by Layla Hagen
“Is... is the baby coming?”
Please say no.
Please.
She was due in May, so that would mean he’d be born two months too early. I had zero medical knowledge, but even I knew that was bad.
“I don’t know. She fainted, and now she’s lying down, still very drowsy. She’s covered in cold sweat. We’ve already called an ambulance. We’re waiting. Just wanted to let you know.”
“Where are you taking her?”
“The Liberty, but I remembered that her ob-gyn is actually on vacation, so she can’t help. I’ve called Rob too. He’s meeting us there.”
Tess’s voice was trembling. I forced myself to take a deep breath and sound calm. I didn’t want to make Tess worry even more.
“You know what? I’ll call Laney. She’s a doctor there. She’ll know what to do.”
“Laney? Oh, yeah. Isabelle’s Laney. Yes, please.”
“I’ll call you after I talk to her.” I just hoped she had her phone with her. Laney didn’t answer the first time, but I dialed her number again, and this time, she answered on the first ring.
“Cole—” she started, but I interrupted her right away, needing to explain as fast as possible.
“Skye fainted this morning. Tess is with her. Says that she’s sweaty but has no fever. They’ve already called an ambulance. They’re bringing her to the Liberty, but her doctor is on vacation.”
“The ambulance will have paramedics, and we have other ob-gyns here. Send me your sister’s number, and I’ll stay on the phone with them.”
“Do you think the baby is coming early?” I asked.
“No, I think we can rule that out.”
Fuck, her voice sounded like whatever was happening wasn’t any better.
“Okay. I’m sending you my sister’s number, and I’ll meet them at the hospital.”
“You’re coming too?” she asked in surprise.
“Hell, yes.”
“Head straight to the ER waiting room and tell the staff that you are related to Skye.”
“Okay. Thanks.”
My voice was shaky now, and I wasn’t trying to hide it, like I’d done with Tess.
“It’s going to be okay, Cole. We’re going to take care of Skye and Jonas.”
It tugged at me that she remembered his name. But it also made the danger more real in a way I couldn’t explain.
I got an Uber to the hospital, messaging my assistant to tell her I wasn’t going to be in the office today at all. I couldn’t remember if I had any meetings. In fact, I honestly couldn’t focus on anything. Usually I was good at defusing tensions, but right now, I just needed to know they were going to be okay.
Typically, I got stuck in traffic. I didn’t know why I thought taking a car in Manhattan was a good idea. I should’ve just taken the subway.
“Thanks, man, I’ll just go on foot from here,” I told the driver, practically jumping out of the car. The nearest subway station was ten minutes away. I went through the motions during the whole journey, and after getting out of the subway, I jogged the last few feet to the hospital. I followed the signs that indicated where ambulances had to pull in, just around the corner from the main entrance.
I looked for Tess once I stepped in the waiting room, but she wasn’t there.
“My sister is about to be brought in. Can I fill in any paperwork to speed up the process?”
“I’m afraid not. Paramedics give us all the information upon arrival.”
“I’ve already spoken to one of the doctors. Laney Smith.”
She nodded. “Then there really is nothing else for you to do other than sit down and wait.”
Her voice was calm and kind, but it still grated on my nerves. I needed to do something, to be useful.
Admitting defeat, I sat down, looking around. It was the first time I was taking it all in. It was chock-full of patients waiting. And this didn’t include all those brought in by ambulances, who would be in an even worse state.
How many doctors were on a shift? I knew Laney wasn’t alone, but even so, her job was so damn stressful. I had mad respect for her and her work. No wonder she’d fallen asleep so quickly last night.
I jumped out of my seat when Tess entered the waiting room through a door I hadn’t seen before. She glanced around, and her shoulders slumped a bit when we made eye contact.
“Where is Skye?” I asked when I reached her, pulling her toward an empty corner.
“They took her in for a checkup, told me to wait here. They’ll call us in when we can see her. Rob just called me. He’s in traffic but will be here soon.”
