Clifford Arbor: Savouring Emily (11 page)

Chase and Lawrence took turns to spend time with her. She managed to get them out to work every morning. One morning she didn’t want to tell them but she didn’t feel right.

Her feet were swollen and she felt strange. Emily walked through her house and collapsed on the floor. Her head dizzy. Her ankles were huge. Her entire body felt like it was tight in her skin. A wave of sickness swept through her and she knew she couldn’t hold it off any longer.

She lay on her back and reached for the phone. Something wasn’t right. She needed to see a doctor.

Emily made the call to the hospital and told them her symptoms. They told her not to worry but an ambulance was on its way.

She collapsed with the phone on her chest. A hand pressed against her stomach.

“What’s the problem,” she muttered to her belly.

She held off for as long as possible then she phoned her men.

Emily called and waited for the phone to go to the answering machine.  She licked her lips and put the phone to one side.

****

“What the hell is going on?” Chase demanded the moment he saw a doctor. Ever since he’d gotten the phone to play him the answer machine message his gut had tightened and he knew something bad was going to happen. He should’ve been firmer and one of them stay with her. If Lawrence or himself had been there they would have seen a difference.

“Calm down. Are you the husband?” the male doctor asked.

“Yes. Please, tell me what’s wrong with my wife,” he pleaded.

Lawrence stood behind him and he knew the guy was close to losing control. If they lost Emily, they lost everything. She was the one person keeping them together.

“Emily is suffering with what is known as preeclampsia. Swollen ankles, high blood pressure and the appearance of blood in the urine are all common features. We’re keeping her monitored to see if this eases.”

“And if it doesn’t?”

“Then we’re going to have to consider a Caesarean section.” Chase listened with half an ear. He knew. He’d fucking knew something was going to go wrong. The love of his life was in danger.

He didn’t stay to listen to the man giving him the mixed news. Instead, he walked around him and went to find Emily.

She lay in a bed. Her arm hooked up to a monitor and her belly strapped with wires. She looked defenseless and vulnerable. When he walked into the room she smiled at him and his heart melted for her.

“What happened?” he asked as he got on the bed and folded her in his arms. He was careful not to move any of the monitors.

“I got scared and for good reason it would seem.” She tapped her leg and Chase knew in his heart she was scared.

“You’re going to live through this,” he tells her.

“I know. It’s just too soon.”

He kissed her head and let her lie against him. There was nothing more they could do but wait.

The nurses came in and assessed the data from the monitor’s. Lawrence came through after signing all the paperwork. The guy looked liked he’d aged in the short time.

“I take it this is going to cost a fortune? I’m worrying for nothing,” she joked.

Lawrence shook his head. “You shouldn’t be worrying about the cost of anything. You should be more worried about what your punishment will be when we get you home,” he teased.

“My punishment?”

“Yes. I want to put you over my knee and spank your ass. You should’ve told us this morning what was wrong with you.”

Chase listened to them talk and held Emily in his arms. Even as rounded as she was with pregnancy she was still small.

“My big bear is worrying,” she said and Chase smiled down at her.

“I can’t talk right now. Just let me hold you.”

Emily snuggled down and within minutes she fell asleep.

“I guess that’s a good thing. Her being able to sleep?” Lawrence asked.

Chase pulled out of her arms and walked to his friend. He circled his hands around him and held him close. He didn’t need much right now but to know the people he loved were safe. He could guarantee Lawrence was but not Emily. The doctors and his prayers were the only thing keeping Emily alive.

“She’ll live through this,” Lawrence said.

“I know. I need to get out and have some air. I’ll phone, Molly and the others. Will you look over her while I’m gone?” He needed a smoke.

“Yes. You know I will.”

Chase nodded and glanced back at Emily before leaving the room. The hospital was busy and it had been some time since he last came here.

He hated places like this. People who came into hospitals expected to leave. How many times had he heard people talk about a friend or relative who’d gone into hospital and come out in a box? Too fucking many.

The moment he got outside, he lit a cigarette—his first that day—and phoned Molly. He knew Emily would want her to know.

