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“No. It’s late, and I’m fine. I’ll tell them in the morning.” She plucked at a piece of loose cotton on the hospital gown the nurse had forced her to change into. “Sorry for ruining everyone’s night.”
“You didn’t.”
She arched a brow. “Really? So you’re telling me I misheard Calum when he said he’d follow us here rather than staying on at the club with his friends and family?” She huffed through her nose. “I am so lame.”
“Feeling sorry for yourself hangs on you like a badly fitted suit.”
She grinned. “Yeah, you’re right.” She shuffled upright and smoothed the sheets. “Go find Calum, Zane. Tell him I’m fine and to go home.”
“He might not listen, but okay.” He bent and kissed her. “You’re family, remember?”
“Yeah, the troublesome one.”
Zane chuckled. “Be right back.”
He found Calum and Laurella sitting in the hospital waiting area. But they weren’t the only ones. Draven, Louise, Dex, and Nate were all there, too. His throat grew thick at the show of solidarity and support. All six of them rose to their feet as Zane approached.
“She’s fine.” He motioned for them to sit again. “They’ve done a few tests, and we’re just waiting for the bloodwork now, but the doctor doesn’t seem worried. And her EKG was normal, so they don’t think it’s her heart.” Tears pricked the backs of his eyes as the realization that the outcome could have been very different hit him. He blinked, washing them away.
“Thank goodness,” Laurella said. “It was so hot in the club. I’m not surprised she felt faint.”
“She asked me to tell you to go home. We could be here a while waiting for the labs. There’s no point in you being here.”
“You sure?” Calum asked. “We’re glad to stick around if you want some company.”
“Nah. We’re good. I’ll call you.”
Calum clapped him on the back, and Laurella hugged him. The six of them walked away, and Zane returned to Lori’s cubicle. He found her fast asleep, lips parted, her chest steadily rising and falling. He sank into a chair and let his head fall into his hands, then raked his fingers through his hair and left them there. He closed his eyes, exhaustion seeping into his body. His legs and arms weighed a ton, and his back was killing him. All stress related, no doubt.
He lost track of how long he sat there in that hunched-over position, listening to Lori’s steady breathing. Something felt off. He hadn’t a clue what was going on with her, but now that he thought about it, she’d looked a little wan the last few days, and unlike Lori, she’d not been eating properly. One of many great things about Lori was her voracious appetite. She wasn’t a girl to order a lettuce leaf, then push it around her plate, too terrified to consume ten calories in case they went straight to her hips. Even tonight, she hadn’t finished her meal, but he’d put it down to nerves at meeting the entire Brook clan.
Opening Google, he typed in “heart problems and lack of appetite,” and scanned the results. Oh hell. Although loss of appetite wasn’t a classic symptom, the first website that came up confirmed feeling full even when not much food had been consumed was a sign that the person could be experiencing heart failure.
But her EKG was normal. Surely, that would have shown problems if there were any? A second search caused his heart to plummet to the worn tiled floor. Trembling, he rose from his chair in search of the doctor. He was about to become one of those people medical staff hated; someone who searched online and declared themselves an expert. But he’d let Lori down if he didn’t at least use this knowledge to ask the right questions.
He’d only taken a few steps when the doctor approached. Zane searched for signs of worry, but the doctor’s expression remained schooled of any emotion, either positive or negative.
“Ah, Mr. Quinlan. Glad you’re still here. I have some news. Shall we go see Miss James?”
“She’s asleep.” Zane glanced at his phone, the web page screaming at him. “Is she… is it her heart? Just give it to me straight, Doctor.”
“It’s not her heart.”
Zane leaned a hand against the wall, his knees buckling. “Oh, thank god.”
“But I do need to talk to you both.” He motioned with his hand. “After you.”
Zane shook Lori gently to wake her up. She roused, rubbing her eyes and blinking up at them both.
“I crashed.”
“Yeah.” Zane tugged the chair close and sat, reaching for Lori’s hand. “Sorry to wake you, but the doctor has some news.”
“Oh?” Lori shuffled up the bed, her gaze volleying between Zane and the doctor. She angled her head to one side. “Is it bad?”
“That depends on your particular circumstances.” The doctor smiled. “You’re pregnant.”
Lori gasped, and her jaw dropped. Zane’s jaw wasn’t far behind. Pregnant? What the actual…?
