WANT (completed)

ch. 59 | Complicated Connections

ASA'S POV

I don't realize that my throat is completely dry or that I'm holding my breath, waiting for the nurse to answer my question. The world around me has disappeared — including Zac and Lauren — and my entire body feels numb as I wait for her to answer me.

It feels like eternity, although I'm almost sure that it's nothing more than a few seconds between me asking the question and her giving me a small smile. I can't tell if it's a genuine smile, a sympathy smile, or if it's something that nurses are trained to do when they give news about a patient.

"She's doing well. Nothing to worry about. She had a bit of a panic attack, but we gave her some anti-anxiety medications to keep her calm, and she was only out of consciousness due to a sudden drop in BP, but that happens on occasion, even to perfectly healthy people," the nurse says, and I'm listening and trying to absorb everything she's telling me. But I'm immediately relieved, because as long as Cassandra is okay, that's all that matters to me in this very moment.

But that moment doesn't last long.

At least, not for me.

Because I've realized that as she's explaining all this to us, she still hasn't said a word about the baby and I feel my heart burning with need for her to tell me more. I need to know, because regardless of if it's good news or bad news, I'm the one that has to be there for Cassandra, and if it really is bad news, I'll need to prepare myself for it.

"She's pregnant," I blurt out, before she can proceed to tell me anything else. I don't care about anything else, and I just couldn't wait longer. I clear my throat as soon as the outburst leaves my mouth, catching my own self off guard. I've always been a fairly collected person. Between Cassandra and myself, I'm always the more patient, understanding, and aware one. I always let those around me speak, listen to what others say, and never cut people off like I just did, but I literally could not help it.

I didn't want to ask if the baby was okay, because it felt like I was thinking about it too negatively, but the nurse seemed to understand me perfectly fine.

"Both mom and baby are doing good. No need to worry," she gives me a smile again, before glancing down at the clipboard in her hand. "I just have to get cleared to let you back because she's still asleep from the medication we gave her as it made her quite drowsy, so just give me a few minutes and I'll come back and grab you."

I thank her quickly, feeling like the weight of the world has been lifted off my shoulders. Cas and baby are both okay, and all is right in the world.

Except it's not, because she was hurt and confused, and likely will still be when she wakes up, and that's a pain that I can't take away from her. As soon as the nurse is walking away, I turn around, seeing the looks on both Zac and Lauren's faces.

Zac looks like he's in distress, and I sure as hell hope is really is, because that's how I felt when I got the call that my fucking (new) wife was in the hospital. I can't fathom that he didn't have the decency to even call me out of concern and care for her.

Lauren on the other hand is much more relaxed, as if she anticipated everything the nurse just told us, which she did. But she's also looking at me with a cocky ass look on her face that I want to ignore right now.

All I want is to see Cassandra.

I side-step both of them and plop down into one of the uncomfortable waiting room chairs, reaching up and fumbling with the knot of my tie. It didn't bother me before, mainly because my focus was elsewhere, but I need to loosen this goddamn tie.

"You know, for someone who gave me a lot of shit for running off and marrying his brother in a spur of the moment, you sure as hell didn't waste any time to do the same," Lauren remarks with a small smirk as she takes the seat right besides me. My eyes glance over at her, giving her a sharp look, but I'm not even sure if it's convincing because of how tired I suddenly feel.