Once the ultrasound shows that the twins are fine, I'm quickly discharged to Alex's care. He hurries to get a pair of clothes from a bag that appeared without me noticing. The urgency in his movement is hard to miss - the plan I remind myself.
The nurse has already removed my IV minutes earlier. I was sitting on the bed in my hospital gown and underwear. Alex pulls a pair of black palazzo pants up my legs carefully and slowly. His warm fingers help me remove my gown, we have seen each other naked and now is not the time to be bashful. I try to lift one arm in the air and cry out in pain.
"I'm sorry, but we can't have you leaving topless. I'll hold it up, just tell me if it gets to be too much and we pause." He looks at me and I nod.
I'm crying when he pulls the white maternity tank top over my head and through my arms. The cardigan is next because according to Alex, my tank is too see through. He pushes the heavy material on my arms and buttons it up to my neck. I never thought I would miss a hospital gown in my life.
Flip flops or boots, kiddo?" He looks up.
Through my tears, I point to the flip flops.
Once I'm dressed, he packs all the prescriptions into the bag, helps me into the wheelchair, and we are rushed out a side door into a waiting towncar. The officer says something to Alex, but they say it too quite that I can't hear.
The moment the car door closes, we pull away from the hospital at a high rate of speed. No one is giving us information on Ben and that makes my panic increase. My heart jumps to my throat when Alex's phone rings.
"Hello...yes...no....almost there...shit...okay." Alex hangs up without looking at me.
"ALEX?" I shout across the car.
"Small snag in the plan. That's all I know." He looks at me.
The car pulls right up to a plane, a crew is waiting for us. Alex jumps from the car and hurries to help me get on the plane. I'm walking too slow, so he picks me up. I yelp in pain, and he apologizes over and over, telling me speed is the game.
A nurse in on the plane and setting up a seat for me. I see an IV pole and lots of blankets. When she is ready, Alex places me softly on the chair.
"My name is Marie, I'm your flight nurse. Once I get the IV started, I'll push through the pain meds. Flight time is just under six hours so we should be okay midair. I'll watch your vitals and once we land, I'll give you another bump before I remove this." She smiles at me.
"Now what? What's the next part of the plan?" I ask Alex.
"I'm sorry, but now I'm in the dark. I did my job and got you on this plane safe. Now, we both find out together." He tells me sad.
The sob catches in my throat. I put my head on the back of the seat, and let the tears fall. I have no idea if Ben is meeting us in Vancouver or if he's dead at this point. I can't help but think it's the later.
"Something is wrong, he would have called me to let me know that he's okay. He would have checked on the kids." I tell Alex through my closed eyes.
"Stop. Don't think like that. Ben will reach out when he can."
The nurse pushes a needle into my tubing and sleep surrounds me quickly.
The sunlight through the windows wake me. Even from the sky, I know we are home. I have flown into Vancouver many times and I would know my home from anywhere.
Another car is waiting for us once we land. Alex helps me from the plane and gets me into the car. Marie is next to me, pushing in another bump of pain meds. Once it hits my veins, I feel no pain again, it's glorious. She covers me in a blanket and removes the IV.
YOU ARE READING
Heartlines
Storie d'amore*** Complete Story *** Allyson Sicard was in her final year at Harvard and while her roommates were trying to get their Ivy League boyfriends to propose, Ally was trying to figure out which law school she wanted to graduate from. Columbia had always...
