Hotshot

by Ahren Sanders

  “We need a private waiting room, and an update on both women immediately.”

  The poor woman’s eyes pass over my shoulder and grow with recognition. I forgot about Nick. She nods and tells Claire where to go.

  We trail Claire to a small waiting room, and then she disappears. Nick and I don’t talk, both of us lost in our own worlds. I pick up my phone to call Sasha’s parents, when Claire, Mathis, a police officer, and another doctor enter.

  “Shaw, we need to make this quick. Sasha was alert, conscious, and mostly unscathed when she arrived. The attempts at calming the baby down have worked, and he is no longer is distress. However, they are prepping Sasha for the c-section because her water has broken. They have NICU ready, too,” Mathis tells me. “This doctor is here to take you to Sasha.” He gestures to the other doctor with the group.

  “What about Bizzy?”

  “Listen to me.” Mathis gets in front of me, Nick taking his cue and standing at my shoulder. “Go be there for the delivery of your son. This is a moment you can’t miss. We’ll be here for Bizzy and have an update as soon as you come back. She’s under the best care possible right now. She’s stable. She’s not in danger of dying. I think the original prognosis was a little exaggerated.”

  “I need to see her.”

  “No, you need to be there for your son. She’ll kill you if you miss his birth.” Rory’s strained voice comes from behind.

  “Can anyone tell me why they were even together? How did this happen?” Each word burns in my dry throat.

  “We’ll get all the details and have them ready for you. Mom and Dad are on their way. Go now,” Mathis urges me.

  I give a small nod and follow the doctor out of the room with a sinking feeling in my stomach. Even the reassuring words that both my son and fiancée are not in grave danger does nothing to calm the nerves.

  The whole ride up the elevator and walk to the maternity ward is a blur. Claude and Anne are waiting outside of a room and straighten when they see me coming.

  “Crenshaw,” Claude says curtly.

  “How are they?”

  “The baby seems fine. Sasha is freaked.”

  “Do you know what happened?”

  “Barely,” Anne speaks up. Something in her tone is suspicious.

  “Sir, you need to change into these.” A nurse hands me a pair of scrubs and points to an empty room.

  I don’t give them another glance and go to change. When I’m done, she leads me to the operating room and to Sasha’s side.

  Sasha looks incredible for a woman recently in a car accident. There’s a small cut on her cheek and some bruising on her neck, I assume from the seatbelt, but otherwise, she looks fine.

  “Ren.” She touches my hand, and I shake her off.

  “Give me this, please. Give me this, and I’ll never ask anything again. I’ve been so scared out of my mind.”

  This time when she links her fingers through mine, I don’t move, but stand with my heart in my throat listening to the doctor explain the procedure. He has a conversation with Sasha about her being ready that barely registers with me. My anxiety is about to blow up, waiting to hear and see my baby.

  It takes about four minutes until a tiny wail fills the room. Relief floods through me as I watch his arms and legs flail. He’s so tiny, but he’s breathing and fighting. In a rush, he’s placed in a machine as they do whatever in the hell they need to do. Sasha squeezes my hand, distracting my attention back to her.

  “What are you seeing?”

  I explain what’s happening and look back at her to see the tears start running from her eyes. I recognize the relief, but the rest is new to me. There’s regret, shame, and sorrow. In this moment, I know she’s responsible for what has happened.

  “What did you do?” I barely whisper, the acid clear in my tone.

  “It wasn’t supposed to happen like this. I didn’t mean for any of this to happen.”

  I wrench my hand out of hers and stumble back, just as a nurse approaches with a tiny bundle in her arms.

  “Do you want to hold him for a brief moment before we take him to the NICU?”

  I ignore Sasha’s plea and reach for him. He’s so damn small, too small. My heart starts to break.

  “He weighed in at four point eight pounds and almost eighteen inches. That’s really good for such a preemie. We’ll get him in an incubator and have a full update for you very soon. But his eyes are more focused than I’ve seen before. These are all positive things. His lungs seem to be clear and working properly,” she tells us as I stare in awe at him.

