The Fighting Series (Books 1-5)

by Nikki Ash

  As we’re walking away from the dance floor I begin to feel lightheaded. Bentley takes my arm to hold on to me when he feels me stumble. A sudden pain hits my abdomen and I double over grabbing my stomach. Something feels wrong, very wrong. I look up at Bentley and he kneels down next to me. That’s when I feel something running down the inside of my leg, and when I swipe my fingers along it, I see blood.

  “The baby…” I begin to say, but suddenly everything goes black.

  Fourteen

  Bentley

  I’m walking Kayla away from the dance floor thinking of ways to convince her to be with me. I saw the look in her eyes while Cooper and Liz were saying their vows and then again while we danced together. Whether she wants to admit it or not, she wants to be loved. She was hurt and is afraid of disappointing her mom, but nonetheless she wants it. Now I just need to convince her to have faith in us.

  She begins to stumble a little and I hold onto her. When she bends over I realize something isn’t right. I see her wipe blood off her inner thigh and the next thing I know she passes out in my arms.

  “Fuck! Somebody call nine-one-one!” I yell while laying her down gently in the grass. As much as I want to pick her up, throw her in my vehicle, and rush her to the hospital, I’m afraid to move her.

  Everybody circles around and somebody says that the ambulance is on the way.

  “Kayla, wake up. Please baby, just open your eyes.” I send up a prayer to the man above that he keeps her close to protect her and our baby.

  “Is there a pulse?” I hear Liz ask.

  I place my fingers on her neck and feel it faintly. She’s sweaty and all clammy, but there’s a pulse.

  A few minutes later the paramedics arrive and transfer Kayla onto a gurney. I explain what happened and they tell us which hospital they’re taking her to.

  “I’m going with you. I’m the father.” The paramedic nods and I hear my mom and Cooper telling me in the background they will meet us there.

  When we get to the hospital, everything happens in fast forward. Kayla is wheeled into a room, still unconscious, and the doctor says that Kayla is experiencing placental abruption and needs a C-section immediately. Because of the blood loss, I’m not allowed in the surgical room and I’m asked to wait in the waiting room.

  I walk out to the waiting room to find my parents and all of our friends there. They look at me, waiting for me to say something, and I lose it. The tears are coming down as my mom’s arms wrap around me. I feel so fucking helpless.

  “Bentley,” Liz says. I know she’s worried and the stress can’t be good for her baby.

  My mom lets go of me so I can tell them the little bit that I know. “I don’t really know much. The doctor said the bleeding is from placental abruption and because of the loss of blood they’re doing an emergency C-section. She was still unconscious when they took her into surgery. They wouldn’t let me go because of her condition. All we can do is wait to hear from the doctor.”

  I look around to make sure the sweet little girl can’t hear all of this. “Where’s Bella?”

  “Ashley is watching her.”

  “I’m so sorry about your wedding…”

  “Stop it! Our wedding was amazing. What is important right now are Kayla and the baby.”

  Liz gives me a hug, and I hold on to her like a lifeline, telling her it will all be okay. I keep repeating it over and over again trying to convince myself.

  After about an hour, the doctor walks out. “Family of Kayla Peterson?”

  We all stand and he comes over to us.

  “First off, I want to say that the baby is okay. We performed an emergency cesarean on the mother and she’s doing just fine. The nurses are getting her cleaned up and checking her vitals. Even though she was taken a few weeks before her due date her lungs are fully developed and she’s doing well. You’ll be able to go back and hold her in a few minutes.

  “We didn’t know what we were working with until we opened up Kayla. Not only did she suffer a placental abruption but she began to hemorrhage which caused her body to go into shock. I tried to stop the bleeding, but when her heart stopped and we had to resuscitate her, I had to make a decision. I performed a partial hysterectomy on Kayla. She’s in the labor and delivery ward now in recovery and is in a medically induced coma. Because of the severe bleeding and her going into shock, I felt it was best to allow her body to heal. In the next twenty-four hours we will take her off the medication so she can slowly begin to wake up. Do you have any questions?”

