Signed, Sealed, Baby

Laying in the hospital bed, I stared at the white wall in front of me. It had been a couple of hours since I kicked the nurse out. No one had been near or by since. Rubbing my hand over my bump, I felt him moving and wriggling. I was grateful he was still safe in my belly. I heard the door of my room open, my eyes slowly moving to meet her gaze.

“Harriet,” I sobbed, sitting up in my bed.

“Oh Sky, it’s so good to see you awake,” she sniffed, her own tears choking her as she rushed to my bed.

Her arms wrapped around me, my arms wrapping around her as we held onto each other, neither one of us wanting to let go.

I don’t know how long we were hugging before Harriet stepped back and placed a bag full of goodies on my lap.

“Now, I know hospital food isn’t the best so I wanted to get you some of your favourites.” She beamed at me. I smiled back at her, my eyes softening as I did. I watched as she unloaded the bag, pulling out chilli hot tortilla chips, sweet and salty popcorn, candy sweets and chocolate. Plus two big bottles of coke. I couldn’t get enough of the stuff at the moment.

She opened the caramel chocolate buttons and shoved her hand inside the foil bag before dumping a load in my hands.

“Now, how are you feeling?” Her brows furrowed and pinched as she looked at me with sympathy showing all over her face.

“Like I’ve been in a car accident,” I smirked, popping two buttons into my mouth and groaning in appreciation.

My response caused an eye roll from my friend.

“And how is Preston?” I saw the caution at her question flash across her eyes.

I stilled for a moment, I even stopped chewing the damn chocolate buttons in my mouth. I let my eyes fall, the familiar sting that I had felt in them coming back. I blinked the tears away and swallowed the melted chocolate hoping it would cause the burning ache in my throat to fade.

“I don’t know,” I whispered. “They won’t tell me much, just that he is in intensive care…” I screw my face up and let the tears that have been threatening fall.

“Oh Sky,” Harriet is back close to me, her arms comforting me as I shake uncontrollably into her top, my tears soaking through to her skin.

“I’m sorry, I, I just…” my lip trembling as I pulled away, palming the hot tears away that continued to roll down my cheeks.

“Sky, don’t you dare apologise!” Harriet scolded gently.

“I know, I just…” I was cut off by an alarm sounding through the hospital, nurses rushed with a crash cart as one nurse was shouting about one of their patients coding.

Harriet looked over her shoulder, watching the medical team run with a crash cart down the hallway. She looked back and gave a sympathetic look. I felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand up, goosebumps smothered my skin as I felt my heart drop into the pit of my stomach before panic set in. I had this overwhelming feeling that the person that was coding was Preston.

“Go and see if it’s Preston,” I cried to her, her eyes widening as she rushed out of the room.

This wasn’t happening. This couldn’t be happening.

Think positive, think positive, he will be fine. Of course, he will be fine. It’s not going to be Preston. Positive thinking.

My positive thinking was soon ruined as soon as I saw Harriet walk into the room. She was back within minutes, pale as a ghost, eyes wide and bloodshot.

“Oh no,” I whispered, my hands coming to my mouth as the tears began to fall before the most heart-breaking and earth-shattering scream escaped me.

No words were exchanged. Even if I wanted to speak, I couldn’t. Words failed me. My brain was working overtime. My heart racing in my chest, I swear I could feel it skipping beats where it was beating so fast.

Harriet sat on the chair next to my bed just rocking back and forth, her hands clasped together, her lips moving but no words left her mouth.

This couldn’t be happening.

My eyes moved to my arm, fingers hovering over my skin. This was a dream. It was just a really bad dream. I have read that pregnancy and hormones can cause surreal dreams, yes. That was it.

I pinched myself, frowning when I didn’t wake. I done it again this time a little harder.

Nothing.

My lip trembled, my eyes filling with tears once more.

“Why is this happening?” I wailed to Harriet, her own eyes red rimmed and raw from the silent tears she has shed with me.

“I have no idea,” she whispered.

And that’s all that was said.

No more words were exchanged while we sat and waited.

And waited.

And waited.