Stepping back, he motions for me to precede him back toward the hospital entrance, then he follows behind. Everyone is where I left them, in varying states of stress seated in the waiting room. I sit next to my mother, and Declan sits on my other side. Placing my arms on the armrests where the chairs touch, I take deep breath, willing myself to keep my shit together.
Declan rests his forearm over the top of mine, his palm pressed into the back of my hand. He doesn’t look at me or make a thing out of it, just sits there, silently supporting me.
And then we wait.
A couple hours later, the doors open again, revealing a woman in green scrubs. “Mr. Rafferty?”
“I’m here.” I jump to my feet, already halfway across the room before she locates me.
“I’m Dr. Madelyn Ball,” she states, motioning for me to enter a side room. “I’m the surgeon who worked on your wife, Cassidy.”
I pause in the doorway, gesturing for my parents to join me. They both sit in the chairs provided, but I stand, ready to come out of my skin to hear how Cassidy is doing.
“The surgery went well?” my mother asks.
Dr. Ball turns to my mother, recognition in her smile as she responds, “Yes, Sylvie. We were able to stop the bleeding and stabilize her.”
Crossing my arms across my chest, I brace myself for the details and then ask, “What happened?”
Dr. Ball turns to me, and replies, “Mrs. Rafferty presented to the emergency department unconscious, vitals erratic, with an active hemorrhage. Sylvie had notified EMS of the early pregnancy, which lead us to finding the ectopic pregnancy and resulting ruptured fallopian tube quickly.
“Unfortunately, the bleeding was too significant for a laparoscopic approach,” Dr. Ball explains. “We ended up making a larger abdominal incision in order to better assess the overall damage to her fallopian tube. Finding the fallopian tube completely ruptured we felt it was safer to remove it.”
“And…” I let my sentence drift off, but my implied question is clear when Dr. Ball’s expression shifts to sympathetic and she adds, “And the embryo with it.”
“But Cassidy is okay?” I whisper, skipping over the pain of the lost pregnancy and focusing on what I can see and hold.
“It will take some time, but she should have a full recovery.”
Wanting to have answers for Cassidy when the time comes, I ask, “And future pregnancies?”
“This shouldn’t affect her future fertility.”
Knowing how important having a child is to Cassidy, a sliver of relief rushes over me. My mother squeezes my hand, some of the worry leaving her features at the news that Cassidy is going to make a full recovery. “Is she awake?”
“She wasn’t when I left the OR,” Dr. Ball replies. “But she’ll start to rouse in the next hour or so.”
“Can I see her?”
“Yes, she’ll be in recovery shortly. One of the nurses will bring you to her while we wait for a bed to be ready.”
Dr. Ball opens the door, takes a step out into the waiting room and raises her hand. “Laura, do you mind bringing Mr. Rafferty to see his wife, please?”
Dr. Ball reaches into her pocket, pulls out a card and then turns back to me, holding it out. “Please feel free to call me if you any questions or concerns. I’m happy to help in any way.”
I take the card, nodding my thanks as Dr. Ball adds, “Laura will take you to Cassidy,” then she takes her leave, disappearing back through the double doors.
The dark-haired nurse from earlier steps into view, still with the tired eyes, though now seems a bit more approachable even as she states, “Just you. We can’t have a bunch of people in recovery.”
My mom scowls, even though I know she already knows the rules. Dad places his hand on her arm, gives her a stern look. “We’ll head to the cafeteria and update the boys.”
“Have Dave update Conrad. And see if you can locate Declan. He had to make a phone call so he’s gonna be pissed he missed meeting the surgeon.”
Laura snorts and says, “Your rock star friend is on the phone with the hospital administrators, securing Mrs. Rafferty’s private room.”
“He’s what?”
Laura turns her amused gaze on me. “He’s been giving those bastards hell for an hour. We’ve been taking turns going out there to listen because screw those guys.”
