Total pages in book: 91
Estimated words: 105398 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 527(@200wpm)___ 422(@250wpm)___ 351(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 105398 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 527(@200wpm)___ 422(@250wpm)___ 351(@300wpm)
“That’s gonna need stitches. Let’s go, baby.”
We walked for a little over fifteen minutes before Sixth came into view. We stayed to the side of a Laundromat, and waited. Gabe wrapped his arms around me, holding me tight. I let my weight sag against him. I was truly exhausted, close to tears, and I wanted a coke.
Gabe didn’t say a word the entire ten minutes we stood behind the Laundromat. Tires crunched on pavement, and a black Nissan Titan came into view. The breath whooshed out of my lungs, and I let out a relieved breath as Jack pulled up beside us. Jack hopped out, and he and Gabe gently eased me up into the truck.
The interior of the truck still had that new car smell, and I worried about getting blood on his seats. “Jack, do you have a blanket?”
“Sweetheart, I don’t give a fuck about my seats. Get comfortable any way you can. Buckle up; we’re going to the hospital.” He said softly.
The entire trip to the hospital Gabe and Jack discussed the accident and subsequent kidnapping; how he got out and all the other details that I’d rather tune out.
Luke was at the ER entrance when we got there, waiting to take out statements.
“Hey man, just let me get Ember and the baby checked out, and we can come talk to you.” Gabe said absently walking past him.
Luke gave a stiff nod and continued to keep watch. My guess was he was hoping some of the gang members would be stupid enough to follow us here. I was hoping for the exact opposite.
I hoped they all would go die somewhere. I felt lower than dog shit for getting everyone into this. It was my entire fault that Gabe had gotten hurt. My fault now that our entire group was now locked down at Free. My fault that I’d nearly gotten our baby killed.
“Whatever you’re thinking, knock it the fuck off. This wasn’t your fault.” Gabe said as a nurse showed us to a room.
I nodded absently, but knew I didn’t believe him. He wouldn’t see any of this as my fault. Nevertheless, I did.
“Ember, honey, what the heck happened?” Cheyenne’s mom bustled in.
“I’m okay, Daina. I just want to make sure the baby is okay. Gabe says I also have a cut on the back of my neck. I think I may have one on my leg right here too.” I gestured.
She tossed a gown at Gabe. “Alright, Gabe. Help her into this. Use the scissors to help her get the pants off if you need to. They look beyond saving anyway. Call me if you need help.”
Once the door closed, he helped out of my t-shirt, carefully easing it over my head. The bra went next; this one he cut as so he wouldn’t put me into any further pain. One shoe, and then the other. The yoga pants were cut too, and then he slipped the panties off next.
He studied my bruised and battered body. Noting the bruise where the seatbelt ran across my chest and lower abdomen. My leg looked had a deep slash in it, most likely from a piece of glass. He slipped the gown over my shoulders, and tied it at the back of my neck.
He sat down on the bed, and then drew me down into his lap, cradling me like a sick child. A thought popped into my head, and it flared into alarm
“Jesus Christ, Gabe. Cora!” I jack knifed out of his lap.
His eyes flared, and he reached for his phone that was no longer in his pocket. I went out to the hallway, closing the gown at my back, to find Cheyenne’s mom again. She was standing at the nursing station, speaking with a doctor.
“Daina. I need to use your phone.” I whisper yelled to her.
She handed the phone over without comment, and continued her conversation with the doctor. His eyes flicked to me, running a catalog of my injuries, and then went back to the conversation as well.
I handed the phone to Gabe who started dialing as soon as he got it into his hands.
“I’m calling to make sure Sidney was able to get Cora to the ER alright.” He said gruffly.
His stance stiffened. “What?”
Uh oh. I knew that what. That what meant someone was about to be in trouble.
“Thank you. I appreciate it.” He said as he hung up.
His intense stare did nothing to relieve the hot knot of fear that lodged into the pit of my stomach. “She was never hurt.”
His words dropped like a bomb between us, and I started to be light headed. I wasn’t stupid. How convenient that we go to pick her up, and never actually make it there.
We watched each other. Neither one of us knew what to say to the other. Daina rolling an ultrasound machine into the room broke our silence. The doctor she was speaking to earlier followed her.
“Hello. I’m Dr. Stephens. I’m here to look at you. Your chart says that you’re twenty-nine weeks pregnant. Have you had any problems during this pregnancy?” He asked.
Gabe explained to him all of the problems we’d had so far, and some of the concerns we were still dealing with.
“I understand. Your doctor is actually on his way down here now. You were in luck, he was actually delivering a baby, or he’d be at his practice right now. Let’s go ahead and check the baby out. I’m going to have a PA come in and check your other injuries. They’ll sew you up if needed.”
I laid on the bed, and held Gabe’s hand as the doctor ran the wand over my stomach.
“You sure don’t look like you’re so far along. It’s odd to see someone so small this far into their pregnancy, although it does happen. Normally those are the ones that never even knew they were pregnant.” The doctor mused as he looked at the screen.
I didn’t answer him. Same old story, different person.
“The placenta looks fine. The baby’s heart rate is great. Its 143 beats per minute. Looking good. I’m not seeing any other signs of bleeding. We’ll wait for your doctor to do the internal exam to be sure you’re not dilating. Little guy here looks really health. Chubby.”