by Anna Scott
"What was that dear?" Luke's mom asked as she leaned closer to me.
Crap, I hadn't realized that I was speaking, had I muttered about the damned nurse? I hoped she hadn't heard me, that would seriously suck.
"Nothing," I promised with a smile that probably looked more like a grimace on my face.
"Oh boy, you're crowning. Let me get the doctor. It's time to rock and roll," the nurse exclaimed as she snapped the gloves off, tossing them into a nearby trash can and flounced out of the room, my glare piercing her back.
"I can't do this," I cried, tears starting to fall down my cheeks for about the fiftieth time since my labor had started twelve and a half hours before and again when I realized that I might just have to do this without my husband.
"There, there sweet girl. Luke will get here, don't you worry. There isn't anything in this world he'd rather do than be here with you to watch his baby take it's first breath." She was trying to soothe me, as far as mother-in-laws went, mine was awesome. My own mother had died several years before and I felt her loss even more in moments like this one. I nodded, sheepishly, knowing that I was acting like a spoiled baby. I tried to pull myself together, but when she wrapped her arms around me, I lost it and started to cry harder.
I didn't hear the door swing open, didn't pay attention to the thudding footsteps running toward me, I just held on and sobbed. Suddenly, the soft, warm arms wrapped around me were replaced by thick muscular ones. The feel of my husband's hard chest pressed against my cheek and I caught his comforting scent, mixed with a bit of sweat, something coppery smelling and the hint of something else I couldn't put my finger on.
"What's this now?" Luke's voice was rough and filled with emotion when he leaned back just enough to look into my red-rimmed and watery eyes. He gazed lovingly at me seconds before his mouth took mine in a possessive, apologetic and gentle kiss. I heard his mother gasp and thought it strange, she'd seen us kiss plenty of times.
"Luke, you're bleeding!" I wrenched back from his loving mouth and looked into his exhausted face.
"You're bleeding?" I asked, looking over his face, then down his neck, over his right side and then I saw it as my eyes took in the large dark circle on his left shoulder. "What happened? Are you - are you okay?"
"I'm fine sweetheart, just a graze. Let's worry about you now, okay?"
Before I had a chance to ask him anymore, the door opened again, my doctor led the pack with a couple of nurses and the anesthesiologist bringing up the rear.
"So, you ready to have this baby, Aurora?"
"Maybe someone could get Luke a Band-Aid first, doc." I gave Luke a wry look, then grimaced as another contraction wrenched my abdomen.
One of the nurses moved toward my husband, raised a brow at him in question. Luke nonchalantly lifted the other shoulder in a shrug like this was all normal, no big deal. She huffed, rolled her eyes and moved toward a set of cabinets on the other side of the room. I heard her mumble something about leaving the emergency room years ago, but my focus was torn between the doctor snapping on gloves and moving between my legs and the nurse who was cutting away the material at Luke's shoulder and cleaning his injury.
"With the next contraction, go ahead and push," the doctor instructed, as Luke's mom moved in on one side of me and a nurse on the other, each taking hold of one of my knees, preparing me to deliver our baby.
Reed
I held Gilli tight against my side, praying with all that was holy that Tyler had been able to connect with the powers that be and secure us a private room. There was no way, after all they had endured, that I wanted my girls sitting in some nasty emergency room waiting area for hours, surrounded by sick people. The woman at the desk eyed me speculatively, I was sure that Jake, who was still carrying a now chattering Kelly, and I presented an imposing sight. She blinked a few times before opening the glass window and spoke.
"How may I help you?"
"I'm Reed Allen, I believe," she cut me off with a nod before I could finish my statement and pointed to a door just to the left of her desk.
"Yes sir, give me one minute to call the nurse. Doctor Travers is waiting for you."
"Everything is arranged?"
"Yes, of course, sir." Her demeanor had completely morphed from timid and probably frightened, to competent and self-assured. I was thankful that I didn't have to pitch a fit to get Gillian and Kelly to safety.
