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I thank him and rush off. I press the button and wait. Holy cow, this elevator is the slowest in the world. I see the sign for the stairs and take them two at a time to the second floor. At the desk, I check in and am pointed down the hall on the right.
I see two doctors standing in front of her room, and my stomach drops to my knees. I'm sweating profusely, my hair is disheveled, and my eyes are wild. By the way, they look at me and appear unfazed like they always see this.
"How is she? What happened? How's the baby?" I rattle these questions off in quick succession.
One of the doctors steps forward and introduces himself as the obstetrician on call. He asks me to take a seat. His calm demeanor helps me deal with my anxiety. I sit and take deep breaths while listening to what he says.
"Your fiancée and the baby are in critical condition. We hear the baby's heartbeat, but it's irregular and slow. Erica is unconscious. She took a hard hit to the head. She had some swelling in the brain, so the surgeon drilled a small hole to relieve the pressure." I practically lose it at that information.
My hands are shaking, and tears are cutting a path down my cheek, dripping into my lap.
He continues, "There is some bruising from the steering wheel. Erica has contusions and broken bones, as well. We are monitoring both closely and will update you as much as possible."
Voice cracking, I ask, "How did this happen?"
Both doctors look at each other. The one still standing hands me a card. It is a detective's card. "He is still in the lobby. He wanted to wait for you."
She walked away.
The other obstetrician pats my shoulder. "Try not to worry. Erica is in good hands."
I thank him and inwardly ask,Modest much?
I know I should hope that he's right. After the doctor leaves, I stand at the entrance to her door. I'm scared to death. I slowly walk into her room. It's small. Just enough room for a bed, equipment, and a chair. I pull the chair up to her bed. Before I sit, I look her over. Her face is swollen. Her cheeks, chin, and forehead are littered with cuts and bruises, blood still oozing from some of them. She has a bandage around her head and casts on all her extremities.
My eyes fall on the slight bump in the middle of her body. The baby. Our baby. I sit hard in the chair and grab her hand in mine. Tears soak both as I kiss hers.
I whisper, "I'm so sorry. Please don't leave me; I need you."
I lay a hand on that little bump. It's slight, but I feel a kick.
I smile through my tears and say, "It looks like we have a little fighter in there. You fight like hell, little baby. Fight like hell."
In response, I get another kick, firmer this time.
I lay my head on the bed beside Erica, holding her hand, my other hand on her baby bump. I must have fallen asleep because I woke up to the hustle and bustle of the day shift. They really should have kicked me out after visiting hours were over. I'm glad they didn't.
I look at Erica. Still waiting for change. I'm about to get up when I feel a hand on my shoulder. I look up at a familiar face. It's Erica's dad, who also looks like he might have slept here last night.
"I took a redeye and just landed, came straight here. How is Erica?" Looking at his daughter lying there, hooked up to every monitor ever made, nearly broke him.
I offered him my chair when I saw him wobble on unsteady legs.
"There has been no change. The doctors seem optimistic, though." I feign a soft, upbeat voice to try and sell it.
He picks up her hand, and I give him some time alone. I ask him if he wants anything.
"Coffee, lots of coffee. Black." He turns back to his daughter.
I ask the nurse where I can find the cafeteria.
"First floor, near the lobby."
For some reason, the word "lobby" jogs my memory, and I realize I forgot about the detective. I'm sure he didn't wait all night for me. I look for the card and dial his number on my way to the cafeteria.
"Hi, Detective; this is Erica Melvin's fiancé, Aaron Axel. I'm sorry I didn't get down last night to see you, but I'm still here now. Give me a call back at this number. I'd like to know what happened. Thank you." I press the end and enter the coffee line.
If ever there was a time to begin mainlining caffeine, it's now. I return to the room, and Erica's dad stares out the window.
