The Cowgirl Who Loved Horses, Queens of Montana Bonus Book

by Vanessa Bartal

  Chapter 30

  It’s possible that Marcus cursed in that horrible moment when he saw his wife pitch off the ladder. He couldn’t be sure because for a moment he went out of his head. All he knew was that when he reached her she wasn’t moving, and there was a puddle of blood all around her.

  His mother must have been alerted by the commotion because she came out to the porch, a frown on her face.

  “What now?” she asked irritably.

  “She’s dead,” Marcus yelled. “You killed her.”

  Her mouth fell open. She looked at the ground where Cecily lay and fell back against the doorframe.

  “No, no, no, I didn’t mean it. I swear I didn’t. Oh, please, no.”

  Marcus would have raged at her again, but his father interrupted. He had always maintained a cool head in emergencies. So had Marcus, usually, but the sight of his wife unhinged him.

  “Both of you calm down and be quiet,” Evan snapped. They complied immediately with the authoritative tone in his voice. “She’s not dead, but her pulse is weak and she will be if we don’t get her some help. George,” he called.

  George came running. His face went white when he saw Cecily on the ground. “I’m sorry,” he started. “I’m sorry. A calf got its head stuck in the feeder and I got distracted.”

  “Pull yourself together, man,” Evan commanded. “I’m going to need the helicopter. I’m going to go start it. You and Marcus carry her behind me.”

  Marcus was thankful not only for his family’s helicopter, but also that his father was giving him directions. He couldn’t seem to think on his own. If he lost her…He and George carried her to the chopper in silence. There was so much blood. How would she ever survive? How would the baby? If she lived and lost the baby, a part of her would die with it anyway.

  Tears ran unchecked down his cheeks. He only wished they would help ease some of the nightmarish fear and pain inside him.

  “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” his mother repeated over and over as she hobbled behind them.

  “You should be,” Marcus yelled as he laid Cecily inside the machine. “If something happens to her or our baby, I swear I’ll never forgive you or speak to you again.”

  His mother put her hands over her face and wept.

  “Come on,” his father said impatiently. Marcus hopped inside the helicopter. His father kept him from looking at Cecily by instructing him to radio the hospital and tell them what they were coming in with. It was a good thing because if he glanced at Cecily and saw the life slowly draining from her face, he might jump from the helicopter to save himself the misery of losing her.

  When they arrived at the hospital and she was put on life support he had to be sedated. He came to in a panic but tried to calm himself in case they threatened to sedate him again. He was in a bed and hooked to an IV, but he ripped it out and then looked around for his clothes. He was beyond angry that his wife was critically injured and he was lying in a hospital bed because he had tried to take a swing at a few people when they took her away from him.

  His legs were unsteady as he walked to the nurses’ station. He wasn’t sure what they gave him, but it had been potent.

  “Where’s my wife?” he asked.

  A young-looking nurse looked at him in alarm. “Uh,” she said.

  “My wife,” he practically yelled. His fist clenched and he banged it on the counter.

  “Is your wife the pregnant one that came in on a helicopter?” A man Marcus assumed to be a doctor asked the question.

  “Yes.” He was relieved someone knew something, at least.

  “Come with me,” the man said. He turned his back and Marcus followed.

  “What can you tell me?” Marcus asked desperately as they entered the elevator.

  “Nothing.” He held up his hands in supplication when Marcus advanced on him. “Because I don’t know. She’s not my patient. I only know of her because you caused such a stir by your arrival. I know it’s hard, but you might try to calm down. You don’t want to get in the way of your wife’s care.”

  “She’s still alive?” Marcus asked hopefully.

  “I truly have no idea. I’m sorry. I’ll try to get some answers for you.”

  The elevator door opened and Marcus followed the man to what was obviously a maternity ward. The doctor walked authoritatively to the nurses’ station.

  “This young man is the husband of the trauma victim. What can you tell him of his wife’s condition?”