I was reasonably sure that DeMarco's organization was crumbling around his incarcerated ass, but I wasn't about to take a chance that one of his lackey's had followed us and would take any of us out. I wasn't that naive.
An older woman, dressed in bright orange scrubs opened the secure door less than a minute later. Without releasing my hold, I guided Gilli through as the nurse held it open for Jake to walk through behind us.
"I'm Sandy, I'll be assisting Doctor Travers tonight. Please follow me." I nodded, but felt Gilli's entire body stiffen when the woman had told us her name. What a fucking coincidence, right? Because seriously, she needed to be reminded of all my shit right at that moment? After my freeze-out and subsequent disappearing act, I'd be one lucky asshole if she didn't show me the door, permanently. Of course, I wouldn't leave quietly, I'd beg like a little bitch if I had to, I would just wear her down until she forgave my stupid ass. Maybe I could get my mom to call her and tell her that I was a good kid or something, that probably wouldn't work.
"Mr. Allen?" The nurse asked, she looked worried, like maybe she'd called my name a few times already.
"Yes, sorry." I watched her and waited. We were standing outside an open door, inside the room, I noticed a doctor stood waiting for us. Jake nudged me to move, so I forced my feet forward, and directed Gilli inside.
"Mr. Allen, this is a rather unusual night, but when the director of the ATF calls, I listen. I'm Dr. Travers."
I took in the man, he was young, too damn young and pretty fit. He wasn't nearly as tall as me, but definitely too decent looking to be taking care of Gillian. Didn't they have some old pudgy guy with a hell of a lot more experience than this douchebag? Instead of decking the guy in the face, I reached out my free hand and shook his, maybe just a tad harder than was necessary. I noticed the slight wince on his face and smiled, but when I looked down at Gillian, I noticed her furrowed brow and tight lips. Maybe I should stop being a jerk.
"Thank you for your help, doctor."
"If you'd all like to have a seat, maybe someone can explain what's going on tonight."
I assumed that if my boss had the director call, I was going to owe him big time, but I wasn't complaining. I glanced up at the nurse, Sandy, and noticed the still open door. Settling Gillian on the padded hospital bed, I moved to close the door and glanced down each direction of the hall before picking up a chair to sit next to her. Jake had taken another chair and did his best to keep Kelly occupied. Luckily, Dylan was a little spit fire, so Jake was well used to wrangling wild little ones.
I noticed the doctor's raised brow at what must have seemed like strange behavior, but under the circumstances, I didn't give two shits about his opinions. Even though I was sure Jake would rather be upstairs with the rest of our friends, helping Luke and Aurora celebrate the forthcoming birth of their first child, not to mention seeing his own wife, he was sticking close. We were in an uncertain situation and he wasn't about to leave me without back up.
"Okay, Mr. Allen, how can I help you tonight?" Dr. Travers had taken a seat on the rolling stool, I watched just a little sick pleasure when he raised the seat so he was closer to level with me. Sadly, for him, it didn't reach quite that high, so I still peered down at him. I needed to focus on the health and well-being of my girls and not my ridiculous jealousy about a man who would have to check my woman over, probably in some areas that I'd prefer he never see.
"Well, doctor, I'm going to tell you a little story. Most of this needs to never find it's way into your medical reports, you get me?"
The doctor's face paled slightly, but he nodded hi
s understanding, so I continued. "This is Gillian, the little girl is Kelly," I introduced, motioning to each of my girls in turn. "Almost twenty-four hours ago, they were abducted and held captive. Gillian was unconscious for at least twelve of those hours. I need you to check them over since there's no way to know what happened to either of them during the hours Gillian was out."
The doctor's face had gone from slightly pale, to white as a sheet while I gave the very abridged version of the story. I glanced to the nurse and watched her as she purposefully changed her horrified expression back to professional and detached. The doctor took another few seconds, but eventually he too was able to pull his shit together. He straightened his shoulders, inhaled deeply and stood. He looked to the nurse and asked her to retrieve several items, none of which I was familiar with, so I let his words go in one ear and out the other. I kept a tight hold of Gillian's hand, terrified that if I let her go for even a second, that I would wake up and I would find myself back in that horrific nightmare. Looking into her beautiful face brought me a modicum of peace. I couldn't help but lean in and kiss her soft, chapped lips again.
