"Ma’am," the doctor repeated, and I cracked my lids open to meet the woman's concerned eyes. "Is there any chance you could be pregnant?"
I didn't immediately respond. I couldn't. But as tears streamed down my face, I forced the words past my lips because if there wasanyhope, then they needed the facts.
"Maybe," I croaked in a sorrowful whisper. "I think so."
From the corner of my eye, I saw Dylan freeze. If not for his dark complexion, he might've just blanched whiter than me.
The doctor simply gave a nod and coaxed me to lie back on the bed while she rattled off some orders to her nurse. Then an orderly started pushing my gurney down a corridor.
"Sir, you need to wait here." A male nurse held up a hand to block Dylan from following, and I held my breath as I waited for his response in the form of violence.
But it didn't happen. Dylan just stood there looking shocked and helpless, his green eyes locked on my face as they wheeled me away. A moment later, the doors swung closed between us, cutting him off from view, and I squeezed my eyes shut tight. It did nothing to stop the tears from leaking out, though.
* * *
The sunlight streamingthrough my window when I woke seemed almost cruel. How dare the sun rise all happy and bright after the night we'd just suffered through? My baby… possibly dying as I lay here. Ruth, brutally murdered in her beautiful home. All because of me.
No. Not because ofme. Because ofBlake.
Anger burned through my veins like acid as I thought of everything he'd taken from me. My freedom. My confidence. My baby...
"Oh, you're awake," a woman commented, and my head jerked around to find a nurse standing beside my bed with a chart in her hands. I hadn't even noticed her there as I stared at the sunlight and wallowed in my own misery. "I'll go and get Doctor Mooney; she can update you on everything."
Tears started flowing down my face again as dread washed through me. I didn't need the doctor to tell me what I already knew.
The nurse smiled warmly and gave my arm a gentle squeeze, careful not to bump the IV line in the back of my hand.
"You're going to be okay, Brooklyn," she told me in a gentle voice. "You had a close call and a hell of a scare, but you're okay. Just take some deep breaths, yes? Deep breaths. Your baby needs all the calming vibes from its mama right now."
My heart stopped.
"Wh-what?"
Understanding flashed over the nurse's face, and she tilted her head to the side. "Oh, honey. You don't remember—of course not, you suffered a bit of a head injury. Mild concussion. There is still a viable heartbeat for your jellybean.” She paused. “I’ll let the doctor explain the rest to you.”
Overwhelming sobs shook my chest, making my ribs ache painfully and my head swim, so I couldn't respond even if I had the words. The nurse seemed to understand, though, gave me a small hug, then whispered that she'd fetch the doctor to give me more information.
I was only left alone for a few moments, just long enough for me to realize something that made my stomach sink and my heart ache.
Dylan wasn't here. I was totally alone in my hospital room.
The last thing I remembered was that horrified look on his face as I admitted to knowing—maybe knowing—that I was pregnant. He had to have done the math. He had to know it was his. Unless...
Oh fuck. What if he thought it was someone else's? I'd never told him he was my first, and we had never discussed other sexual partners. Hell, we were nothing more than a casual hookup every couple of weeks; he probablyexpectedme to have been with other guys as well.
My doctor entered the room, cutting off my pity party before it could really kick into gear, and I almost lost it again at her bright smile.
"Brooklyn, it's so good to see you awake," she told me with warmth in her tone. She pulled up a chair and sat beside my bed like we were old friends, cocking her head to the side to inspect my face. "You look really upset, hon. Is it just a bit overwhelming, or is there something else?"
I didn't even know how to answer that question. Both? Yes, it was crazy overwhelming, but I was also distraught about the senseless murder of a woman whodidn'tdeserve to die last night and freaking right the fuck out that Dylan wasn't here.
So, I just nodded.
The doctor smiled, patting my arm like the nurse had. "I get it," she offered with a sympathetic smile. "Here are the facts for you. You suffered quite a few injuries last night, including a cracked rib, substantial bruising, and a mild concussion, which we have been monitoring. In regard to the fetus, we’ve estimated you at around seven-weeks gestation, and for now, the heartbeat is strong and viable, which is nearly a miracle with all your injuries.”
There was hope, but I also sensed a but coming.
“But you are still lightly bleeding. There’s nothing we can do, at this early stage, to prevent a miscarriage. For now, it’s basically in nature’s hands. So I’m going to need you to relax, stay calm, and let us get you all healed up.”
