Page 92 of Pieces of Us
I hang up the call and turn frantic. “I need one of you to take me over to Mass General. Melonie was in a car accident.”
Marcus grabs his phone and pulls out his keys. “We can all go in my truck. Is she okay?”
I shake my head. “They couldn’t tell me anything.”
Jax grabs my shoulder. “Do we need to grab anything?”
“I don’t think so. I just want to get to her.” I stop in my tracks and look at the crib. “The baby.” My voice breaks. “What if something happened to Millie?”
Jax takes my shoulders and turns me toward the hallway. “Don’t let your mind run until we get to the hospital and get information.”
On the way to the hospital, Jax calls Audrey, while I call my parents and Mel’s dad. Everyone is on their way; Mel’s parents are driving in from Philadelphia.
I completely disassociated on the ride to the hospital. I don’t even remember speaking to the person at the desk, trying to find out where she was. I know I was told someone ran the red light and her car was totaled. That she was lucky the impact was on the passenger side. That there was bleeding. The thoughts running through my mind were horrific. I have no idea how bad the accident was. I have no idea if my girls are okay.
The past year keeps running over and over in my mind. The chances I missed, the kisses, the sight of her on a Sunday morning, the way she eats, the ultrasound pictures. Her laugh.
God, her laugh.
So many small moments with her that total up to where we are now. I knew the night I met her something in my life changed, and now I know it was because she is my forever. Why is this happening now? I’ve only had a week to experience her the way I’ve wanted to for so long. I feel so fucking stupid for not telling her every day that I’ve known her that I love her. It’s not enough time. Fuck, my mind is spiraling, and right now I’m wondering if I wasted months.
Images of Millie pass through my mind. What I have imagined she’ll look like in all the clothes that fill the closet back in the apartment, how she’ll look on the first day of kindergarten, teaching her to drive. I love her so much and haven’t even laid eyes on her.
When I start to inch my way back to reality, I feel like I’ve been out of it for hours. I look around and realize I’m in a chair with my mom’s arms around me.
“Mom, I’m really scared right now.” I’m trying my best to fight back the tears.
“There you are.” She runs her hand through my hair like she did when I was little. “The physician will be out in a few minutes, and they’ll have some answers for us.”
She lets me go, and I lean forward, my elbows on my thighs. I watch the clock as time passes by. Marcus and Jax take turns beside me as I sit holding my mom’s hand. It’s childish, but it might be the one thing keeping me grounded right now.
“Mr. Hudson?” a doctor calls from the set of doors.
I get up and walk to her. “That’s me. How is Melonie? How is the baby?”
“Are these people all family?”
I look behind me and see everyone standing around me, waiting. I turn back to the doctor. “Yes.”
“Alright. I’m Dr. Lisa McIntyre. I’m one of the obstetricians on duty. Melonie was in a severe accident. She was unconscious when she arrived, so she’ll be evaluated for a concussion, and we think she has a broken ankle. The priority right now, though, is that she has suffered a complete placental abruption.”
“What does that mean?”
“That means the placenta has completely detached from the uterine wall. We’ve slowed the bleeding, but she’s been taken to surgery for an emergency cesarean. With the placenta detached from mom, the baby won’t get the oxygen they need. I’m confident that the baby will be fine, since Melonie is already past the eight-month mark. Your little girl might be small, but she’ll be strong enough to survive just fine outside of the womb.”
“Can I see her?”
“I’m sorry, Mr. Hudson—”
“Linc, call me Linc, please.”
“Linc, we need to get your baby girl delivered, so Melonie is already in surgery, and with the situation, we’ll need to ask everyone to wait here until afterward.”
I blow out a shaky breath.
“When can I see my daughter?”
“We’ll need to run some tests once she’s delivered, but it shouldn’t be long.”
