Page 102 of One Reckless Night

“Jared,” he said and extended his hand.

Dr. Speldman was a man I knew well. We’d worked together on a few cases in the past, but today, he wasn’t my colleague. He was the man standing between me and Amelia. I wasn’t in the mood for pleasantries.

“I need to see her,” I said, my voice tight with barely restrained anger. “Now.”

Dr. Speldman raised an eyebrow, his expression calm but firm. “Jared, this is outside your scope of practice. Amelia and the baby are going to be fine, but she needs to rest and continue being monitored.”

“What happened?” I asked.

“She had a very severe subchorionic hematoma. She’s lucky she didn’t have a placental abruption.”

I clenched my fists, my mind racing. “What does that mean? Is she stable? Is the baby⁠—”

“She’s stable,” he interrupted, his tone softening. “But given that she’s only four to five months along, she needs to stay in a resting state. Bedrest, at least for a few weeks. No stress, no exertion. She’s lucky you got her here when you did.”

I nodded, but his words barely registered. All I could think about was Amelia, alone in that hospital room, scared and confused. “I need to see her,” I said again, my voice breaking this time.

He studied me for a moment, then sighed. “Jared, does she have family we can call? Or better yet, the baby’s father?”

The question hit me like a ton of bricks. For the first time, I saw the situation not as a doctor, but as a man—a man who was terrified of losing the woman he cared about and the child they’d created together. I braced myself against the wall, my legs suddenly weak.

Shawn jumped up and stood beside me. “She’s going to be okay,” Shawn said.

Dr. Speldman’s expression softened. “I see,” he said. He placed a hand on my shoulder. “I’m sorry, Jared. I didn’t realize. Come on, I’ll take you to her.”

“We’ll be right here,” Clair said with tears in her eyes.

I followed him down the hallway. I’d spent my entire life being the one in control, the one who had all the answers. But now, for the first time, I had to let someone else take the reins. I had to trust that the doctor and his team would take care of her, because I couldn’t. Not this time.

When we reached her room, he paused outside the door. “She’s still sleeping. She’s weak. It’s going to take a couple of days for her to recover. We are watching her closely, but I want her to rest.”

“Will she need a transfusion?”

He shook his head. “I don’t see any need for that. Like I said, she got here in time. We’re monitoring her. Right now, it’s just rest and hydration. No stress. I don’t want her out of that bed for anything.”

I nodded, trying to tell myself she was okay, but I wasn’t going to believe it until I saw her.

“Thank you,” I said.

“I’ll check back this evening,” he said. “I know this might sound impossible, but you need to sit tight. Let us handle things. Your only job is to be there for her.”

“I’ll do my best,” I muttered.