Take You Away

by Kira Hillins

  “We’re almost there, honey,” Ben said.

  “You’re driving too fast. You want to get pulled over by the police?”

  “I’m following a police car.”

  “I don’t know how much longer I can…stand this.” Another contraction made her cry again.

  “I’m going as fast as I can.”

  He swerved quickly into the emergency lane at the hospital and parked. He jumped out and ran around to the other side. “Come on,” he said, offering his hand.

  “I can’t.” She panted for breath.

  He carefully pulled her out and lifted her in his arms. As he carried her into the crowded ER, people stared. She closed her eyes, but another contraction was coming. She tried her best not to scream and draw more attention, but the pain was too much.

  “She’s been shot,” she heard Ben say through her cries. “Her water broke, but I don’t know how long ago.”

  He lowered her body to a stretcher. As the nurse wheeled her back into the emergency room, Zoe held Ben’s hand, shutting her eyes, breathing, trying to control her whimpers, trying not to pass out.

  Two more nurses met them in a curtained-off room. They sliced her clothes up the center and pulled them off. They put her in a hospital gown that opened up in back.

  With her feet up in stirrups, Ben’s hand holding hers on one side, a nurse and doctor inspecting her shoulder on the other, the realization hit Zoe hard. In just a little while, she’d have her own baby to cradle in her arms. She’d be a mom. This was the most painful and most amazing thing ever.

  “Call Millie,” she said through an intense contraction. “Tell her what’s going on and where I am.”

  Ben swallowed nervously. “Right now?”

  “Yes!” She screamed. “Text her. Call her. I don’t really fucking care! Just let her know!”

  “All right.” He pulled his cell phone from his jacket pocket. He tapped quickly against the screen, then pocketed his phone. “I texted Renji too.”

  “Thanks,” she whispered.

  Sitting with her legs spread apart made the pain in her lower back better. The contractions were barely there anymore, and the throb in her shoulder and head had begun to dull.

  “She’s slipping in and out of consciousness,” she heard the nurse say. “The baby’s head is already crowning.”

  “What can I do?” Ben’s voice was muffled.

  Zoe tried hard to stay awake, but her eyes wouldn’t open. “I can’t do this,” she said, reaching out. “I don’t know what I’m doing.”

  Her ears rang. Eyes closed, she wanted to sleep.

  Someone’s warm hand held hers. Ben’s voice whispered in her ear. “You have to push now, Zoe.”

  “I can’t…” she whispered back.

  “Yes, you can.” His voice was soft in her ear, like an echo in a cavern. It was oddly soothing. “I know you want to sleep, but you have to do this one last thing. Push!”

  Zoe fought the darkness. She forced her eyes open and cried out. Sweat dripped into her eyes as she pushed hard.

  The doctor poked her head up, goggles making her eyes look bigger than they were. “One more push, Zoe!”

  Holding her breath, she clenched her jaw and pushed until all her strength was gone.

  Ben swept his palm across her temple, holding her bangs up away from her eyes. He laughed and cried, attention on the screaming, tiny purple body below her knees.

  “We’ve got a baby boy here!” the doctor said as she placed the baby on Zoe’s stomach.

  Too drained to look down at her son, Zoe gazed at Ben. He kissed her temple. Tears glimmered in his eyes. He was so beautiful. And now he was a dad.

  “You did it, honey.”

  The doctor said a few incoherent words. Ben’s smile quickly faded as, over and over, he said her name. The bright lights of the hospital lowered as the sounds of beeping monitors and a dozen shouting voices hushed.

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Ben watched them surround Zoe’s stretcher. Her lips were blue and face as pale as the pillow beneath her head. She’d lost too much blood.

  “She’s hemorrhaging,” the doctor had shouted.

  Her heart had stopped.

  He ran behind the group of doctors and nurses as they rushed the stretcher down the hall into a restricted area. A blonde woman in pink scrubs stopped him at the double doors.

  “I’m sorry, sir. You can’t come in here. You need to go back to the lobby.”

  “She’s my wife…soon-to-be wife,” he said, out of breath. “I need to be with her!”

  “What’s your name?”

  “Ben Solmer.”