  She may say four point eight pounds, but to me, he feels like a feather. I want him in the incubator now and with the best pediatrician in this hospital. Mathis better have his ass outside the door waiting.

  I lean down and brush my lips over his little forehead and whisper, “Welcome to the world, little guy. Daddy loves you.”

  I hand him gently back to the nurse. “I’ll be around this hospital. Dr. Mathis Bennett is my brother. We’ll want updates every half hour, sooner if possible. Let me know as soon as I can visit him in the NICU. It goes without saying, I want the best care and resources. Also, we want privacy.”

  She nods in agreement. I don’t look at Sasha as I walk out. No matter what she has to say, no matter what her reasoning or excuse, she did this.

  My child is alive and breathing on his own, and if anything goes wrong with him or any complications arise, she’s to blame.

  Now, my focus moves to Bizzy.

  “The doctors say she’s going to be fine, Shaw,” Rory tells me for the fifth time, and I chuckle under my breath.

  “I’ll do anything if she’ll open her eyes.” I kiss each of her knuckles and caress the empty space her engagement ring used to sit. It had to be removed when she went into surgery. The nurse brought it to Rory when she arrived, and Rory gave it to me when I returned.

  I got back from the maternity wing right as the doctor came out to talk to the family. Bizzy’s injuries are mostly on her left side due to the multiple impacts. She has a broken collarbone and dislocated shoulder, broken wrist, and three broken ribs. Her entire chest area and across her hips are severely bruised from the seatbelt. The airbag left burns and bruises on her face and chest, but it ultimately saved her life. Originally, when she was brought in, the blood from her head wound is what alarmed the doctors the most, and the fact she was unresponsive and there could have been a punctured lung.

  They were able to rouse her after surgery, but since then, she’s been asleep. I’ve only left her side to take my parents to the NICU to see how ‘Baby B’ is doing. From what I understand, Sasha is resting, but I haven’t been back to speak to her. Nor do I give a shit.

  Nick moves in beside me and nudges me gently. “You need to move.”

  “Hell no,” I say, plainly irritated.

  “I will jack your ass across the room if you don’t let me get to her.”

  “I will throw your ass out the window if you try to move me from my fiancée’s side.”

  “Boys!” Rory scolds us, not hiding her grin.

  “Sorry, Rory, but I figure if this ass will move, I can talk her into waking up,” Nick explains, turning on his stupid fucking charm.

  Tom’s standing behind Rory and drops his head to her shoulder, shielding his own smile.

  “Don’t test me, Nick.”

  “Not testing you, but it’s time she wakes up. Your kissing and looming isn’t doing it. Let me try.”

  I’m ready to say more, when there’s a knock on the door and Mathis pokes his head inside. “You need to come with me.” He’s looking straight at me.

  The somewhat playful mood disappears as the air in the room goes still. My chest tightens, and my mind flashes to the baby.

  “Is he okay?” I jump up, Nick right by my side.

  “Yes, he’s great. This is about something else.”

  It’s written all over his face. H
e’s trying to hold back, but there is a bite to his words, and he’s struggling to remain calm.

  I look at Rory and Tom, and they both give me silent approval to step out, knowing I don’t want to leave Bizzy’s side. Nick is beside me the whole way as we follow Mathis to a large, private room. Two police officers sit at the table, one I recognize from earlier.

  “Mr. Bennett, Mr. Bennett.” They stand and acknowledge Nick and me at the same time.

  “Shaw and Nick,” I correct them and shake hands quickly. “What’s this about?”

  “Mr. Benn—, I mean Shaw, we were the first to arrive at the scene of your fiancée’s accident today. The ambulance was very close behind. We have the nine-one-one call and several witness accounts. It seems Lizbeth was trying to get Miss Crane to the hospital, due to fear of her water breaking. Witnesses from other vehicles have reported that the car started swerving then spinning out of control. Luckily, only one other car was clipped, minimal damage and no injuries.”

  “Well, that’s good,” I grumble, not even thinking others could have been injured. “But what I don’t understand is how this happened. There is no reason Bizzy and Sasha should have been around each other.”

