Sunday, June 3, 2012

Chapter 14-Wine After Whiskey


"Jeff, answer you're fucking phone," Lauren shouted frantically as the EMTs loaded Holly into the ambulance. "Stay with us, Holly. Don't close your eyes," she said holding her best friend's hand.

"Where's Jeff," Holly asked out of it from the loss of blood.

Lauren watched as the EMT hooked Holly up to an IV bag. "Not too much, she's pregnant. Too much can kill the baby," Lauren said as she bossed the EMTs around.

"He's on his way," Lauren lied not wanting to worry her friend. The EMT shot a needle into the IV line and Holly went to sleep. Lauren was both relieved and worried. Relieved that Holly was knocked out but worried that she will not wake up.

Lauren watched the heart monitor to make sure nothing changed. With all things considered, Holly's vital signs were fine.

Lauren's phone ringing broke her out of her trance and she sighed in relief answering it.

"Did you call," Jeff asked.

"You need to get to the hospital right now."

“What’s wrong? Is Holly ok,” Jeff asked frantically.

“She started bleeding; she’s passed out in the ambulance right now. We’re on our way to the hospital right now.”

“WHAT,” Jeff screamed. “What happened?”

“She was cooking dinner and started bleeding. She passed out and I called the ambulance.”

“What about the baby?”

“I’m not sure about the baby, just get to the hospital.”

“I’ll be right there,” Jeff said.

Holly was immediately rushed back to the trauma unit when they arrived at the hospital. Lauren was forced to sit in the waiting room as the doctors worked to figure out what was wrong. Jeff ran through the doors and sat down next to Lauren.

“Where is she,” he asked as Lauren hugged him.

“She’s back there with the doctors. They said they will come out here when they know something.”

Jeff and Lauren sat in the waiting room when Mike arrived. “How is she,” he asked as he sat down on the other side of Lauren.

“She’s been back there almost twenty minutes,” Lauren said. “They won’t tell us anything.”

Just then the doors opened and a doctor walked out towards them. “Lauren, hi how are you,” the tall blonde haired man said, “Are you all here for Holly?”

“I’m her boyfriend,” Jeff said shocking not only himself but Mike and Lauren as well.

“I’m Dr. Northman,” he said shaking Jeff, Holly, and Mike’s hand. “Holly lost a lot of blood.”

“Is she ok,” Jeff asked.

“She’s fine. The fetus is ok as well. It’s stress that caused it, her membrane broke and that’s what caused her to bleed. She is going to be here for the rest of her pregnancy.”

Jeff sighed in relief, “When can we see her?”

“I sedated her for her own benefit. She’ll be out for the next twenty-four hours. You guys can go to the fifth floor, room 501.”

“Thank you Paul,” Lauren smiled as they headed towards the elevators. “Jeff, you can go see her. Mike and I are going to get some lunch. Do you want anything?”

“No, thank you,” Jeff smiled getting off of the elevator. “Where do I go?”

“To the right, she’ll be the first room on the left.”

Jeff smiled, “Thank you.”

Jeff walked down the hall slowly. It was the first time in almost a month that he was seeing Holly and she wasn’t even awake so he could apologize.

“Holly,” he whispered pulling the chair over to the bed before grabbing her hand. He kissed her lips lightly and ran his free hand over her stomach. “I know that I haven’t done anything that has made you happy, all I have done is disappoint you. I know you can hear me, I am so sorry for everything. I want this baby more than anything in the world. I can’t lose either one of you.”

Jeff smiled at the nurse that came in to check Holly’s IVs. “I’m Patricia,” she smiled, “You must be Jeff.”

Jeff smiled before sticking his hand out. “Nice to meet you,” he smiled.

“I used to work with her all of the time before I changed floors a couple of months ago. I’ve heard wonderful things about you.”

Jeff could have swore he felt Holly’s hand squeeze his. Jeff smiled at the older woman, “I heard great things about you as well."

"Her vitals are fine, the baby's heartbeat is normal, and her blood pressure is stable."

"She scared me," Jeff said running his fingers through Holly's hair.