“Hello?”

He heard her voice and knew the moment he spoke the next words the whole fucking situation would become too real. He inhaled on his cigarette.

“Hi, Molly.”

“Chase? Is that you?”

“Yes.” He stopped. To the say the next words would confirm his fears.

“Where’s, Emily?”

Chase watched people coming and going out of the hospital. Some people passed him were glaring. He figured they were smokers who’d only just quit.

“Emily’s in the hospital. She’s got what is suspected as preeclampsia,” he said. Tears stung his eyes and he turned from the building. The salty air of the coast doing nothing to alleviate his fears.

“Shit. What do you want me to do? What has the doctor said?”

He understood her panic. “That we need to wait it out. To keep a monitor on everything. It’s still early to decide anything at the moment.”

“Okay. I’ll tell the others. Harley and Jackson will probably stop by and I’ll be there soon. I need to ask for a lift.”

“Get, Edward. He’ll bring you down.”

They hung up a few minutes later. He finished off his cigarette and made his way back inside. Lawrence sat on the seat by her bed. Chase went to the opposite side and sat down. Emily lay asleep and he couldn’t tear his eyes away from the monitors. One was a cuff around her arm to take her blood pressure. He watched the digits go up and then down and occasionally stay the same.

Every twenty minutes the cuff would beep and puff around her upper left arm, a reading would come out and then rest. Chase was surprised she didn’t wake every time. Watching the monitors beep and do their thing let him know the time was passing.

What was he supposed to do without her?

Chapter Fifteen

“We’ve got to take your wife down to the delivery. If we don’t she could die.” Chase heard the words and stared at Lawrence.

His best friend looked pale.

“What do you mean?”

“There are complications. Emily, could go into shock or many other factors. One of you will need to be in the delivery room when we perform the C-Section.” The doctor looked between the two men.

His worst nightmare was coming true. “What is the worst that can happen and don’t lie to me.”

The doctor glanced down at his notes and then stared up at the two men. “We could lose both of them. Her baby is becoming restless and her condition will worsen until she ends up in a coma or dies.”

Chase stared at the man telling him his woman could die. Emily Spencer, the one woman who was destined to be with him. Could die. “I’ll come into the room,” he told the doctor and turned away.

He needed to get ready but he also had to tell his friends. Jackson, Harley and Raven sat together at one end of the sofa while Molly stood by the window. Carl and Edward Jeffrey rose as he entered the room.

They all looked up at him with concern. “She’s going down to have an emergency C-Section. They need to get the baby out of her if she’s going to have any chance of surviving.”

Molly gasped her hand going to her mouth to cover her sobs.

Lawrence placed a hand on his back and in front of his friends he spun and kissed the only man he’d ever loved.

“Go and save our girl,” he ordered.

Chase nodded and followed the nurse to go and get ready. Minutes later he walked into the hospital room. Emily lay on the bed, weak but she produced a smile for him.

“Hello, you.” Her voice sounded hoarse.

“Hiya, baby.” He leaned down and kissed her.

“They’re just waiting for a room to become free. Are you ready to become a dad?” she asked

Chase bit his lip and forced the tears down. She didn’t need her man crying through this. 

The surgeon, midwife and several other doctors came to escort her down to the surgical wing. Chase held her as they gave her an epidural. Her fingers tightening round his fists as the needle went through her back.

“I’m such a baby,” she said as she lay back down. Chase holds her hand and runs his hand through her hair. “Where’s Lawrence?”

“In the waiting room with our friends. Probably panicking and wishing he was here with me.” Chase smiled thinking of the man pacing and trying to hold in his impatience.

“Poor guy. He’ll be at his wits end by the end of this.” Emily stared up at the ceiling. “I’m scared, chase.”

“Nothing to be scared about. You’re going to get through this and then we’ll laugh with how easy it was.” Chase kissed her head and the surgeons began.

Emily kept looking at him and he saw the tears escaping out of her eyes. In minutes they were going to be parents. Her grip on him tightened as some tugging and suction sound happened.

