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He reaches out for the glass of water on my bedside table and gently holds my head up while pressing the edge of the glass to my lips. The cool water flows over my throat and I feel as though I have not had water in days.
"What happened?" I whisper, trying to piece everything together. "How did I get here?"
Lennox speaks softly. "You fell in the kitchen. I just scooped you up in my arms and carried you straight to the car. I got you here as fast as I could - "
Suddenly my eyes go wide, and I try and sit up in shock. "The baby." I can't hold back the panic.
"Wait, wait, wait, Emma; lay back down. You can't sit up yet. The baby is fine. He is healthy. It's you that we are worried about."
"He?" I can't help but notice that Lennox says he.
He grins, "I'm so sorry. I was not sure if I should let you know that I knew. I could not keep it from you though. I was so excited when I found out. We are going to have a little baby boy, Em."
He is smiling, but it is a sad smile laced with concern.
"When did you find out? How?"
A doctor walks into the room. I recognize his face, but I don't know him. That's when it clicks that I'm in our hospital, where I work. Oh my goodness, I am so embarrassed.
The doctor's gentle face is reassuring and calm. "Lennox would not leave your side, Emma. So, when we did the ultrasound to check up on your little baby, he was in the room and of course - being a doctor himself - well he saw everything and now he knows. and so do you. You are going to have a little boy, but…"The doctor's eyes grow dark with concern and Lennox squeezes my hand gently.
"But?" I whisper with tension in my voice.
"Emma, you had a really big scare now. The truth is that while the baby is fine, your blood levels drop way below what is normal and healthy. If Lennox had not gotten you here when he did, we could easily have lost you. I'm sorry to put it so bluntly like that, but I know you're a nurse. You can look over your own charts if you like. You came very close to - look, Emma - you need to take this very seriously."
I glance over at Lennox whose face is deeply worried. His mouth is pulled tight; his grip on my hand gets tighter too. His eyes are deep pools of sadness.
I turn back to the doctor. "What do I need to do?"
"You are just a couple of weeks away from your due date. I want you on bed rest. Absolutely strict bed rest. I need you to take that very seriously, as I said, this was close, Emma. Bed rest. No messing around with this situation; it's too risky."
"What about work? I mean."
Lennox interrupts me. "I have already put in your leave. They obviously know what is happening. You don't have to stay at the hospital. You are allowed to go home this evening, but you will be in bed, Em."
I nod, feeling overwhelmed and scared. I don't fully understand what has happened yet, but I can see by the look in Lennox's eyes that it was very serious.
The doctor nods and says "I'm going to leave you for a bit. I will be back in about thirty minutes. You will be able to go home. We are just waiting now that you are awake, we just want to make sure everything is stable."
"Sure, yes. Thank you so much."
Lennox does not say anything to him. He does not even turn to watch him leave the room. His eyes are locked on me.
"Em." He can barely say my name. I can see he is fighting a series of very intense emotions.
"I'm ok now, Lennox," I say, trying to reassure him. "I will rest like the doctor says. Everything will be ok."
"Emma, I love you. I almost lost you today. I love you so much I can't even find the words to describe it."
"I love you too, Lennox. More than you might understand."
"Marry me. Marry me, Emma." He stares into my eyes, and I stare back in silent shock and confusion. His eyes soften and he speaks again. He smiles "Emma. Will you marry me?"
I continue to stare at him, so he keeps talking, nervously. "I don't have a ring yet, but honestly I already know which one I want to get you."
"You already know? You had already started planning to ask me?"
"Yes. I've been planning for quite a while now. I just wanted this whole thing with work to be sorted out first, but then today… I know what I want, Emma. I want you in my life, forever. I want you to be my wife. I want to marry you. So please, will you marry me?"
