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Her hair moves as she shakes her head. “Not whenhe’sthere. He won’t let me see her. I haven’t even held her.” She folds into herself and clutches her arms around her stomach. I hold her tightly against me, rubbing her back and offering some comfort.
“Move aside, sir, so we can help her.”
My body spins around to the voice that belongs to the nurse from the desk. She glances behind her to the two other nurses standing by. “Could you assist me with getting her in the wheelchair please?” They come forward, and I maneuver her in a way that makes it easier for them to help.
“She wants to see her baby,” I say.
“I’ll take care of it as soon as she’s been seen by the doctor,” the nurse says as the other two scoop her gently from my arms and place her in the chair with care.
“Get your hands off my wife,” a cold voice says from behind me. A heavy hand lands on my shoulder. I twist, shrugging it off, glaring into the guy’s dark eyes as he sneers at me, then back to the young woman in the chair.
Her body goes rigid—it’s clear she’s scared of him
Is this theheshe was referring to?
Sizing him up, I take in his forced smile and pause at his well-kept appearance. His hands clench, then release. Uncaring. Unkind. There’s no mistaking why the woman fears him.
“She collapsed, and I caught her before she hit the floor.” I swallow the slew of words I want to unleash on this man. No concern or care for his wife or the state she’s in, only that I was touching her. She isn’t his first care. He should have at least asked if she was okay.
The unkind man turns to his wife, getting down and into her face. She won’t meet his eyes. “What are you doing, Delilah?” he asks through gritted teeth, almost sounding like a snake’s hiss.
“I… I wanted to see Olive, Eli, she needs her mom. I need to see her. Please, Eli,” she replies breathlessly.
Eli ignores Delilah’s plea and straightens, turning his pinched expression back on me. “She’s fine,” he replies in a tone that would send a shiver down anyone’s spine.
“Okay. She just appeared to need some help, so that’s what I did. Next time, how about you take care of her instead of worrying about me,” I snap, unable to hold my tongue. Eli’s fiery glare focuses firmly on me.
Reuben takes a step in front of me. “Eli, is it? Look… she needed help and my friend here offered it. She collapsed. We’ll leave you to look afteryourfamily.”
Before Eli has a chance to respond, my name is called from behind.
“Excuse me, Mr. King,” someone says.
I turn away from Eli to find a doctor, instantly forgetting the man but not the woman’s fearful stare. I blink and turn my focus back to my family. “How are my wife, daughter, and baby?” I ask the doctor. Reuben is at my side within seconds. I need his support.
“Your daughter, Rylee, is in a stable condition and has come away unharmed aside from a few bruises and scrapes. She’ll be sore, though it’s nothing pain medication can’t fix.” He falls silent and glances down at the folder he’s clutching.
Relief washes over me before meeting his gaze again. “And my wife?” Fear laces through me like little tendrils wrapping around my chest, squeezing—stealing my breath.
“I’m so sorry, Mr. King, but your wife is in a critical condition.” He pauses, and with the thundering of my heartbeat flooding my ears, I’m not sure I’ve heard him correctly.
“What did you say?” I choke.
The doctor clears his throat and then says, “Unfortunately, your wife, Anna-Beth, suffered severe head injuries, and because of those injuries, she’s unresponsive and will not wake. We are closely monitoring her for the baby’s sake, and at this time, we think it’s best to deliver the baby now.” He stands in front of me in his dark blue scrubs, his mouth continues to move, but I can’t hear anything he’s saying.
Unresponsive.
Deliver.
Baby.
Now.
Someone gently touches my elbow.
I shake my head, bringing the new world that’s been laid out in front of me into focus. “I’m sorry, what… what does that mean, non-responsive?” The lump in my throat catches, the words struggling to come out, and I swallow. An arm slips around my shoulders, yet I still stand there, unsure of what to do. How do I proceed without the love of my life?
The doctor shuffles on his feet before saying, “What it means, Mr. King, is that your wife won’t regain consciousness and is currently on life support. It’s imperative that the baby is delivered as soon as possible. I’m terribly sorry…”