Tess was shaking. She had marks on her cheeks from where she’d pressed her fingers.
“Come on. Let’s sit.” I put an arm around her shoulders, guiding her to some empty chairs.
“She’s in good hands, Tess,” I said eventually.
“You didn’t see her,” Tess whispered. “She was so white and sweaty and could barely focus on staying awake.”
I just gripped the edge of the chair with my free hand. “Did Laney say anything?”
“They’re going to run a number of tests and let us know what’s happening as soon as possible.”
We were both silent after that. I just didn’t have it in me to sound encouraging. I was so on edge that I needed someone to soothe me. I kept an arm around her shoulders, pulling her even closer when her shaking intensified. Tess and I both liked to talk until the cows came home, so the silence was weighing heavily between us.
Rob arrived twenty minutes later. He rushed in without noticing us.
I sprang to my feet, moving toward him.
“Where is she?” he asked the moment he saw me.
“Still in with the doctors. They’re running tests.”
“Why did she faint?”
“They didn’t tell us anything yet.”
He whirled around, and I realized he wanted to go to the reception. I gripped his arm, keeping my voice cool. “Rob, they don’t know anything. What I know is from Tess.”
I motioned with my head toward my sister. He glanced at Tess, but far from relaxing, his frown intensified. Putting myself in his shoes, I immediately realized why. Tess was nervous.
“Skye is in good hands. She’s with Laney,” I said.
“You know the doctor?”
“Yes. I met her in Rome.”
I saw a flicker of recognition in his eyes, but he simply nodded.
“I want to hear everything from Tess.”
We both went to my sister, sitting next to her. Tess immediately recounted everything, and then both of them went back and forth over what the issue could be. I paced a few feet away, trying to shut them out, because the conversation was making me even more nervous.
I had no idea how much time went by until a nurse came out calling, “Family of Skye Dumont?”
I blinked for a few seconds before realizing she meant my sister. I still couldn’t get used to Skye’s last name not being Winchester anymore.
“Yes,” I exclaimed. Rob and Tess were on my heels.
“You can see her now.”
Skye was in a ward on the second floor. I wondered why. I assumed she’d be in one of the ER cubicles.
Laney was there, and just the sight of her put me at ease. I instinctively knew that any PDA was off the table in front of the nurse.
“Hey,” Skye said. The hair at the nape of my neck stood on end at how faint her voice sounded. She was pale, and her hair was sticking to her temples. Rob rushed next to her, sitting at the edge of the bed.
“How are you feeling?” he asked.
“Better. Please don’t worry.”
It was impossible not to. She looked like she’d been sick with the flu for days on end. Tess sat on the other side of the bed, biting her lower lip.
“Laney, can you tell us what’s going on?” I was proud of how calm I sounded.
“Sure. First of all, I’m not the doctor treating her. One of our ob-gyns is in charge. I
asked for permission to come here and brief you. They are still running tests, but the problem is her blood pressure. It’s common in pregnancies, though it usually happens in the first trimester.”
“Why are you running more tests?” Rob asked.
“It’s the easiest way to rule out certain things.”
“What exactly are you trying to rule out?” he went on.
“Preeclampsia or placenta previa. There was no bleeding, which is an excellent sign, but I can’t say for sure—”
“Maybe another doctor can tell us for sure!” Rob boomed.
“Rob!” I said sharply. “You can’t talk like that.”
Laney just shook her head, smiling. “Don’t worry, I know it’s a difficult time. I promise you all that neither Skye nor Jonas are in danger.”
There was a pause, and then Tess asked, “How do you know his name is Jonas?”
“From me,” I said. I’d told her that in Rome.
Tess and Skye exchanged glances. Rob just seemed confused. I was mesmerized that nothing seemed to tone down my sisters’ perception.
“In any case, the doctor said she will prescribe bed rest for the next two months,” Laney added.
“What?” Skye exclaimed. “You didn’t tell me that in the ER.”