  One of the officers sets a handheld recording device on the table and shoots me a worried glance. “We have a statement from Miss Crane.”

  “That skank doesn’t have much credibility. I’d be careful to believe what comes out of her fucking mouth,” Nick seethes, his anger growing with each word.

  “I think we get the picture. It seems she had some issues with Lizbeth and openly admits approaching her this morning in your parking garage. According to her, their argument became heated, and she started showing signs of early labor. Lizbeth was trying to help her, get her to the hospital,” the officer explains. “Miss Crane went on to explain what she remembers and asked us to share with you. Would you like to hear?”

  I nod numbly, knowing this is going to be a mistake.

  He plays the recording, and Mathis comes closer, both my brothers taking the same stance as me: blank faces, arms crossed, and anger steaming from us.

  I listen to every word Sasha says, her explanation of what transpired this morning to put the two people I love most in the hospital. Surprisingly, she sounds mellow and remorseful. She tells of their argument, her jealousy, and her resentment over my relationship. When she recalls the cramping and the way Bizzy tried to help her, only to be backhanded to the ground, I growl and feel my control slipping. The rest of the recording sets me further and further on edge. She holds nothing back, taking full responsibility for losing her temper and lashing out at Bizzy, while Bizzy drove.

  I lose focus as red fury clouds my vision, especially when Sasha admits to having pains the last few days and ignoring them as Braxton Hicks. She was so set on her mission to destroy my relationship, she didn’t take the baby’s health into consideration. During the last few minutes, her voice cracks, and she openly cries, telling the officers how sorry she is and how scared she became.

  There isn’t one ounce of sympathy in the room when one of the men cuts off the recording.

  “Jesus, this is a clusterfuck. It could be on one of those daytime TV shows,” Nick clips, his disgust escalating.

  “I want to press charges. What are the next steps?” My lawyer brain kicks into gear, and I stand straighter, thinking of exactly how Sasha is going to pay for this.

  Revenge is what I want… sweet, sweet revenge.

  The men look at each other, one of them scuffling his feet a little before speaking. “We need to speak with Lizbeth when she’s awake and coherent. Hear her recollection of the details. She will be the one who will have to make that call.”

  “Sasha lost her mind and tried to kill my fiancée and possibly my child. Isn’t that attempted manslaughter?” I bark at them.

  Nick lets out a low whistle, and Mathis steps in front of me. “Officers, Lizbeth Hastings is going to be under heavy sedation and groggy for a few days. While her injuries were not life-threatening, she still underwent major surgery. I will personally contact you when her doctor feels she is well enough to give you a statement. Until then, you can understand how on edge all of us are. This has been one hell of a day. My brother was faced with the possibility of losing his son and his fiancée. Even knowing they are both okay, tensions are high.”

  “We understand. We’ll also be speaking with her doctor.” One of them tries to hand me a card, but Mathis snatches it, still shielding me.

  They walk out, and my knees finally go weak. I sink into a chair and drop my head to my hands. The details of the day race through my head at high speed.

  “Shaw, what can we do?” Mathis lays a hand on my shoulder, his grip firm.

  “I need a minute,” I tell him in a ragged breath.

  We stay silent as I will my heart to stop racing and press the emotions deep, knowing I need to get back to Bizzy.

  Mathis’ phone beeps, and he slaps me on the back with a little too much force.

  “Come on, boys. The message is from Claire. She’s got great news on the baby and says we need to come up to NICU.”

  Hearing that is probably the only thing in this world that could lift my spirits right now. I leap to my feet and start toward the door, knowing they are close behind.

  The entire way to the NICU, I formulate a plan to deal with Sasha.

  Chapter 34

  Bizzy

  “Wake up, baby. Let me see your beautiful blue eyes. Even if it’s just for a minute, open them for me.” Shaw’s voice sounds miles away as I fight the haziness.

  I blink a few times, knowing he needs this, opening my eyes to find him leaning over me with a satisfied grin. His own eyes shine as he moves my hand to his mouth and kisses it repeatedly.

