I turned to look out into the hall and froze as I watched the scene in front of me play out in slow motion. I quickly blocked Riley’s view as Avery bent forward and clutched her stomach. Then, her knees buckled and she dropped to the floor. Two nurses were there instantly helping her to her feet. And that’s when everyone except Avery saw the blood trickling down her legs and onto the floor.
“Ma’am, how far along are you?”
“I’m thirty weeks. It’s false labor. I just wasn’t expecting it,” she said.
“Let’s get you to a room and see what’s going on.”
“No! I need to make sure my kids are okay. My son and daughter were just brought in,” Avery insisted.
“Avery,” I called out. “I’m with Riley, and Bronze is with Braxton. We won’t leave them.”
“Kellan?” she asked and her fear was evident.
“We don’t know anything yet. But I’ll make sure someone updates you as soon as we know something,” I promised.
She grimaced and clutched her stomach. “Shit,” she cursed.
“Ma’am, we really need to get you upstairs. I think you might be in labor,” the nurse said carefully.
“This is my third child. I know what labor feels like,” she grunted.
“Call labor and delivery. Let them know we’re coming up with a woman in premature labor and visible bleeding.”
Avery gasped at the nurse’s words before she turned back and met my eyes. “Please take care of my kids.”
“I will. I’ll bring them to you as soon as they’re released,” I promised.
“Thank you,” she said and reluctantly sat in the wheelchair waiting to take her away.
“Is Mommy having her baby?” Riley asked quietly.
“I’m not sure, sweetie. But the nurses upstairs will take good care of her and we’ll go see her as soon as they make sure you’re okay.”
River and Kennedy came running through the doors and I’d never been so happy to see another female who wasn’t my woman. “Copper, what do you need us to do?”
“Can you find out what’s going on with Braxton Parker and Savior?”
“Of course,” she said and disappeared into the fray.
To my surprise, Kennedy was the one who came back with an update. “Braxton has a concussion and is going to be admitted to the hospital for overnight observation. He’s awake and talking,” she said and shook her head. “Well, he’s talking to everyone except Bronze.”
“What about Kellan?”
She cleared her throat. “River’s in there helping them prep him for surgery,” she said and looked down at her feet.
“Kennedy?”
She shook her head. “He’s in bad shape,” she whispered.
“How bad?”
“Bad enough that they’re considering waiting for his grandfather to get here because they don’t think he’ll make it through surgery,” she whispered.
“No!” I bellowed and got in her face. “You go back in there and tell him he has to make it. His baby is being born right now. He has a little girl and little boy sitting here in this hospital crying for him. Go tell him that. Right now!”
With tears in her eyes, she nodded and went back to the room. Kellan flatlined thirty seconds later.
29
