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“No. The nurse said they’d keep me informed, but she hasn’t been back.” He glanced at his watch. “That was thirty minutes ago.”
What had been happening while he’d been lost in thought? Anxiety flared that he’d had no news. How bad had things gone since she’d been taken away from him?
“She’s going to be all right, Gabriel,” Ariana said, moving toward him.
Standing, Gabriel wrapped his arms around his sister. She pushed her body against his to offer comfort.
“Your Majesties. Prince Gabriel. Princess Ariana.” A solemn man of average height in pale green scrubs stood five feet away from the royal pair. “I’m Dr. Warner.”
Gabriel felt Ariana’s tight embrace squeeze his ribs even harder and appreciated her support. “How’s Olivia?”
“I won’t sugarcoat it. Not good. She’s lost a lot of blood.” The doctor looked even grimmer as he delivered the next bit of news. “She’s still hemorrhaging. We’ve sent her up to the OR.”
A primal cry of denial gathered in Gabriel’s chest. “What aren’t you telling us?” he demanded.
“The only way to save her may be a hysterectomy. Naturally we will do everything possible to avoid such a drastic procedure.”
“Do whatever it takes to save her life.” Gabriel pinned the doctor with his gaze, making sure the man understood. “Whatever it takes.”
Ten
The first time Olivia opened her eyes, she was aware of nothing but pain. It stabbed at her like slivers of broken glass. Then, something changed. The hurt eased and she fell backward into darkness.
The next time she surfaced, she kept herself awake longer. But not by much. Voices reached her ears, but the speakers were too far away for her to catch individual words. And the pain was back. All she wanted to do was escape into numbness.
They said the third time’s the charm. Olivia wasn’t sure she agreed when next she regained consciousness. Her body ached. No. Not her body, her abdomen.
Breathless with fear, she stared around the hospital room. It was empty. She was alone.
She felt hollow. Like a balloon filled with air.
The last thing she recalled was fighting with Gabriel. Where was he? Did he know she was in the hospital? Did he even care? Her heart contracted.
“Good to see you awake,” a nurse said as she entered the room. “How’s your pain?”
“Manageable.” Her mouth felt stuffed with cotton. “May I have some water?”
The nurse brought a cup close and placed the straw between Olivia’s lips. She sipped gratefully, then sagged back against the pillow, exhausted by the simple movement.
“I feel so weak.”
“You’ve been through a lot.”
“What happened to me?”
“The doctor will be along in a little while to talk to you.”
Without energy to argue, Olivia closed her eyes and let her mind drift. The silence pressed on her, heightening her tension. She fought to clear her head, sought her last memory. Her period had been heavier than ever before. And the cramping... She’d been afraid, depressed. Gingerly she sent her fingertips questing for the source of her discomfort. Pain shot through her as she pressed on her lower abdomen.
Just then, the door opened again and a handsome older man in scrubs came in. “Good afternoon. I’m Dr. Warner.”
“I wish I could say it’s nice to meet you.”
“I understand. You’ve been through a tough time.”
“What happened to me?” Her mind sharpened as anxiety filled her.
“You were hemorrhaging, and we had a difficult time stopping your blood loss.” He plucked her chart out of a pocket attached to the foot of the bed and scrutinized it. “How’s your pain?”