  “The doctors need space to work, Mr. Solmer.” She gave a short nod and then pursed her lips. “I’ll let you know how she’s doing as soon as I can.”

  “Don’t let her die,” he pleaded, in tears as the nurse hurried through the doors. “Please…Zoe…don’t die.”

  He caught a glimpse of her on a table, lights shining down on her as the nurses stripped her gown from her body. Blood soaked the sheets beneath her. Then the doors closed.

  “Damn it!”

  He tossed splayed fingers through his hair, desperately wanting to go in, to be next to her. He’d give anything to trade places with her now. To take away her pain.

  Ben stepped backward. He shoved the door open and then headed back to the waiting area.

  “How is she?” Millie asked the second she and Hank ran into the room.

  “I don’t know,” Ben said as Millie wrapped her arms around him. “If only I’d been here.”

  “Don’t beat yourself up,” Hank said as he placed his hand on Ben’s shoulder. “Have faith, man. She’s a tough lady. She’ll be all right.”

  “Quite a mess at your apartment.” A tall, burly cop waiting near the doorway stepped forward. He took off his dark brown hat and massaged his stubbled scalp. “Sergeant Wilkins. I escorted you and the victim here. I’ll need a statement of what happened tonight.”

  “Zoe’s in there fighting for her life!” Millie said, in tears. “Can’t you get one later? Where’s Fred?”

  “If everything checks out, you can come in tomorrow to give an official report.” The policeman nodded. “But right now, I need you to explain why there’s a dead body in your bathroom.”

  Ben blinked away the tears in his eyes and then sniffled. “Yeah. Okay.”

  Hank grabbed Ben’s arm. “Dead body?”

  Ben shook his head. “The bastard had a gun to Zoe’s head.”

  “Don’t say another word until you get a lawyer,” Millie said.

  “It’s fine.” Ben placed his palm on her shoulder. “I have nothing to hide.”

  The nurse in pink scrubs leaned out the door. “Mr. Solmer?”

  “Yeah, I’m here.” Ben met her at the door. Millie and Hank followed. “How is she?”

  “Between the gunshot wound on her shoulder and hemorrhaging during birth, Ms. Kearny’s lost a lot of blood.”

  “Oh God,” he breathed out.

  Her palm slid over his arm. “Once the doctor’s finished, he’ll be out to discuss everything with you. In the meantime, send her prayers. There’s a cafeteria and coffee station on the first floor.”

  “My son,” he said, barely able to speak.

  The nurse smiled. “The baby is doing just fine. He’s in NICU due to patches of peeling skin, which is to be expected at his gestation. He’s at a good weight. Six pounds, two ounces. Once he passes his heart and respiratory assessment, he’ll be ready for visitors. Two to three days and he may be ready to go home.”

  “Can I see him?”

  “The doctors are testing him now.” Her lips pursed. “I promise, the moment they’re done, I’ll come get you.”

  Ben sat down in a chair along the wall. Head in his hands, tears flooded his eyes. This was all so surreal, a nightmare he wished he could wake up from. He wanted to be angry. But how could he when she was in there fighting for her life?

  Millie sat beside
him. As much as he wanted to be alone to cry, he was comforted with her hand on his back. For a long while he stayed in this position, ignoring everyone around him, listening for his name to be called.

  The cop still waited, wanting his statement, but Ben couldn’t move. Paralyzed, he couldn’t speak. He just stayed in Millie’s arms, eyes closed and in tears.

  Familiar voices filled the waiting room. “Where is she? Where’s Zoe?”

  Ben rose to see Renji and Drema and Deputy Fred standing near the desk. There were three others he didn’t recognize, but he was sure they were friends of Zoe’s.

  He stood, catching Renji’s worried gaze. Other anxious eyes followed as he met them near the small coffee stand beside the nurse’s station.

  Drema looked him up and down, eyes wide. Nausea crept into his throat. In all the chaos and worry, Ben had forgotten about the blood staining his shirt and body.

  “How’s my girl?” Renji asked.

  “She’s still in surgery.” Ben turned his tired gaze on Renji. “She’s lost a lot of blood.”

  Renji’s eyes watered. “What happened?”

