Page 88 of Together

Sarah climbs into the ambulance with me. Once the doors are closed, she gets to work, continuing to monitor me and checking me over.

“He’s very protective,” Sarah murmurs after looking out the back window.

“Yeah,” I agree, warmth spreading through my chest.

It’s not incredibly comforting to hear the sirens blaring as they transport me to the hospital. I know I don’t have life-threatening injuries, but the fact that they needed to turn on the sirens and lights makes me nervous. I tell myself it’s standard procedure for peace of mind.

Luckily, it doesn’t take us long to arrive at the hospital. The back doors open and Sarah jumps out of the door and immediately into action, telling the doctors and nurses what she learned about my injuries and accident, what they need to pay attention to and check out more closely.

“Thirty-three-year old female, involved in a three-car motor vehicle accident. She’s in her seventh month of pregnancy.”

“Page OB for emergency consult!” someone calls out and Sarah doesn’t miss a beat before continuing with her evaluation.

“She has lacerations on her left temple, a concussion, her left wrist appears to be possibly broken.” Huh? It does? Maybe it’s from the adrenaline pumping but I didn’t even notice it was in that much pain. Though, they were checking everything over and I do remember feeling a twinge of discomfort when they got to my left arm. I remember telling them it hurt but it certainly didn’t feel broken or anything. I must have shown some level of pain for her to consider the possibility of it being broken. “Does not appear to have other extensive injuries. Legs were trapped under the dash, but she has feeling in them. Airbags deployed. Vitals have remained normal while she’s been with us, breathing regular, though did increase just slightly on the trip here.”

“Got it. Thanks, Sarah,” the woman who I assume is a doctor says. Probably one of the benefits of working in a small town, the paramedics and ER doctors and nurses get to be on a first-name basis.

“Welcome.”

As they’re wheeling me into the emergency room through the ambulance bay, I see Nik running through the parking lot.

Sarah intercepts him, and I wonder how long it will take before he’s breaking down the doors to get to wherever they’re taking me.

Chapter Nineteen

Nikolas

“I’m sorry,sir, but you can’t go back there.”

“That’s bullshit and you know it. And don’t call me sir, Mia. We’ve known each other since the third grade.”

“Nik. I’m trying to do my job here. You have to let me do that.”

“Mia, she’s mine. I’m her emergency contact, right? That means I have every right to know what the fuck is going on! She’s also carrying my baby,” I growl, slamming a fist to my chest. “That counts for a helluva lot more than the bullshit family that claims her. Blood doesn’t mean shit.” That’s not necessarily true. Most of her family is great. But Grace? I can’t even think about what she asked Ashley right now. She’s not worth it. Not when the woman I’ve fallen in love with is lying on a hospital bed and Mia won’t let me get to her.

She gives me a funny look, her eyebrows scrunched. “I’m sorry, Nik, I didn’t realize you were her emergency contact for some reason. I must have overlooked it.” Mia looks behind her and back to me.

“Overlooked it? What the hell?”

She huffs. “I was sent out here to talk with you because they knew you were going to be difficult and that I knew you, okay? I know you’re her emergency contact — of course I do. I’m not a moron. But you’re not helping anyone by screaming and hollering at everyone.”

Mia and I have known each other since her twin brother, Brandon, and I became friends. She left Liberty for a short while to go to school to become a nurse but she and her husband moved back, both working for Liberty Regional Health.

“I’ll get an update and if I can bring you back there, I will. But you have got to let the doctors do their jobs. We have other patients from the accident that need our attention as well so give us the space and time we need to take care of everyone and I’ll personally come get you as soon as I hear something.”

“Why aren’t you the one working on her? Aren’t you head nurse or something like that? I don’t want someone straight out of nursing school. You’re the best so you need to go take over,” I plead with her.

“Nik, I promise that everyone who is working on Ashley right now is excellent at their jobs. Now, do you want me to get an update or not?” she asks, her arms crossed over her petite frame. Her size doesn’t match her personality. She’s a force to be reckoned with, and even though I’d feel better knowing she was in the room with Ashley, I’m glad she’s at least here. I also know that she’ll take care of me in the process. Keeping me in the loop.

“Fine. Just… if you see anything off…”

“I’ll step in,” she promises.

So many promises. So many assurances. So many ‘she’s going to be fine’ or ‘she’ll be okay’.

Honestly, if I hear any of those words again, I’ll freak out on someone. I don’t want her to be only fine or okay. I don’t want empty promises and assurances. I want to know for a fact that Ashley and the baby are going to be perfect and healthy and in my arms soon. I want to wake up from this nightmare and go back to thirty minutes ago when she was just on her way to my house with a paper bag full of takeout and a plan to spend the evening together.

None of their words matter until I see Ashley for myself.

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