Page 32 of More Trouble
He nodded slowly.
“I’m so sorry about your friend. Was he the father?” she asked.
Again, Andre nodded briefly. I gripped his hand, the animosity I had towards him gone.
“Please don’t let her lose this baby too,” I whispered.
The nurse swallowed hard. “We’ll do everything we can.”
I couldn’t even begin to think about how Andre felt, sitting in the same waiting room as he had been a short while ago waiting for news on Wes. Now he was waiting for news on Scarlett. I desperately hoped there wouldn’t be a similar outcome.
More than an hour later, the doctor came to collect us and took us to see Scarlett.
“Bed rest,” the doctor announced. “She needs to be on bed rest for at least two solid weeks. Then she’ll have to follow up with her OB/GYN. She may need to be on bed rest longer.” She went on to explain this was most likely brought on by stress. So far, the baby’s heartbeat was strong, good.
Without thinking, I grabbed Andre’s hand. He squeezed me back.
“We’re going to keep her overnight for observation and give her some fluids,” the doctor explained. “And if she’d good, we’ll send her home tomorrow.”
Scarlett smiled up at me sleepily. “Two weeks? You’ll stay right?”
“Of course, I’ll stay. Where else would I be?” I had one overnight bag of clothes with me. I’d have to manage. I couldn’t be anywhere else but Cali Cross right now.
Her eyelids drooped. “Good.”
“The funeral?” I asked. “Can she go?”
The doctor checked her clipboard. “Wheelchair. No walking around, then straight back to bed. We need to make sure she stays calm for the sake of the baby.”
“Got it. Can we stay with her now so she’s not alone?” Andre asked.
The doctor shook her head. “Let her rest, we’ll take good care of her. It’s late, you two should get some rest yourselves.”
I looked out the window and saw it was dark. How had it gotten so late?
Before we left, I kissed Scarlett’s forehead and reassured her we’d be back in the morning. She mumbled something unintelligible which sounded like, ‘tell Wes I love him’. I swallowed hard against the lump which formed in my throat.
Andre placed a gentle hand in the small of my back as we walked back out to his car.
It felt weird being alone with him.
“You can drop me off at Scarlett’s apartment,” I said as I got in.
“I could,” he replied. “But I’m coming in. We need to talk.”