Since Kelly was in a good mood, we decided that she should be examined first. The doctor left the room for a few minutes while Gillian changed Kelly into the tiny cloth gown and fresh diaper the nurse brought in. She chattered on, asking where her puppy was and telling us all about the cookies she was going to make later with her doll.
When the doctor returned, trailed once more by the nurse, I waited with baited breath for his examination to be concluded. I felt like the entire world was standing still, if we heard that something horrible had happened to her, I was pretty sure that I would want to go back in time and kill Brooks again. Sure, I hadn't been the one to shoot him in the first place, but if Kelly had been hurt in any way, I would want to.
Dr. Travers's turned lifted his eyes to Gillian's and I noticed his soft smile. Was he trying to reassure her? A blanket had been draped over the little girl on the table, but when I heard the Velcro from her diaper opening, I stiffened with fear. When Gillian changed her, I hadn't seen anything suspicious, but I wasn't a doctor, we needed to be sure. He continued talking to Kelly in a soothing tone, telling her everything he was doing. The douche did have a good bedside manner, something for which I was grateful.
"I don't see any trauma or bruising on her at all. If you think she was given something, I will draw some blood to check her, but without that, I think she's just fine." His words were enough for me to take a relived breath and feel like my heart had started again. I was still nervous about what Gillian's exam would reveal, but so far so good, right?
We agreed that Kelly didn't need blood work, and after the nightmare of the previous twenty-four hours, we didn't want to put her through any more unnecessarily, so unless something changed, we were going to skip it. The doctor and nurse stepped out of the room again, so Gillian dressed Kelly once more and handed her off to Jake. As much as I didn't want him to, he stepped out into the hall while Gillian changed. Of course, I didn't want him to see her naked or anything, but I worried about him being out there without anyone covering his back and with Kelly, he wouldn't be able to do much to protect them.
I heard the sound of male voices outside the closed door, so while Gilli changed, I peeked my head out and found Ty standing with Jake. Both men scanned the empty hallway and for a moment, I wondered just where on the first floor of the hospital we were. We certainly weren't still in the busy emergency room that must be full of people. Whoever the director had talked to, whatever he had to do to get us this special treatment, I was eternally grateful. When I had cracked the door open, both Ty and Jake swiveled their heads to look at me. Ty nodded his greeting, then both resumed their vigilant watch.
Once I was back inside, I found Gilli folding her clothes, pajamas that were dirty and she had been wearing for way too long for them to be comfortable. When we went in and rescued them, I hadn't taken notice of what she wore, but they had been taken in the middle of the night, of course she had been in sleepwear. She needed something else to wear if we were going to go upstairs to await the arrival of Luke and Aurora's baby.
I pulled the cell from my pocket, getting ready to text someone to get her something and realized I needed to check in on Luke and Justin as well, they had both been injured, if mildly in the extrication. Before I had a chance to type out the message, the door opened and I saw the nurse walk in, holding a shopping back from Aurora's store. She sat it on the counter and when she noticed Gillian's questioning gaze, she explained, "Your friend Amber gave these to the gentleman outside for you."
Amber was a peach, perfect for Trent and so thoughtful. The first time I met her, I thought she was flighty and maybe even a bit of an airhead, but after a while, I realized that I was too damned judgmental and saw the great woman she apparently took such care to hide.
Gilli had climbed onto the hospital bed and was arranging the blanket over her lap. She looked so small, and I just couldn't take it another minute. I reached out with one hand and caressed her soft cheek. "We need to talk, precious, but it will hold until you get some sleep."
"Okay," she replied, a hint of fear creasing her beautiful brows and I had to wonder what she was worried about.