  “Is she going to be okay?” Thank God my mom thinks to ask the first question because I’m in shock right now.

  “At this point, I believe she’s going to make a complete recovery. Because of the partial hysterectomy she won’t be able to carry any more children. However, I don’t believe she will suffer any long term effects.”

  “Can we see her?” This time it’s Liz who asks the question.

  “Once she’s situated we can allow two at a time back there to sit with her. She isn’t awake and won’t start waking up for at least twenty-four hours.”

  “Thank you, Doctor,” my mom says. At least these women are on top of this because I feel lost as hell right now.

  The doctor walks back through the sliding glass doors as a nurse walks out. “Father of baby Peterson.”

  Peterson? My baby girl is a fucking Cruz! But I let it go for now. If have my way, the baby as well as Kayla will be taking my last name sooner rather than later.

  “That’s me,” I speak up, finally finding my voice.

  “If you can follow me back, I can introduce you to your little girl, and once we get situated you can bring your family and friends back to see the baby as well.”

  “Umm… I don’t have any idea what I’m doing. Kayla was supposed to be here. I mean, she was supposed to be awake. She said she was going to breastfeed. Can I have my mom come back with me?”

  The nurse gives me a small smile. “Sure and don’t worry, just because we give the baby formula now doesn’t mean the mom can’t nurse later.”

  I look at everyone and see Liz with unshed tears in her eyes. I walk over to her. “I didn’t mean to leave you out. I just need my mom. As soon as we get situated, I’ll have her come out and get you. I promise.”

  She nods in understanding and then I follow the nurse back.

  When we get to the room, it’s quiet. I spot the tiny portable crib and go straight for it. I’ve never even held a baby before. The nurse stops me before I can pick her up, though.

  “Wash your hands first. Newborns have low immune systems so we try to keep germs away as much as possible.”

  I quickly wash my hands and then walk over to the crib and pick her up like I’ve held her a million times. I bring her face close to mine and inhale deeply. I can feel the tears welling up as I send a thank you to the man above. This all could have turned out differently, and not for the better.

  “Oh, Bentley! She’s beautiful!” my mom whispers with excitement. “Let me take a couple of pictures.”

  I pose with my sweet baby girl for a few pictures before she begins to stir in my arms. I should probably set her down to sleep, but I can’t bring myself to let go of her. I find a recliner and sit down with her wrapped in my arms.

  She has a small patch of light blonde hair like Kayla’s but naturally tanned skin like me. She has Kayla’s cute button nose and perfect little lips.

  “Hey there sweet girl. I’m your daddy. Your mom can’t be here yet but I promise you, you won’t be stuck with just me.” I laugh through my tears, trying to make light of this situation.

  My mom comes over and puts her hand on my leg. “Hey, even if it was just you, she wouldn’t be stuck. You are going to be a great dad. Thankfully, Kayla is going to be okay and you both are going to be amazing parents to… oh boy, I guess we don’t have a name.”

  “Kayla said she would name her once she’s born. She said she would just know. I can’t name the baby for her.”

&n
bsp; “I understand. For now, we will just call her sweet girl.”

  “Can you go and get Liz? I’m sure she’s going nuts not being able to see the baby.”

  “Sure, sweetie.” She gives me a kiss on my forehead and then bends down to kiss my sweet girl on hers.

  A few minutes later Liz walks in and starts to cry. “Oh my goodness, Bentley! She’s beautiful and she looks just like the both of you! Can I hold her?”

  I hold my daughter tighter in my arms but then give in. I know I’m going to have to share her. My mom laughs and says, “Well, I guess I should have just asked.”

  Liz takes my sweet girl in her arms and rocks her gently talking to her like all women talk to babies, with that weird goo-goo gaga voice. She continues to sleep soundly through it and I decide now would be a good time to go check on Kayla.

  “Would you guys mind staying here with her while I go check on Kayla?”

  “Absolutely!”

  “Of course!”

