
Even so, how long did the doctor plan on waiting?
Exhaling, I rotated my neck to relieve tension. Hospital chairs weren’t conducive to long term sitting. I checked the time; Kaitlyn’s sister and friends were due to arrive any minute now.
Nothing about this day went the way I planned. After learning the good news about my aunt’s intentions with the shop, my plan had been to share the news with my new friend, and possibly buy her dinner to celebrate.
Instead, it appeared my enthusiasm had saved her life.
And her unborn child.
My stomach rumbled, reminding me of why I left Kaitlyn’s side. I headed in the direction of the vending machines. I walked past the waiting room, then doubled back to study it.
Yes, this was the room. Very little had changed in the fourteen years since my last visit.
The night the twins were born. The night my mother died.
Painful memories came back in a flood and were impossible to ignore.
The day started off like any other. The countdown to summer vacation had begun and Adrianna and I were excited about our trip to Disney World. My parents were sending us with other members of our family to celebrate the upcoming birth of our sisters which was three weeks away. Impatient, we pestered Mami until she sent us to watch TV saying she was too tired for more questions. We spent the day in the living room watching every Disney movie we owned and daydreamed about what attractions we wanted to visit.
It wasn’t until hours later, when Papi came home did we find out something was wrong.
After a long day of work, he walked into the bedroom to check on her, only to run back out and dial 911. Her blood pressure had spiked and her breathing was shallow. An ambulance rushed her and our father to the hospital, while we waited for our grandmother to pick us up. By the time we arrived, the doctor was performing an emergency cesarean. The next thing we knew, she was dead and the twins’ lives hung in the balance.
If we hadn’t been wrapped up in what we wanted, we would have been paying attention.
Fourteen years later, I still blamed myself for my mother’s demise. And the issue with my uncle…why did it seem I was around when someone needed help, but never noticed?
That’s why the moment I heard Kaitlyn’s groggy voice on the phone, I didn’t give a damn about breaking into her home.
My mother…my uncle…I couldn’t let fate take away another person I cared about.
I stared at the vending machine. Hungry, but in no mood to give a lot of thought to what went in my stomach, I settled on the first things I saw: a Coke and a Snickers bar.
When I returned, a trio of voices, high pitched and full of concern, greeted me the moment I opened the door. Tiffany, along with two other women were fluffing pillows, adjusting the covers and staring at the baby monitor.
I knocked on the door to announce my entrance. All eyes turned in my direction.
“Sorry, I think you’re in the wrong room,” the woman with gray eyes a round belly said.
“No, that’s Antonio,” Tiffany walked over to give me a hug. “I don’t know what would have happened if you didn’t show up.”
“This is my friend… Antonio…. he brought me here,” Kaitlyn added. Her voice sounded just as weak as it did when I left.
Gray eyes studied me from head to toe, not bothering to hide the fact she was sizing me up. For what, I had no clue.
“Antonio… this is Ebony and Yasmine… my best friends.”
I pushed the uncomfortable feeling of being scrutinized aside and smiled.
“Good grief, Yaz,” Ebony said as she walked around the bed. “He got her here, that makes him okay in my book.” She extended a hand to me. “Thank you for looking out for our girl.”
“Not a problem.” I accepted the handshake and ignored the gray glare.
A groan from the bed drew everyone’s attention. Kaitlyn appeared increasingly uncomfortable.
“Can you guys give me and Antonio a few minutes alone?”
The trio complied, but not before giving her a kiss on the cheek, rearranging pillows yet again, and of course, giving me a once over on the way out…everyone but Tiffany who winked instead.
“Sorry, they can be overprotective, especially Yasmine.” She shifted in bed, a flash of pain across her face. “We are all the same age… been best friends since college. They still treat me as if I’m the baby.”
“It’s good to have friends who care about you, especially when you’re estranged from your family.”
She nodded, then grimaced again.
“Are you okay?”
Kaitlyn didn’t respond, only shifted in bed in another attempt to sit up.
After a moment her eyes met mine, her mouth opened as if she wanted to say something.
I stepped closer to the bed and on instinct, reached out to touch her forehead. Her skin was clammy. “Kaity, talk to me.”
“Antonio…” Her eyes grew wider, pupils dilating. The machines monitoring her vital signs and the baby’s went off simultaneously. Her mouth went slack, eyes rolled back in her head as she went limp.
“Kaity!” Getting no response, I tore out of the room, threw open the door, and yelled for help.
“What’s wrong?”
“What happened?”
“Oh my God!”
Tiffany and Kaitlyn’s friends jumped up from where they sat and rushed towards me. I ignored them and focused on the nurses coming from the opposite direction.
“What’s going on?” the lead nurse asked, as she got near.
“I don’t know! One minute we were talking, the next she got agitated. Her eyes went wide and the machines went off. What’s happening?”
I tried to walk in behind the nurses, but got stopped right along with everyone else.
“I need everyone to stay here. We’ll take care of her, let us do our jobs.” The nurse looked from me to the women behind me. The door shut in all of our faces.
I turned to see the women hugging each other, tears streaming from sorrow filled eyes.
“What happened, she was fine when we left!” Tiffany cried.
I ran my hands through my hair in frustration. “I don’t know, she just…” Unable to finish, I choked.
This was Déjá vu…
As if on cue, the door to Kaitlyn’s room flew open and her bed was whisked out of the room.
“Ms. Rodgers is being taken to the operating room for an emergency cesarean. She’s lost consciousness and her vitals have dropped, so have the baby’s.” Gasps came from everyone behind me. “I need you guys to wait here. I’ll let you know the minute anything changes.” She disappeared behind a door marked “staff only”, the same direction Kaitlyn had been taken.
In total shock, I barely registered Tiffany’s arms as they came around my waist.
“I have to call Zack.”
“I have to call Brian.”
“I have to call our family,” Tiffany said, her voice low. “What do I tell them?”
Coming to my senses, I pulled Tiffany close and let her cry on my shoulder. “Nothing. Right now, we wait until there’s something to tell.”
Chapter 20
How long did an emergency C-section take?
Was Kaitlyn okay?
What about the baby?
I crushed the empty soda can with one hand and ran the other through my hair.
A quick glance down the hall revealed Tiffany sitting with Kaitlyn’s friends, huddled together as we all waited on the news. Unable to bear faint sobs and mumbled ‘what if’ scenarios, I’d walked down the hall, using the time to clear my head.
At least they had each other. Besides knowing Tiffany, I felt like an outsider.
I leaned back in the chair beside the vending machine, closed my eyes, and prayed.
I prayed for the wellbeing of the woman I cared for.
I prayed for the safe delivery of her child.
I prayed that for once, death would not find its way into my life, again robbing me of the ones I loved.
My mother. My uncle.
Kaitlyn.
Love.
Admitting love was new for me. Caring was an emotion I knew well. Most of my relationships had been caring ones, including my relationship with Gina.
But my emotions when it came to Kaitlyn were stronger than anything I experienced before.
If something happened…