  “I wasn’t there to protect her from him. I wasn’t fucking there!” He ground his teeth. Not wanting them to see him cry, he lowered his gaze to the floor and concentrated on controlling his emotions. His gut churned. “I failed again, Renji.”

  “Not your fault, man,” Renji said. “The bastard’s been stalking her for a long time. I should’ve done something about it the moment I found out he was released from jail. If anything, bro, you saved her life.”

  Ben shook Renji’s hand. He didn’t deserve gratitude. If Zoe died, he’d never forgive himself.

  Sergeant Wilkins stood patiently near the window. Ben wiped his eyes and then glanced at Fred.

  “Mind coming with me to give my statement?”

  “Sure thing,” Fred said with a nod.

  He followed Fred and Wilkins into the hall. It was the first time he got a good look at the blood on his T-shirt. Zoe’s blood. The front had splatters of red that stretched down the lengths of his arms to his stained hands.

  “All right, son,” Wilkins said. “Tell me exactly what happened.”

  Ben pinched the crease between his eyes. “When I arrived at Zoe’s apartment, I noticed the police car outside. I stopped to tell the officer I was there to see Zoe, but found him unconscious. I dialed 911 and told them there was an intruder in Zoe’s apartment.”

  Wilkins glanced at his notebook. “You went inside after that.”

  “Yes.”

  “You knew the attacker?”

  “Her ex-boyfriend. Nicholas.” Ben gritted his teeth. “I couldn’t let him hurt her again.”

  “There was a history of physical abuse.”

  Ben palmed his forehead. He glanced at Fred, who gave him a short nod. “He’d also raped her.”

  “Recently?”

  “About three years ago. He went to prison because of it. When he got out, he wouldn’t leave her alone.”

  “He stalked her.”

  “Yeah.”

  Wilkins jotted down more in his notebook and then lowered his arms to his sides. “So you went inside the apartment, had a struggle with the assailant, and then you shot him in the head?”

  “He was about to kill Zoe.”

  Ben’s muscles tensed. The sick feeling in his gut intensified. The way the cop spoke made Ben sound like he’d purposely shot Nicholas.

  Ben leaned against the wall. He folded his arms across his chest as the struggle with Nicholas replayed in his mind. The bastard was about to kill her. Ben had tried to knock Nicholas out, but the guy wouldn’t lose consciousness.

  If Ben had thought of any other way, he’d have taken it. Now he was torn between guilt and worry. But deep down, he couldn’t help the relief he still felt.

  “The door was unlocked. I heard voices coming from the bathroom. When I got there, I found Nicholas pointing the gun at her head.”

  Ben switched his stance to the other foot. He thought about the way it felt seeing the woman he loved, the mother of his child, on the floor with the gun to her head. He hadn’t cared what happened to him or if he’d died to save her, as long as she was safe. He’d have preferred to die over what happened to her.

  “Go on, son,” Wilkins said in a reassuring voice.

  Ben cleared his throat. “I lunged for him. Grabbed his arms and shoved. The gun went off. I didn’t know the bullet hit Zoe’s shoulder. I wrestled him to the floor. I tried to get the gun away from him, but he just kept pointing it at her. The only thing I could do was redirect his aim to his chin and help him pull the trigger.”

  Wilkins stuffed his notebook in the pocket of his brown slacks. “We’ll need to bag your clothes for evidence.”

  “I’ve got a change of clothes in the car,” Ben replied.

  “I’ll get one of the nurses to let you use a room for a shower. Just come into the station in the morning and give a formal, detailed statement.”

  Ben nodded. “Yes, sir.”

  “My prayers to your wife and son for a full recovery.”

  Ben shook his hand. “Thanks, Sergeant.”

  As Ben watched him leave, Fred stepped into his spot. “You know, I was Nicholas’s arresting officer,” he said as they stood in the hallway. “Several of the girls he’d dated before Zoe had suffered fractures and broken bones. The guy was a vicious son of a bitch.”

  “Then why’d he only get two years?”

  “Only Zoe would press charges. The other girls were too scared to testify.” Fred lowered his voice. “Zoe called me right after the rape. When I found her, she was huddled in the corner of her room. Her gown was ripped and bloodstained. She had bruises on her back and face. Scratch marks on her legs and sides.” Fred shook his head. “I’ll tell you, if I hadn’t been a cop back then, I’d have put a bullet in his head myself.”

