“I don’t know.It’s been a while since they rushed her in.They said someone will be out soon.”
My mother hugs me next, worry written on her face, lines etched across her smooth forehead.“Honey, what happened?”
I take them to the room and tell them what I know.Gage is more upset than I’ve seen him in a long time, walking around the room quietly.Ava and my mother sit next to each other, my mother holding Ava’s hand while she tries not to cry.
I sit back staring blankly at the floor for hours on hours, anxious, nervous, scared beyond any other feeling I’ve experienced in my life.I’m about to snap and go looking for answers when Chris walks through the door with his family.
I open my mouth and run my hand over my jaw.“If you want to stay you can, the rest of them are not welcomed here.”
“Nick, be reasonable, we’re her family,” Chris says to me, sitting in the chair.
“Familydid this to her.Her family put her in the hospital.Don’t tell me about family, as far as I’m concerned you’re the only real family she has.”
“Nick, I don’t know what happened but we’re all worried about her.”
“You can stay.If the rest of them don’t want to be thrown out of this hospital completely, banned from having contact with Cat and my child, they will leave and stay out of my sight.Don’t push me on this, Chris, or you’re going to be on the other side with them, against me.”
“Who the hell do you think you are?”Jay says.
“More to her than you’ll ever be.”Last time he walked out of here, this time he won’t.
I stand up, ready to show him who I am.Gage comes and stands behind me, ready to follow my lead.
“That’s enough,” his father says.“We’re not going to do this again.Chris, you stay.This is going to get us nowhere, let us know what’s going on with your sister and the baby.We’ll be with your mother and sister.Let’s go, Jay!”He pulls on Jay, forcing him to leave with him.
I run my hands through my hair, tugging on it hard not feeling it with the adrenaline and all the other things I have coursing through my body.I don’t know how long I’ve been here, it’s as if time is standing still.
“Mr.Alexander?”
“Yes!”The doctor comes over to me.I swallow the lump in my throat and get my courage together.“How is she, is she okay?”
He gives me a level look, his hands in his pockets.“She’s out of surgery, but there were a few complications.”
“What kinds of complications?”
“She lost a lot of blood, and we had to give her a blood transfusion.The baby’s heart rate dropped dangerously low during the delivery.We were able to get it back up after delivery.”
“All I need to know is are they alive and are they fine?”
“Yes.They’re both in stable condition.”
“Can I see them?”
“Yes, but she hasn’t woken up yet.She might not wake up for some time.”
“What do you mean?”Fear is clawing at my insides, fearing what his next words will be.The air is sucked out of the room, stifling me.
“She had some swelling on the brain from the fall.We had to put her in a medically induced coma.”
“When will she wake up?”
“When the swelling and her pain subsides, hopefully within a few days.I can’t say exactly.”
My mother says for me, “Thank you.”
I walk out of the room leaving them behind.I hear Ava call my name and Chris tell her to let me go.I can’t see her yet.She’s going to be fine, she has to be.I need to go see someone else first—our creation.I promised her.
The nurse takes me in after I put on scrubs.
