Page 83 of Fierce Hearts

Leo gently woke Meredith, who immediately looked to me with concern.

"I'm okay," I assured her. "Go home with Leo. Get some rest."

She hesitated, but eventually nodded. "Call me if anything changes. Anything at all."

"I promise."

After they left, I watched Gray sleep a while longer before drifting off myself. The night passed in broken segments—nurses coming in to check vitals, adjust monitors, ask questions. Gray woke for each interruption, his eyes instantly alert, uneasy and on edge before recognizing where we were.

When the sun's first rays filtered through the blinds, we both stirred awake as Lisa came in for one final check with Dr. Kenner.

They did another ultrasound, and Dr. Kenner was smiling.

"Good news," she said cheerfully as she checked the screen. "The bleeding has completely stopped, and your numbers look good according to Lisa. Everything’s looking good inside, your little one is still growing inside. The subchorionic hematoma should resolve on its own, looks like it just gave us a scare. We’ll need you to do a few follow-ups to make sure it does fix itself. We’d like to stay ahead of it. But now, you can be discharged whenever you're ready.”

"Thank you, Dr. Keener,” I said, relief washing over me as Lisa grinned as well. “Thank you both.”

"Just doing my job, and taking care of one of my own." Dr. Kenner smiled warmly.

"Take care of yourself and that little one, Sof. I can't wait to meet them and share all our work stories," Lisa said with a chuckle.

I chuckled as well and nodded.

After they packed up and left, I turned to Gray, who was already standing and stretching.

"You didn't panic," I said softly, having been thinking on the one particular issue for a while. "When I was bleeding... there was blood, but you didn't have an attack."

Gray paused, nodding thoughtfully as he pondered it. "It was different. It was yours—and our child's." His voice softened. "I couldn't fall apart when you needed me. Something just... clicked into place."

The easy explanation made my heart swell. He'd overcome it in the moment for us. I doubted it was something that was cured or completely fixed, but it was still something important. He'd done the same when Meredith had needed him, when he couldn't afford to crumble.

"Thank you," I whispered, reaching for his hand.

He leaned down, pressing his lips gently against mine. "Don't thank me for that."

I kissed him back, savoring the warmth and solidity of him. When we pulled apart, I squeezed his hand.

"I'd really love to go home now."

Gray nodded, his thumb stroking over my knuckles. "Home it is."

* * *

Gray helpedme get settled on the couch, propping pillows behind my back with such tenderness that my eyes wanted to water. Damn hormones messing with my emotions.

The hospital discharge had gone smoothly, and now I was under strict orders to rest.

"Are you comfortable?" he asked once I was settled with a blanket draped over me.

"I'm fine," I assured him, though the worry lingering in his eyes told me he wasn't convinced. "Really. The doctor said everything looks good."

He nodded just as his phone rang. Gray glanced at the screen, then at me. "I need to take this."

I watched as he stepped into the kitchen, his voice low. That was never a good sign. So much for being relaxed and comfortable. He returned after a few moments, pocketing his phone.

"What is it?" I asked, wanting him to get straight to the point.

He sat beside me, taking my hand in his. "Canzio and Maria are coming by. Leo and Meredith too."

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