The corners of Laney’s mouth tilted up. “Well, no. I thought it might be best to wait until your family was with you. Isabelle painted a very vivid picture of each member of the family. Look, high blood pressure in the third trimester can be dangerous. Reducing movement will help a lot.”
“There’s a difference between bed rest and reducing movement,” Skye said, pushing herself up on both elbows. “Last time I was at my ob-gyn, she didn’t mention that.”
“Well, first step in managing blood pressure is slowing down activity. If that doesn’t help sufficiently, then bed rest is in order.”
“Skye, we’ll be okay,” Rob said sternly. “It’s just for a few months.”
“In bed?”
This was so typical of my sister. Once she was out of immediate danger, she felt like Wonder Woman again.
Rob glared at her. “Yes! I’ll chain you to it if you fight me on this.” My sisters were both a force of nature, and it took someone equally stubborn to reason with them.
“I like you even more, Rob,” I said jovially. Now that I knew they were not in immediate danger, I could go back to diffusing tension and cracking jokes.
“Look, I know it’s not easy, but it’s really the best you can do for you and your son for the next two months,” Laney said.
Skye’s demeanor changed instantly. Her eyes softened. I was impressed by Laney’s ability to sum up the most important facts in one sentence.
I had no doubt it was partly due to her experience as a doctor, but from my time with her in Rome, I knew that she was also a perceptive person.
“On to the next point, I’d like you to stay overnight, Skye.”
The defeated expression on my sister’s face made it clear that this was news to her, but that she wasn’t about to fight it.
Rob and Laney were doing an excellent job with Skye. I’d expected to have to do some legwork to convince her to take it easy today, aided by Tess as well.
It seemed my brotherly input wasn’t necessary where Skye was concerned. Tess, on the other hand, was awfully quiet. She alternated between picking invisible lint from Skye’s cover and smoothing our sister’s hair.
“Cole, can I talk to you?” Laney asked, pointing to the corridor.
“Sure.”
I followed her out of the room.
“I’m going to exchange shifts with a colleague. She’ll do the weekend, and I’ll take tonight instead.”
“Why?”
“I thought you’d feel more comfortable if I was on shift while Skye was here. Since I’m a general surgery resident, I’m usually not on the obstetrics floor, but I’ve asked for permission to check on Skye,” she said. I had no idea how she’d guessed that I’d feel more relieved if she was around my sister, but I was deeply grateful for it.
“You’re right. I would be more comfortable,” I said. “But won’t you be exhausted?”
“I will. But then I have my free day tomorrow instead of Sunday. It’s up to you to make sure I relax, Mr. Winchester.” Her tone was exaggeratedly formal, but she flashed me a sly grin.
“I like your thinking. And you can count on me.” My tone was equally formal, even as I tilted closer, adding, “What’s your stance on PDAs, Ms. Smith?”
“Huh?” Her brows knitted together.
“I want so fucking badly to kiss you.”
“Cole. Not in front of my colleagues,” she said in a whisper.
“A private room, then.”
She closed her eyes, as if needing all her concentration to figure this out. When she opened her eyes, they were full of mischief, but also regret. “There is no lounge on this floor.”
I just needed the contact—her soft mouth, her hot body against mine, but I understood that Laney had to maintain her professionalism.
“You know, this is the first time I regret not knowing where every service room of the hospital is.”
“Want to go search for it together?” I was only half joking.
Laney laughed, shaking her head. “Go back to your sister. I only pulled you out here to discuss the overnight shift.”
The mention of Skye brought me back to the issue at hand.
“You’re not sugarcoating it for us, right?” I asked, suddenly fearing she was just trying to appease us.
She shook her head. “Doctors don’t do that. I just told you all the information I have.”
“And you don’t have an inkling as to what the tests will show?”
Again, she shook her head. “Speculations don’t help.”
She took my hands in hers. Granted, it wasn’t the deep and dirty kiss I was imagining, but I was startled at how much her touch soothed me.