“What’s happening?” she asked.

Chase didn’t want to look at what they were doing. He turned and saw a baby being lifted out of her body and handed to someone else. No sounds were coming from him. He glanced down at his wife and knew he couldn’t keep it from her.

“Our baby is out,” he said.

“Why isn’t it crying? Shouldn’t they cry? What’s happening?” she said. She couldn’t move but he saw her need to know the answer.

“They’re sorting our baby out and the doctor is sewing you up.” He couldn’t believe how blunt he was discussing the operation on his wife.

“Lawrence should be in here,” she whispered.

“I know.”

A female doctor brought the child over and showed Chase. “Congratulations, you’ve got a little boy.”

Everything happened so fast. The doctor took the baby out of the room and the doctors worked fast to sew her up.

“Was he beautiful? I didn’t see him?” Emily said.

Chase closed his eyes and gazed down at the woman he loved.

“He’s as gorgeous as you.” Chase held her hand and was with her as they wheeled her through to the recovery wing. She soon fell asleep and Chase stayed looking at his wife. The surgery had been a huge success. Now all he had to worry about was her recovery and the welfare of their son.

Chapter Sixteen

Chase didn’t move from her bedside. Lawrence went to check on the little guy in the baby wing. He was hooked up to some oxygen and was being closely monitored.  Emily looked exhausted. He reached out to stroke the palm of her hand. The midwife came in and sat in the corner writing notes.

All he wanted was a few moments alone with his wife.

“Could you leave please?” he asked.

It took every ounce of will power not to tell the woman to fuck off.

“I’m sorry, sir. Your wife needs close attention and I need to write up my notes.”

Chase nodded his head. He understood what she had to do. He just wished she’d do it somewhere else.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered.

“This is your first child?” she asked.

“Yes. The first and only.” He would never allow her to put herself through this again. He couldn’t accept it. Emily could have died and then where would he and Lawrence be? Fucked, that’s where.

“You know, preeclampsia is a strange condition and it doesn’t affect every other pregnancy to come?” the midwife said to him.

“Doesn’t matter. I don’t want to risk it.”

He heard her sigh and he tore his gaze away from Emily to look at the other woman.

“I’m afraid, Mr. Spencer that decision will be up to your wife. Most women are not put off by something like this.”

Chase stood, the sound of the chair scrapping backwards set his nerves on end. “I need to get some air.”

He pushed out of the doors and walked past his friends in the waiting area. Fresh air was what he needed not his friends. The scent of the hospital got to him. He had to get out.

Chase charged for the front doors and pulled the cigarettes out of his pocket. He rarely smoked but the present circumstances called for it.

He lit the tip and inhaled, he tried to calm his beating heart. His hands were shaking and his legs were weak.

“I can’t do this,” he said to himself.

“Hiya, son,” a voice spoke from behind him. He turned in time to see his mother and fathers approaching from the parking area.

“What are you three doing here?” he asked. They’d been away for an extended trip.

“When we got the call from, Lawrence. We knew we had to come and show you some support,” his mother said as she wrapped him in her arms.

Chase hadn’t expected them to turn up. Since he’d turned eighteen they’d been off doing whatever they wanted to do. He hadn’t resented them for living life but he sure missed having them around to rely on.

“Where is she?” one of his dads asked.

“She’s resting at the moment. Lawrence went to check on the little guy.” His throat closed up and he sucked deeper on his cigarette. He tried to block out the image of his son coming out of her stomach. The boy hadn’t made a sound. A nurse and a doctor had tended to him straight away. He still didn’t scream. A few minutes had passed and the nurse held their son up to see. Emily had cried, they’d taken him away and she hadn’t seen him properly. She stared at the door they exited. Her tears had been the last thing then sleep claimed her.

“What’s the boy’s name?” his mother asked.

“I don’t know. We haven’t named him. We were told....” he paused and inhaled on his cigarette. “We were told he might not make it. The next twenty-four to forty-eight hours are crucial.”  He bit his lip and turned to look at the hospital.