  Before I leave, I think of something. “Hey Liz, did you call Kayla’s parents?”

  She gives me a small frown and an eye roll. “Yeah, they said they have court and since she wasn’t supposed to give birth for another few weeks they won’t be able to make it until then.”

  I hear a growl and realize it just came from me. “They are both so selfish. I don’t get why Kayla would even care about their opinion. They have no idea what love is. I’m going to show Kayla what love is, if it’s the last thing I do.”

  I walk out of the room in search of my woman. She may not know it yet but she’s mine, and I’ll be damned if her stubborn ass is going back to Florida.

  I get to her room, which is on the same floor as our baby’s. Because she’s in a medically induced coma they put her in her own room instead of her sharing one with our baby. When I walk in, there’s a nurse taking her vitals. “How is she doing?”

  She looks up and smiles at me. “She’s doing good. Her blood pressure is steady. If she continues this way, we can start weaning her from the drugs soon so she can start to wake up.

  “Would it be okay if I brought our daughter in here to visit her? I know it’s probably not normal protocol, but I want them to be close.”

  “I think we can have that arranged.” She gives me a wink and then walks out.

  I have a seat next to her bed, taking her hand in mine. Seeing her so quiet and still breaks my heart. Kayla isn’t quiet. She’s loud and the life of the party.

  “Jeez, woman. You definitely gave us all a scare. You can’t be doing shit like that. I haven’t even convinced you that you love me yet. You can’t be trying to leave me. I got to hold our baby and she’s absolutely beautiful. She’s a perfect mix of the two of us. We need you to get better so you can give her a name, okay? I can’t do this without you, Kayla.” I sit with her for a little while just watching her chest rise and fall. She’s so damn strong, but lying here in this bed hooked up to these monitors she has never looked so fragile. I give her a kiss on her cheek and go to get our sweet girl.

  * * *

  It’s been twenty-four hours since our little girl was brought into this world and I’m exhausted. I’ve brought her in to see Kayla several times hoping Kayla knows she’s here. I hate that they can’t sleep in the same room.

  I’ve spent the night feeding and changing and burping our daughter. I’m in love with this sweet little angel. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to leave her side. I know Kayla mentioned going back to work. I wonder if she’ll mind if I stay home with the baby. I can picture it all: mornings at the park, afternoons visiting Kayla at work. I really think it can work. I just need to convince her. We’re currently sitting in Kayla’s room when the nurse lets me know they have reduced the medication and Kayla should begin the process of waking up.

  “All right, sweet girl. Soon you’ll be able to meet your mom and she can give you a name.”

  Our baby girl looks up at me with the most beautiful midnight blue eyes that match Kayla’s. I never thought I could love somebody so quickly, but I swear the moment they set her into my arms, my heart leaped out of my chest, into her palm. There’s nothing that compares to the love a parent feels when holding their baby in their arms.

  Out of nowhere a loud beeping noises goes off and the monitors start going crazy. The baby is startled and starts crying. Two nurses and a doctor rush in. “Sir, you need to leave.”

  “What’s happening?”

  “Sir, we need you to leave now. Once we know more, we will let you know.”

  I’m removed from the room without even having a chance to put our baby in her rolling crib as the door shuts behind me. I can hear them speaking through the door and I feel so damn helpless as I hold our daughter in my arms, trying to calm her cries and praying that her mother is okay.

  “Patient is coding. Grab the defibrillators.”

  “Clear!”

  “There’s no response.”

  “Let’s go again.”

  “And clear!”

  Silence

  “Okay, we have a pulse.”

  I let out a breath once I hear Kayla has a heartbeat. After several minutes the door opens and I almost fall backward holding my daughter close to me. Shuffling up the best I can with her in my arms, I say, “Sorry, I didn’t even realize I was sitting against the door. Is she okay?”

  The nurse nods and leads me back into the room. I put our little girl in her crib and go straight to Kayla to hold her hand, needing to be close to her.