"I love you, precious, I'm not going another minute without you knowing that. Okay?" I held my breath and watched, she sucked in a surprised breath and a single tear streaked down her face. She opened her mouth to reply, but I put a finger over her plump lips and confessed, "I'm not perfect baby, I've done so much fucked up shit that I regret, but I want you to know that I am so fucking sorry for leaving you to worry the past few days. I'll never forgive myself for all the insecurity I see in your eyes right now. I'll never forget that its my fault you were taken, that you and Kelly were in danger like that. I just pray that you'll find it in your heart to forgive me."
"Reed?" She started to ask, but I shook my head.
"No, baby, I wasn't there, I should have been. I should have been with you, I went home when I should have climbed into your bed last night, should have climbed in your bed and pulled you close to me and held you tight and safe all night."
"You love me?" She spoke so quietly, just above a whisper, but the hope in those three little words warmed my heart and gave me hope that she would forgive me.
"I do, I love you. I held back from you for a long time, I was afraid that you wouldn't be able to put up with my job, with me, but it was my own fears, not because of you." I tried to explain as much as I could without addressing the shit with Sandy, we would get into all that, but not now. We didn't have enough time, so that would have to wait.
"Reed, can I, I love you too." I watched, stunned as she confessed her own feelings, elated and so damned happy as another tear slid down. I couldn't help it, couldn't control what happened next. My lips spread wide into a smile so big and my mouth crashed down onto hers.
When the doctor walked in again, Gillian pulled back from me and smiled up, our eyes meeting for a moment before turning to watch as he and the nurse came into the room. I squeezed her hand and whispered "Later," we would be okay, we'd talk about everything and be okay.
Dr. Travers moved to the tray the nurse had brought in earlier. I noticed several strange looking objects that I had actually seen before, but knowing what they were and where he was going to put them didn't make me feel any better about the situation.
"Ms., I'm sorry, I don't know your last name. May I call you Gillian?"
Gillian nodded, and I was happy she didn't share her last name. I had kept it to first names only with the good doctor for safety reasons. Sure, what we were doing may not be completely legit with medical documentation practices or whatever, but until all this shit was resolved, I wouldn't allow the girls to be in any more danger than they already were.
"Okay, Gillian, I'm going to draw your blood, instead of having a phlebotomist come in and do it. I don't do it often, but I still remember how." His little joke was innocent, I knew and h
e did succeed in making her laugh a little bit, but I didn't really like it. Instead of putting my giant foot squarely into my mouth though, I kept it shut and smiled smugly with the knowledge that this beautiful woman loved me. My chest puffed out with pride so much, it must have grown ten more inches.
He inserted the needle, and no matter how many gruesome things I had seen in my life, my head felt hot as I watched that thing pierce her perfect skin. I had seen men blown apart in the war, had seen my own father's head explode into a million pieces when I was only a boy when he shot himself in front of me, but watching Gillian's red blood flow down that tube and fill up vile after vile was almost enough to make me puke into the single stainless steel sink against the far wall. I felt the nurse step next to me and reach up, but I wasn't paying close attention until I felt the cool damp rag placed against my overly hot neck. I looked down at her, an embarrassed frown on my face. She smiled kindly up at me and shrugged her shoulders slightly.
"Happens all the time. We try to catch the big ones before they go down though. I can't tell you how many husbands I've had to help up off the floor in all these years." Husband, my gut tightened and I wanted that so fucking much.
Gillian reached up with her free hand and swept her fingers over my forearm. She was giving me comfort, with all that she'd gone through, all that she had endured, she was trying to reassure me. As sweet as the gesture was, it made me feel like shit.
Time dragged on and on, I kept my eyes fixed on Gillian's beautiful face throughout the entire exam. I watched her closely, wanting to tell her how much I loved her again, and how much I wanted her to be in my life forever, but it wasn't the time.
Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Dr. Travers adjust the blanket that covered Gilli's legs and take a step back, removing his gloves. I gave her hand a quick squeeze and we both turned our heads to listen to what the doctor had to say.
