“I’ll leave you two alone for the appointment,” Mr. Russell says as he gets up from the chair by Sheridan’s bed and leans over to press a kiss against the top of her head. “I’ll be right outside if you need me, Sweetheart.”
Sheridan nods at her dad as he leaves the room and we both turn our attention to Dr. Matthews. She’s looking over the tablet that’s in her hands with a frown on her face. My heart starts racing because if she’s already frowning, I’m not sure we’re gonna get good news today.
“Your blood pressure hasn’t gone down as much as I believed it would, Sheridan. It’s not at dangerous levels like it was a week ago, but it’s still higher than I’d like. And you’ve had some swelling in your ankles and legs as well. I know you’re getting up and walking around and doing everything we’ve asked of you. How are you truly feeling?” Dr. Matthews questions Sheridan, finally looking away from the tablet as she stands at the end of the bed.
“I’m exhausted. I can’t get enough sleep when people are constantly coming and going from the room. I get why they are, but it means a lack of sleep for me. I’m a light sleeper on a good day so I’m constantly waking up every time the door opens,” Sheridan answers her honestly as she sinks back into the pillows at her back.
“I get it. Everything else looks good and the baby has shown no signs of distress. It’s the only reason I’m willing to discharge you today. However, you need to stay with someone who will be there around the clock to keep an eye on you. I want you mainly on bed rest. You can get up to use the bathroom and walk for a few minutes a day, but I’d prefer you resting and off your feet until we can get your blood pressure down even more. How is your back doing?” Dr. Matthews asks, looking at the tablet again after asking that question.
“It’s been bothering me more, but honestly I’m used to the pain. If I’m up moving around it tends to bother me more so being on bed rest might help alleviate some of the pain,” Sheridan answers and I know she’s not telling the truth of how bad the pain is.
“Do you have somewhere you can stay with someone?”
“She’ll stay with me,” I answer without hesitation or thought. I just know I need to have her with me on the compound where I can watch over her.
“I can stay with my dad. He’ll be there with me around the clock and won’t have to leave at the drop of a hat,” Sheridan responds without looking at me.
I do notice she’s twisting the blanket in her hands and that’s a sign of her being nervous. Sheridan is scared to stay with me and would rather be with her dad. While I know she should be with him during this time, I can’t help the fact that I need herwith me on the compound. I want to be the one to take care of her and be there first thing if something happens to her or our son. All I have to do is get the room ready downstairs so she’s not having to walk up and down the large flight of stairs I have in the house. It won’t take me that long if I have my parents, Knuckles, and Janessa help me get things ready.
“It sounds like you have two places you can stay. I’ll discharge you as soon as I leave your room. If you become dizzy, feel lightheaded, or your blood pressure goes up again, I want you to immediately come back to the hospital and call me on your way here. Don’t hesitate or act like things are better than they are. This is a dangerous time for you and any hesitation on your part could lead to dire consequences, Sheridan. You need to take this seriously. I want your blood pressure taken once an hour at least and the numbers written down so you can see them and if there’s any kind of pattern if it rises and lowers over the day,” Dr. Matthews warns Sheridan and me as I make mental notes of things I have to do and buy before Sheridan gets to the house.
When we let her know we don’t have any questions, Dr. Matthews leaves the room and Mr. Russell enters again. We let him know Sheridan is being discharged as long as she can stay with someone who will be there around the clock for her.
“Mr. Russell, I know Sheridan wants to stay with you and that you’ll do anythin’ she asks, but I feel as if she’d be better off on the compound and in my house than anywhere else. I can take care of her and if I have to leave for any reason, my parents and Janessa will be there for her. You can come over any time you want as well. If you want to stay in my house, you can. I won’t ever keep you away from your daughter. I just need her to be with me,” I tell Mr. Russell as he looks at me from acrossSheridan’s bed like he’s trying to see through my soul to find the truth of our situation.
“Dad, I can stay with you. It’s not like I don’t have a room at the house and you’ll always be close by,” Sheridan says, turning a pleading look toward her dad in the hopes she’ll agree with him and not me.
“I think it would be better if you stayed with Axel, Sweetheart. I can’t necessarily be with you the way you need someone right now. The garage is busy as hell and I’ve been here with you. Don’t get me wrong, there’s nowhere else I’d rather be than by your side. But, if you go with Axel to his house, I can work during the day and get caught up again before coming to visit during the evening. There’s way more people who can be there for you if you’re at Axel’s house than at mine,” Mr. Russell says, his voice soft and gentle as he talks to his daughter and tries to help me out here.
Sheridan looks at her dad as if he’s just betrayed her. If I weren’t holding a grudge against her, Sheridan wouldn’t be this hesitant about staying with me. I know she doesn’t need the stress and we will have the conversation that’s been long overdue. If she’s in my house, it will be easier for us to have the talk we need. I’ll just have to ensure the doors are locked so no one barges into my house. Plus, I need to find out what’s going on with her and it will be easier if she’s in my house with me.
“Sheridan, I have a bedroom downstairs that already has a bed in it. I need to get a few things to finish it off for you and I’ll get that taken care of before you come over. It’s got an attached bathroom with one of those huge tubs you used to talk about all the time. I can get anythin’ for the room you need like a mini refrigerator to keep water and other drinks in during the day. There’s a TV in the room already so you’ll have somethin’ to watch when you can’t sleep. I’ll make sure you're as comfortableas possible and you’ll want for nothin’,” I tell her, needing her to want to stay in the house with me so she’s not agitated or upset with this situation we find ourselves in.