  It’s been like this for two days. If I’m asleep when Shaw leaves to see the baby, he gently wakes me up to kiss me and tell me he loves me. His explanation is simple.

  “I need to see your eyes, Bizzy. It helps calm me.”

  Since the minute I first woke up, he’s been by my side, unless he’s with the baby. Even then, someone is near. Our moms, dads, Nick, Claire, Mathis, Nurse Evie… all of them sit around my room. Since my entire left side is practically useless right now, they have all babied me to death. I’m ready to go home, try to acclimate to my injuries, and for people to stop shadowing my every move.

  I lift my non-injured hand and run it along his jawline, giving him a sleepy smile. “Is it time to see him?”

  “Yes, and then I have a surprise. He’s been cleared to go to the step-down unit today. His lungs and heart rate are strong. He’s also gained almost four ounces in the last two days.”

  “Oh, Shaw.” I try to sit up, but hiss in pain when I twist the wrong way.

  His face goes white as his grip tightens.

  “Goddammit, stop doing that. You scared the shit out of me.” He bends and lifts me easily, being gentle as he helps me sit up. Then he moves the bed the rest of the way to sitting position.

  “Sorry.” I half-laugh because he’s ridiculously overbearing,

  “Don’t apologize. Stop and ask for help.”

  “Tell me more about the baby.” I ignore his disapproving tone.

  His mood changes instantly. “That’s part of the surprise. You’re going to meet him.”

  My heart starts to race, and not in a good way. I knew this day was coming, but I’m not sure I’m ready. Even with all that’s happened, meeting his son feels like the final detail in the nightmare we’ve endured. My brain screams at me to get it together and act like an adult, but my heart bleeds with insecurities.

  “Bizzy, what’s wrong. You’re pale.”

  “Nothing.”

  His hand moves to my head, careful of the gash on my scalp from my fall. He threads his fingers through my hair and puts his lips to mine, kissing tenderly. “You’re lying, but that’s okay because I’m not going to leave your side. We have a very importa
nt job today,” he whispers against my mouth and kisses me once more then lays my head back and steps away.

  “Your mom and my mom are going to help you shower. I’ll be back shortly.”

  He walks out, and a second later, Mom and Maria rush in babbling about something. It’s gibberish to me because my brain is firing all sorts of possibilities of how this could go wrong. What happens if Sasha comes around?

  “Lizbeth, stop worrying. This is going to be wonderful.” Mom comes to me and starts the process of helping me out of bed. We’ve done this several times over the last twenty-four hours, so she and Maria are pros at getting me to the bathroom. The shower’s a bit trickier, but they help me undress and sit me on a stool. Mom purses her lips at all my bruising but helps lather me gently while Maria washes my hair, careful of my wound. It feels like heaven, and I hold back tears of appreciation.

  When we’re done, Claire’s waiting for us in the room with fresh clothes. I don’t recognize the pajamas, and she gives me a conspiring smile.

  “Nick and I took Shaw’s credit card. You now have a ton of clothes that are easy to slide on over your brace and won’t irritate your injuries.”

  “You’re a godsend.” I blow her a kiss and sigh in happiness when the soft material slides down my body. It’s easily the softest cotton I’ve ever felt, and I know Shaw demanded the best.

  She combs through my hair and helps me into a new robe, right as Shaw returns with a wheelchair.

  “Really, Shaw, don’t you think you’re going overboard? There’s nothing wrong with my legs. I can walk.”

  “I can also carry you, which I don’t mind doing. Take your pick. I have no problem traipsing through this hospital with you in my arms.” He crosses his arms and glares at me sternly.

  Maria giggles while my mom snorts, apparently amused at his bossiness.

  “Chair,” I mumble, sitting down in a huff.

  He whisks me through the hospital, whistling and humming the whole way, without a care in the world. Meanwhile, I want to vomit. When we arrive at the NICU, it’s apparent Shaw has worked his magic. We have an entire room to ourselves that looks more like a comfortable living area than a hospital room. A woman I recognize is waiting for us. She has several specialties, including PRN work on the oncology floor a year ago. Her smile is genuine as he wheels me to a large recliner.