"She scared a lot of us but she is going to be fine. Your baby is going to be fine too."

"I'm going to go get something to eat," Jeff said, "Will she be ok?"

"She'll be fine, take your time."

Jeff stood up from the chair and pressed a kiss to Holly's forehead, "I'll be right back," he whispered in her ear before he walked out of the room.

Jeff went to the gift shop in the lobby of the hospital and purchased a pre-made turkey sandwich along with flowers for Holly. He went back up to her room and put the flowers on the stand next to her bed.

He ate in silence while watching the TV in her room. He had just gotten off of the phone with her ever pleasant mother who hated his guts. She was out of town on a church field trip and Jeff laughed as he hung up the phone.

"Your mom is a psycho," Jeff said out loud. If Holly would have been awake, she would have agreed with him then told stories about when she was little.

Patricia came back into the room and smiled at him as he tried to sleep in the chair. "You can lay next to her if you want to," she said. "Just watch her IVs."

Jeff nodded his head as he stood up from the chair, "Thank you."

"It's no problem, sweetie. I'll get you a pillow and a blanket."

Jeff looked at the clock on the wall noticing it was going on seven o'clock at night. Lauren and Mike had sent him a text telling him they'd be back first thing in the morning. Lauren needed sleep after the day she had and Jeff didn't blame her for wanting to rest.

Patricia returned with a pillow and a blanket for Jeff, "I'll be in every so often checking things but I'll be as quiet as I can."

Jeff smiled, "Thank you for everything."

"It's no problem, dear. I'm just doing my job but she deserves the best."

Jeff nodded his head in agreement, "She definitely does."

Jeff sat down gently on the bed. He kicked his shoes off and curled into Holly's back. "Goodnight," he whispered. "I love you."

He kissed her below her ear and wrapped his arm around her before falling asleep. It was the best sleep that he had gotten in a month after their fight that sent her to Lauren's house.

There had been no other women for Jeff in that month. He had given up going out in return for the time he had spent painting the nursery. It was pale yellow with a Noah's Ark decal on the wall. Jeff had spent hours working on it. The crib was put together with Mike's help and the car seat was fastened securely in the back of his car. There was a bassinette in his room for nights that Holly needed a break and the diapers and the three outfits Jeff had bought were in the drawers. Everything was ready to go for when the baby arrived.

Jeff woke up the next morning to something poking him in the chest. He grumbled as he pulled Holly closer, "You're going to squeeze the baby right out of me," she said laughing as he quickly pulled away.

"Oh my God," he said standing up. "You're awake."

Holly turned to look at him, "I'm fine. I was so scared yesterday."

"I was too," he replied as she motioned for him to climb in bed again with her. She held her arms out to him and he hugged her, "I thought I was going to lose you and the baby."

Holly closed her eyes and pulled herself closer to him, "You don't disappoint me, Jeff and you have done things that make me happy."

Jeff froze, "You heard that last night?"

Holly looked up at him, "I was sedated not unconscious."

Jeff smiled, "You hate me."

"I don't hate you, I never could."

"I bought that house," Jeff said tracing circles on her arm, "It's your dream house and I can't wait for you to see it."

"You what?"

"I bought the house I was going to look at when you left. It's the house that you have always wanted. I had it decorated like the picture in the magazine that you had and they are finishing it up. The baby's room is complete and yours is filled with boxes of the stuff that you had left. Mike and Lauren bought the townhouse, so I guess the only thing I'm asking is if you'll move in with me...again?"

Holly laughed, "Of course."

Jeff kissed her cheek, "I'm sorry for bringing that girl home."

"I'm sorry for blowing up the way I did. You're right, we're not together and I had no right being mad."

"I can't say I blame you though," Jeff said as Lauren and Mike walked through the door.

"You two ok," Mike asked.

"We're great," Jeff replied.

"Does this mean you two are together," Lauren asked.

"No," Holly said. "Just back to where we were before."

Mike looked at Jeff sympathetically and Jeff sighed. He still had a lot to prove and a lot to do to make Holly his once and for all.

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