Page 129 of Caught in the Axe
In an instant, Finn was at her side.
“What the fucking fuck?” she yelled, standing straight again but looking down at her legs.
Her gray leggings were wet.
“Holy fucking shit, Stretch. I think my water just broke.”
Finn’s face morphed from concern to exhilaration. “Fuck yeah!” He pumped his fist. “It’s baby time.”
Adele hit his chest and moaned again. “You and I both know we have hours. Don’t get too excited.”
His eyes were dancing as he kissed the top of her head, like he was totally delighted by the way she was yelling at him in the hospital waiting room.
She clutched her belly and leaned against him. “Can we please go to the maternity ward?”
Gus, who I hadn’t noticed leave the room, appeared in the doorway with a wheelchair. “Got you a ride.”
Finn helped Adele into the wheelchair, but rather thanrushing out of the room, he pulled his phone out, crouched behind her, and snapped a couple of selfies.
“Push me upstairs so I can get your massive baby out of me, please!”
“Got it, She-Ra.” He spun her wheelchair, and as he pushed her out into the hall, he turned back to us and grinned. “You know where to find us. Just follow the sounds of Adele threatening my life.”
Chapter 43
Owen
Blurry. It was all blurry. My vision and my memories.
I’d fallen. Then there was a helicopter. And then doctors.
I opened my eyes a second time, only to immediately close them again. The harsh fluorescent lights felt like they were burning my corneas.
Everything hurt. Even my eye sockets.
Voices sounded close by. I cracked one eyelid just a sliver and caught sight of an older woman dressed in scrubs hovering over me. She pressed two fingers to my wrist and checked her watch, then ran a thermometer across my forehead.
“Can I get some water?” I rasped.
The nurse smiled down at me. “Sure can.” She raised the head of my bed slightly, then picked up a pitcher and a small cup from a rolling table nearby. “Your family is in thewaiting room. Would you like me to get them? Or would you prefer to rest?”
I took a sip from the straw she held to my lips and let the cool water soothe my throat. “You can get them,” I said, leaning back against the pillow. I’m sure my mother was losing her mind.
It only took a moment for what sounded like a herd of elephants to stampede down the hall. Yup, that was probably my family.
“My baby,” my mother cried as she hurried into the room, her hands clutched to her chest. She pressed herself against the edge of my bed and peppered kisses all over my head.
“Mom, that hurts.” I winced. My entire left side was wrapped, and my arm had been splinted to my chest. No one had been in to tell me what was actually broken, but it felt like everything.
“Shh.” She kissed my forehead. “I was so worried. We were all so worried.”
When she stood up again, the rest of the crew came into view. Gus, Jude, and Cole were clustered in the doorway.
And then she walked in.
Lila.
Her face was blotchy and her eyes were red. The sight of her made my heart ache.
