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I glance down and notice the IV needle inserted into my arm, kept in place with a piece of medical tape. My eyes widen with horror as he prepares to transfer the clear fluid from the syringe right into that IV.
“It’s just glucose,” the paramedic says. “How are you feeling, Stella?”
“Queasy. Weak. Tired. I don’t know what happened,” I tell him, head resting in Noah’s lap.
“You fainted,” Isaac says. “Out of the blue.”
“Oh, gosh, I think I’m gonna get sick,” I manage, but the glucose fluid is already working its way through my system and soothing my senses, if only slightly.
“You’re gonna be okay,” the first paramedic says. “Your vitals are fine. Your pulse is a tad uneven, and your blood sugar levels are very low. I think that’s the root cause of your current state.”
“What happened?” Noah asks him. “What would make her pass out like this?”
“Low blood sugar levels will do it for sure,” the paramedic answers.
“Why is your sugar so low, Stella? Have you not eaten today?” Noah asks.
I shake my head, but it makes me dizzy. “I guess not enough,” I state. “I’m so sorry for all this fuss. I’m sure if I can just get a little bit of food in me, I’ll be fine.”
One of the paramedics shakes his head. “Boosting your sugar levels will help, but we would like to take you to the hospital just in case there’s more going on.”
“More like what?” Beau asks.
“It could be diabetes or something like that,” he answers.
“It’s not diabetes,” I say.
“Are you sure?” Isaac asks.
“Yes, I’m sure. I’m not diabetic. I never have been. It doesn’t even run in my family.”
“Well, I still think she should go and get looked at,” Levi pipes up and the others agree.
These men talking about me like I can’t make my own decisions is making me mad.
“Stella, you should really go to the hospital. There’s obviously something wrong with you,” Noah says.
Now I’m just pissed. “There’s nothingwrongwith me. I’m pregnant,” I blurt out before I can think about it.
The silence that follows carries the weight of a gargantuan boulder suddenly dropped on top of me. The guys are shocked and speechless, eyes bulging and lips parting as their breaths leave their bodies. Mrs. Kendrick gasps and covers her mouth, while Mr. Kendrick frowns in confusion. The paramedics help me onto the gurney and begin to strap me in for the walk to the waiting ambulance.
“Stella, hold on!” Isaac tries to catch up, but I raise a hand to silence him, my face literally burning with shame.
“Please, just make sure Lucas and Ava are looked after,” I say, then look to the first responders. “Please, get me out of here.”
“Say no more,” one of them replies.
Noah comes over, but I wave him away, too. “Not now. Please just make sure my kids are okay.”
I watch them stay behind in the dining room, utterly helpless and befuddled as I’m wheeled out. Some of the guests have joined the group, drawn by the commotion.
Isaac, Noah, Beau, and Levi know I’m pregnant. Obviously, one of them is the father. It happened suddenly and unexpectedly, and my own reaction was not my proudest moment. But I need to keep myself sane and calm for the time being. I need to get checked out at the hospital. A full set of tests so I can make sure my baby is okay.
Everything else can wait.
22
Stella
