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I try to calm my breathing, not wanting to upset my girl any more than she already is.
I stutter, “My-my four-year-old is screaming about her stomach hurting. She….” April screams out again, cutting me off and making me flinch.
“Okay, caller, what’s your address? We’ll have an ambulance on its way to you.”
I give her my address as April screams out again. My heart pounds with fear, a sob working its way up my throat as I gently move her sweaty hair off her forehead.
Not even half an hour later, my girl is rushed into the operating room. Doc from the MC is gripping my shoulder, telling me all was going to be okay before rushing in after her. I stand frozen in fear as my mom, who was one of the nurses waiting in the ambulance bay, grabs my hand and drags me into the waiting room, still in her scrubs.
She mumbles she’s just getting me some water, which I don’t want, before quickly rushing out of the room. I grab my phone. Without thinking, I press call on his number, my heart breaking that he is my first thought.
“Freckles? Is everything OK?”
I let out a sob, wishing I could just let him hold me, but he belongs to someone else, despite him continuing to try and get with me.
I rasp, “Damn it. I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have called,” before hanging up, and then dialing Phil’s number.
After five rings, he answers. “Hey darling, can I give you a call back?”
I let out a sob. He sounds out of breath, and now I feel bad for interrupting him.
“Olivia, what’s happened?”
I hear someone sneer in the background, “Who the fuck is Olivia?”
He tells the man to shut up but I blurt, “April has been rushed to surgery with severe stomach pain. They-they have to operate.”
He curses before there are rustling sounds, and a male’s voice echoes through the speaker, “What the fuck, are you married?”
I roll my eyes before Phil snaps, “No, I’m not, but I do have a daughter who’s been rushed into surgery, and I’m two fucking hours away.” I sniff, and Phil cursed again. “Liv, I’ll be there soon. Hang in there.”
We say bye as my tears start to fall hard, April’s piercing scream echoing in my mind, my heart wanting its other half. My body shakes, my sobs wishing to come out.
The hospital door slams open five minutes later, my eyes meeting Smokey’s piercing blue ones.
“Jonny,” I sob, and he runs over to me, taking me into his arms and lifting me up. My legs go around his waist, my face into the crook of his neck as I sob, terrified for my little girl, my world, all while he holds me tighter.
I hear my mom come in and gasp. “Oh, thank God, I was going to call you.” I ignore her, keeping my grip on the man I’ve given my heart to. The man who hurt me and is trying to work things out with his wife.
What kind of woman am I for taking comfort in another woman’s man?
My heart stutters at the thought, and just as I’m about to jump off him, he takes a seat, making me straddle him as he cups my cheeks, his thumbs wiping away my tears as he asks, “What happened, baby?”
I sniffle, then reply, “I-I was putting away her dresses when-when I heard her scream out in pain.” He flinches as my mom lets out a sob. “When I ran to the living room, she-she was crying, curled up in-in a ball, holding her stomach.”
I let out another sob as he places his forehead against mine and rasps, “Doc’s with her, Freckles; she’s in the best hands.”
I nod before I place my face into the crook of his neck, where I stay for a little while. I know I shouldn’t be doing this; it’s not fair on his ex-wife.
I suddenly feel dirty.
As I think about removing myself from his lap, the door opens again. I instantly jumped off Smokey and rush to Doc, my mom, and Smokey behind me. Doc grips my hands and gives me a smile. “Her appendix burst.”
My heart stops, my eyes widen, and he squeezes my hands.
“We removed it. We had to wash out her abdomen with saline, which is basically salt water, so there won’t be any infection. Now, she will have a tube in the incision for twenty-four hours to help drain out the fluid. Then, as long as she recovers as well as we believe she will, she can be discharged within four days.”
My tears fall, and Doc takes me in his arms, holding me tightly. I hear Smokey growl, but we ignore him as Doc pulls back. “Come on, sweetheart, let me take you to your girl.”