  The head nurse was, thankfully, in attendance and piped up. “Right this way, sir. We’ll let you see her. Your father hasn’t left her side since the surgery.”

  He swallowed hard. He couldn’t ask about a surgery or the baby right now. He simply needed to see Cecily and make sure she was all right.

  When he entered and saw her hooked to every imaginable tube and machine he almost panicked and bolted again; Then he saw his father sitting sedately by the bed, looking tired, but calm and determined.

  “She’s alive,” Evan said in his steady way.

  Marcus began to weep with relief. She was alive. That was enough for now. They would deal with everything else as it arose. He walked to the bed and pressed a kiss to the only part of her he could safely touch, which happened to be her forehead.

  “Lee, it’s me, honey. Sorry I left you for a little while. I’m here now. I love you.” He took a deep breath and turned to the nurse.

  “I’ll page her doctor for you,” she said, and then left.

  “They’ve been like that since I got here. You would think they’re keeping state secrets,” his father said irritably.

  Marcus barely had time to become antsy and impatient before the doctor returned.

  “We got lucky,” were the doctor’s first words. “When a woman is pregnant her body releases a hormone called relaxin. It makes her muscles, joints, and tendons looser, so no bones were broken. With a fall like that, there’s often a fracture of the neck or back. The relaxin may have saved your wife, as well as your baby.”

  Marcus straightened. “The baby’s alive?”

  “Alive and well,” the doctor said. “The fall sent her into labor and ruptured a few membranes. That was what all the blood was from. It was touch and go for a little while to see if she would hemorrhage after we took the baby, but we were able to get the bleeding stopped. He’s only thirty five weeks, which isn’t considered full term, but he’s five pounds and so far very healthy. The main concern now is your wife’s head. As you can imagine it took a pretty good jolt when she fell off the ladder. There’s significant swelling, but the brain has an amazing capacity to heal itself. Her vitals are good and strong. For now it’s going to be a waiting game as we watch the swelling go down. We put her in a coma so we can control her level of stimulation. In a few days we’ll take out the breathing tube and slowly bring her out of the coma. At that time we’ll know if there’s any brain damage or not. We’re going to keep her in the maternity ward overnight because the staff is more trained in dealing with a woman post c-section. Would you like to see your son?”

  Marcus looked at Cecily. He wasn’t sure he could leave her just now.

  “I’ll stay with her,” his father reassured him. “Go see your boy.”

  That caught Marcus’s attention. “Boy? It’s a boy?”

  The doctor nodded.

  Marcus grinned. “Did you hear that, Lee? You got your boy, honey. Come back so we can get you your girl.” He lightly squeezed her hand and then followed the doctor to the nursery.

  Holding his son was magical. He had never seen anything so tiny, pink, and beautiful. He had Cecily’s dark hair and dark complexion. And her temper, he thought, as the baby opened its mouth to scream bloody murder. And yours, too, he could hear Cecily’s voice chiding him. He smiled and dashed at his tears again.

  “You can take the baby to see your wife,” the nurse said. She looked around furtively. “It’s not popular opinion, but I think people can understand some
things when they’re in a coma. Knowing the baby is so close might help her, or at least provide her some comfort.”

  “Thank you,” Marcus said. He smiled at the woman and then carried his baby to Cecily’s room.

  His father sat up interestedly.

  “Want to hold him, Dad?”

  “Sure,” his father said. “Don’t look so surprised. I held you and your brother, didn’t I?” He took the baby in his arms and smiled at him. “He looks just like her.”

  “She’ll be disappointed,” Marcus said. “She wanted him to look like me.”

  “She won’t be disappointed at all,” his father assured him. “I called your mother. She wants to come.”

  Marcus frowned. “I don’t want her here.”

  Evan blew out a breath. “I can understand you feeling that way, but we both know your mother hasn’t been herself. Seeing what she’s done might cause her a world of good.”

  “Let me just get through today, Dad, all right? I can’t think about anything else right now.”

  “All right, son.”

  His father stayed a little while longer holding his new grandson, and then he flew home.