“I promise we’ll take care of her. I have to go, but I’ll be back later.” She took a step back, reluctantly, then turned around.
“Find out where those service rooms are,” I called after her. She just looked at me over her shoulder, smiling. I knew firsthand how tired she’d been yesterday evening, how much she needed this night of sleep. Yet she was willing to work tonight just to put me at ease.
I wasn’t ashamed to admit that in the past, I’d never given any thought to anything except compatibility in the sack. Now, I wanted to discover every way Laney and I fit together. Ever since our first dinner, something about her just called to me.
After seeing her today with Skye and the rest of my family, I was looking forward to every moment with her. Tomorrow, she was all mine.
Chapter Eleven
Laney
Isabelle had often mentioned that the Winchesters were close, but I was still surprised that in the span of a few hours, half their family stopped by.
They were also fiercely protective of each other. When the obgyn in charge, Dr. Jackson had gone to Skye’s room to give her the official diagnosis and instructions, I went with her.
The room quieted at first, but that lasted all of two seconds once she said, “We do have the test results back.”
There was a chorus of “What do they say?” and “Is she all right?” and “Is the baby all right?”
I couldn’t help smiling. They were absolutely adorable. I held up a hand, and the room was silent once more.
“No preeclampsia or rupture. Just high blood pressure. And when I say just, I mean that there is no life-threatening underlying condition, but it is imperative for you to be on bed rest for the rest of the pregnancy. High blood pressure is dangerous on its own. Bed rest means that you can only get up to go to the bathroom. That’s it. No walking to stretch your legs or anything,” Dr. Jackson said.
Skye nodded, but I detected a hint of sadness in her eyes. They all started talking at the same time again, bombarding me and the doctor with questions.
Aft
er the obgyn reassured everyone one more time that everything was fine, they started to bicker about who was going to stay overnight. Dr. Jackson gave up trying to play referee and asked me to stay back and talk to the family while she went onto her next patient.
Rob was still here, and Tess was back. She’d left for a few hours today to handle their store. Their mother, Amelia was here, as well as Ryker, Hunter, and their better halves. Cole had shown me a few pictures of the family, and I had a photographic memory—it had been a lifesaver in med school. I could easily remember who was whom.
Cole wasn’t here anymore though, and my shoulders dropped in disappointment. Damn, I’d hoped to get another glimpse of him today. Perhaps even a smoking-hot kiss. I’d checked where the service room was on this floor.
“Hello, everyone. I’m Laney. So, I’m not officially Skye’s doctor, since I’m a surgery resident, but I am on top of the case.”
“You’re Isabelle’s friend, right?” Ryker asked.
“Yes.”
“And Cole’s girl,” he added.
“Ryker,” Amelia shushed him. “This isn’t the right time.”
Ryker cocked a brow. “Anytime is the right time. Besides, who knows when we’ll get a chance to talk to her without Cole around. We need all the dirt.”
Everyone burst out laughing, me included. I could feel my cheeks warming up, but no one seemed to notice. By the way Ryker glanced furtively around the room, I surmised this had been a tactic to make everyone relax. I had no doubt that he wanted all the dirt, but not right now.
I turned to Skye, surveying her through a doctor’s lens. The unnatural paleness from this morning had subsided, which meant her blood pressure was back to normal. I knew that from her records of course, but it was always a good sign when the patient wasn’t healthy just on paper, but actually looked well.
“I disagree, Ryker. Let’s focus on Skye. We have nurses around the clock, and I’m also on shift tonight. There is of course also an obgyn here overnight. I promise, you’ll want for nothing. That said, I understand if you want a family member to stay with you, but we can only allow one person.”
“Me,” Rob said instantly.
Skye played with a strand of her hair. “Babe, your niece is sleeping over at the house today, remember? She’s looking forward to that. You can’t say no, she’s gonna be sad. Tess can stay with me.”
