The Girl In The Dirty Shirt

Chapter 77

We had called my doctor and he told me to get to the hospital immediately.

Liam was trying really hard to be comforting and I loved him for it, but it really wasn't helping.
The whole drive to the hospital he was asking me questions and trying to self-diagnose what was wrong.

"How many weeks gestation are you?"

I looked at him a little surprised "Did you just say gestation?"

He nodded then looked at me a little unsure "That's the word ain't it?"

I laughed a little "Yeah, I just didn't know you knew that"

"Well?"

"I was twenty weeks yesterday"

He thought for a minute "Could just be placenta praevia"

"It could be what?" I asked

"Y'know, it's when the-"

I held up my hand "Yeah, yeah, yeah I know what it is; how do you know"

He shrugged "I read"

"You read?" I asked, honestly a little impressed "Read what?"

"Books an' stuff"

"Pregnancy books?"

He shrugged again and I swore I saw him blush. "Well...yeah"

I couldn't help smiling, that was the sweetest thing I'd ever heard.
We sat in the emergency room and I felt even sicker than I had this morning.

I sat on the edge of the bed and Liam sat in one of the hard plastic chairs next to me.
He held my hand and I swallowed hard.

"Liam, I'm scared, what if-"

"Shhh, don't do that, Ly"

"Do what?!" I whispered harshly "What if-"

I jumped when the door opened and the doctor came in.

"Mrs Gallagher?"

I nodded and he read over my chart and did lots of asking questions. The one that threw Liam for a loop actually made me laugh a little.

"Have you had sex recently?"

Liam frowned "The hell does that matter?"

"Liam..." I said quietly, I looked at the doctor. "Yes, we have"

"Any pains?"

I nodded and Liam frowned "Y'didn't tell me that"

"I didn't want you to worry"

The doctor wrote something on his chart and looked up at me. "At twenty weeks the chances of bleeding not being something serious are very slim, you're aware of this?"

I nodded and five minutes later I was on my back on the exam table and the doctor was looking for a heartbeat. The longer it took for him to find one the harder I squeezed Liam's hand.

MY heart was slamming in my chest. The fear in the back of my mind was quickly being thrust to the front.
A few minutes later my worst fear was confirmed as the doctor handed me a towel to clean off my stomach.

I felt so numb; I didn't know what to do. I didn't know what to think.
Liam helped me sit up and I looked at him before I broke down sobbing. He wrapped his arms around me as I sat on the edge of the table. I cried harder burying my face in his chest with my arms around his neck.
I'd seen Liam cry once before but now he was crying so hard he couldn't breathe.