I watch on as Sheridan looks between her dad and me. Mr. Russell isn’t backing down this time. I’ve seen this girl give her dad one look and him crumble while giving in to her. This time, he’s standing firm on his decision that he won’t be able to be with her the way she needs right now. Finally, Sheridan’s shoulders slump and her head drops in defeat before I get a slight nod of her head.
“I’ll stay with Tease,” she says and excitement and hurt war inside me because Sheridan never calls me Tease. I’ve always been Axel to her no matter how pissed off she is with me.
“Okay. I’m gonna leave now to get things ready for you at the house. Mr. Russell, if you bring her over in a few hours, I should be ready for her. We can have dinner together and you can decide if you want to stay at my house with us. I’ll have a room ready for you as well,” I inform them as I turn to leave the room with the largest smile on my face. A smile I’m not ready for Sheridan to see because she doesn’t need to know this is exactly what I want and what we need to move forward.
Pulling out my phone as I leave Sheridan’s room, I call my parents to let them know what’s going on. My mom is out the door before I even think about hanging up to go shopping for everything Sheridan could need. She does task me with going to get groceries so I let my dad know I’m heading there and will inform Knuckles about what’s going on so Janessa and him can help us out. While I head for the grocery store, my parents get to work on a few other things. My dad is already at my house making sure both bedrooms don’t need much of anything for Mr. Russell and Sheridan. Plus, my mom is calling him with a million questions about the rooms as Janessa and her shop. Iknew she’d pick Janessa up to go with her. I’ve only got a limited amount of time before Sheridan will be ready to come to my house and so much left to do.
Chapter Ten
Sheridan
LEAVING THE HOSPITAL with my dad, I can’t help but feel as if he’s betraying me. I know he’s been at the hospital with me every single day from the time he can enter my room during visiting hours until they kick him out each evening. Of course things are behind at the garage and he needs to be able to put his focus back there so he can make money and get the vehicles he’s supposed to be working on fixed and back to their owners. However, the last place I want to stay is with Axel. Things are so strained between the two of us and despite us talking a little more, it all revolves around the baby. We’re both dancing around the one conversation we need to have and I’m not sure how it’s going to go. If I stay with Axel and things get even worse than they currently are, I’ll have to move out and it just seems like a ton of trouble that can be avoided if I just stay with my dad.
I can admit that it was kind of nice to hear Axel plead for me to stay with him on the compound. I’ve never been to his house and I’m kind of curious as to what kind of place he’d live in. Though, from what I’ve overheard, he stays in the clubhouse with the rest of the guys who don’t have a family instead of his house. Maybe that’s his plan—remain in his room at the clubhouse while giving me a room at his house. It might be that we won’t spend any time together at all and he won’t change his life just because I’ve moved into his house. Honestly, I don’t really know how he lives his life these days. I’ve heard a ton ofthings about him and the rest of the guys in the club, but I tend to reserve judgment based on what I personally see and not the words of people who don’t know what they’re talking about.
My dad leaves the room long enough for a nurse to help me get dressed in my regular clothes again. Thankfully, Axel’s mom went to my house to grab me some clothes for when I was discharged so I didn’t have to put the same ones back on. If I didn’t know his mom the way I do, I wouldn’t have allowed her in my home, but I’ve known her since school so I was okay with her entering my sanctuary. Janessa went with her but promised she wouldn’t go in the house because she knew I wasn’t comfortable with her going inside. I can see myself becoming really good friends with her at some point down the road, but right now I need to focus on my health and the baby boy I carry inside me.
Dr. Matthews is allowing me to drive so I can head to the store to get a few things I need if I’m going to be at Axel’s house instead of my own home. I plan on packing up some clothes and the toiletries I need before my dad loads it in my SUV to take with me. Then I’ll go to the store and grab a few snacks and other things I want to have with me. I’m thinking I might get a few new books I can have with me so the days aren’t quite so long and boring. Bed rest sucks and if I don’t have anything to do, I’ll go crazy. Being in the hospital this past week has driven me up a wall because I wasn’t allowed to do anything but rest. If I’m going to be at Axel’s, I want to make sure I have something to do so I don’t get annoyed and have an attitude like I started to get when I was at the hospital.
Once I have my paperwork in hand and an appointment to see Dr. Matthews again in a few days, my dad wheels me from my room and we head out to his car. The nurse and him help me inside where I get comfortable before I’m enclosed inside andmy dad makes his way to the driver’s seat so we can get out of here. For the first time in a week, I take a deep breath and let the hospital stay leave me. The first thing I’m doing when I get home is taking a shower to wash the stench of the hospital off of me. I only took one shower when I was there because the staff was too worried I’d fall with how high my blood pressure was. Sponge baths were my friend and it’s just not enough for me to feel clean. I’ll just leave the door open so my dad can hear me if anything happens.
“Sweetheart, I know you want to take a shower when you get home. I’m gonna ask that you wait until you get to Axel’s house. He’ll be able to go in the bathroom with you instead of waiting outside the room like I’d have to do. Or he can have his mom or Janessa go in with you if that makes you more comfortable. I’m just worried I won’t be able to get to you quick enough if something happens,” my dad says as if he’s reading my mind and disappointment fills me.
“Okay. I get where you’re coming from and I understand your concerns, but it doesn’t mean I like it,” I tell him as I lean against the window and watch the world around me pass by.