  “The patient is okay for now. It seems she went into shock again once we reduced the meds. It’s not common but it can happen. We had to resuscitate her once again. Because of the damage it’s doing to her heart and body we’re going to keep her in a medically induced coma for at least the next seventy-two hours as well as move her to the ICU. Her body needs to rest.

  “Okay, thank you.”

  After they move her to the ICU, I have my mom watch the baby in her room. I hold on to Kayla’s hand and pray once again that she’s okay. I don’t think I’ve ever prayed so much in my life. I can’t do this without her. Our baby girl and I need her in our lives. I don’t know how long I sit and pray, but eventually a nurse comes in and puts her hand on my shoulder to get my attention.

  “Sir, can you come with us to fill out some paper work? Your daughter will be released from the hospital today.”

  “Yeah, no problem.”

  I call my mom and Liz on the way back to the labor and delivery ward and fill them in on what happened with Kayla. Liz tells me she’ll come and stay with Kayla while my mom meets me to fill out the paperwork with the baby.

  * * *

  I’ve finished filling out the paperwork and am waiting to see what happens next. A woman dressed in business attire comes over and introduces herself.

  “Hello, I’m Darla, I’m from the data department. I was processing your paperwork but you left out the spot for the baby’s name.”

  “Yeah, her mother is in a coma. She hasn’t picked out her name yet.”

  “I see. Well, unfortunately we can’t let the baby leave without a name. You can pick the name now and, if you decide to change it later, you can always fill out a legal name change form.”

  I look at my precious little girl in my mother’s arms and know the name I want for her.

  “Faith. Faith Lizbeth Cruz.”

  “Great. I’ll get it filled out and bring the forms out for you to double check and sign and then you can take your little one home.”

  The woman walks away and I look over to my mom who has tears in her eyes.

  “That’s a beautiful name, Bentley. I love it.”

  “Yeah, now I just have to pray that Kayla will be joining us at home sooner rather than later.”

  “It will all work out, honey. You just have to have Faith.”

  Fifteen

  Kayla

  Everything feels weird. Groggy. Like I’ve been sleeping for a long time yet not long enough. There’s a faint ringing noise i
n my ears and I have no idea where I am. My eyes are closed and I want to open them to figure it out, but they won’t open. It’s as if they’re fastened shut. I feel drained, yet I can’t remember doing anything that would cause me to feel this way.

  “Kayla, baby? Can you hear me?”

  I hear Bentley calling my name and want to wake up to find out why, but I’m so tired. I take a deep breath and it feels funny, like there’s something in my nose. If I could just open my eyes…

  “C’mon woman, please wake up. Faith wants to meet her mommy.”

  Mommy? Holy shit, I’m pregnant! Well, I was pregnant… Does that mean I gave birth to her? Faith? Is that her name? That’s a pretty name. Okay, I just need to open my eyes. On the count of three I’m going to force my eyes to open. One… Two… Three…

  I will my eyes to open and they do! Everything is blurry at first, but then it all starts to come into focus. I see Bentley next to me holding a baby. That must be our baby. Oh, thank God, she’s okay. I look around and see I’m in a hospital room. Caleb is standing in the corner. Hayley is next to him. Liz is still pregnant, and she’s standing next to Cooper, who has his arms wrapped around her. On the other side of me are Kathleen and Ryan, Bentley’s parents.

  I look back to Bentley and attempt to say something, but I end up choking and coughing. I reach up and feel something in my nostrils. It must be oxygen. I pull it out, so I can breathe the fresh air. Kathleen hands me a cup of water. I take a sip and attempt to speak again.

  “What happened?”

  Nobody says anything at first and I start to get nervous. The faint beeping starts to go off faster and Bentley looks worried.

  “Whoa, sweetheart. Calm down. Everything is okay. You need to remain calm. The doctor should be here soon.”

  “Please tell me what happened. The last thing I remember is feeling a pain in my stomach at the wedding. I saw blood and then everything went black.”

  “You suffered from placental abruption and they had to do emergency surgery to take Faith out of you.”