  Ben wanted to put his fist through the wall. To hear this version, the reality of what she’d gone through, tore him up inside.

  “Sorry,” Fred continued. “Detailed story is a bit rough to hear. But I wanted you to understand, what you did tonight was a good thing. You saved her life.”

  “I didn’t have a choice.”

  “Maybe not. But you also helped all those other women he’d hurt, and probably saved lives he may have ruined in the future.”

  Ben ground his teeth so hard it almost hurt. “I know this sounds bad, Fred, but I’d do it again. I’d make the guy suffer before putting him out of his fucking misery.”

  Fred extended his arm. “Come on. Let’s go find you a room.”

  After Ben washed up and changed into a black T-shirt and jeans, the door to the emergency room opened. Ben turned his tired eyes to the doctor stepping across the floor beside the nurse who’d kept Ben up to date on what was happening.

  Everyone in the room stood as Ben darted from the chair.

  The doctor shook Ben’s hand. “Dr. Prius,” he said in a gentle tone. “I performed surgery on Ms. Kearny.”

  “Ben Solmer.” Ben folded his arms over his chest. “How is she?”

  “Ms. Kearny made it through surgery, but not without complications.”

  “Complications?” Millie asked.

  “I had a difficult time stopping the hemorrhaging. Her heart stopped twice during the blood transfusion. But once I found the tear and stitched her up, the bleeding stopped and she stabilized. She’s one heck of a fighter.”

  “Oh gosh,” Millie said.

  Hank put his arm around her and held her close. “Is she going to be all right?”

  “In that regards, yes. Unfortunately, Ms. Kearny suffered trauma to the head that caused swelling of the brain. She’s in a coma.”

  “Coma?” Ben’s heart dived. Whispers went around the group.

  Renji blew a short breath. “It’s not…permanent, is it?”

  “I really can’t say,” Dr. Prius replied. “It’s too soon to detect how much brain damage there is, if there is any. Since t
his is injury related, the only thing we can do is monitor her closely and keep her medicated until the swelling goes down. Whether the coma is temporary or permanent is completely up to how well her body recovers.”

  “What are you saying?” Millie asked. “She might never wake up?”

  “It’s possible. It could be hours. Days. Years. If there’s permanent brain damage, she could remain on life support indefinitely.”

  Ben strode to the window. Hands over his face, he sat in a chair. When he looked up, Dr. Prius stood before him.

  “You’re the father of the child?”

  Unable to find his voice, Ben whispered, “Yeah.”

  “I hear he’s passed his tests,” he said in a gentle tone. “If you’re ready, I’ll have Ingrid escort you back to NICU.”

  “That’d be great.” Ben stood. Finally, there was a little light in his darkness.

  Prius spoke low enough only Ben could hear. “If it’s any consolation, Ms. Kearny pulled through the tough part. She’s a fighter, Mr. Solmer. Have faith.”

  “Thanks, Dr. Prius.”

  Ben followed the nurse out the double doors and into the hall. She led him into another wing of the hospital to another set of doors. The sign hanging on the wall read NEONATAL INTENSIVE CARE UNIT. The surreal sensation washed over him again as he walked into a small room.

  After he slid a gown over his clothes and washed his hands, the nurse took him into another, larger room. He strode past dozens of incubators. Monitors chimed. Babies so tiny he could fit them in the palm of his hand were in each enclosed crib. It was sad and yet reassuring. If these children could survive at such a minuscule weight, his baby would be just fine.

  “Here’s the adorable little guy,” the nurse said, stopping at the first incubator in the last row.

  Ben looked through the glass. Cheeks wet with tears, he gazed down at the pale-skinned body with black tufts of hair sticking up on top of his head. He waved his tiny arms and legs as he yawned wide.

  “He looks just like you,” the nurse said softly. She wrapped the baby up in a white-and-blue blanket. Ben’s heart pounded as she carefully placed his son in his arms.

  This was the proudest moment of his life.

  “Do you have a name for him yet?”