The Baby Between Them

Chapter Five

Hunter let go of the radio and caught Rae before she hit the ground, as she lost consciousness in front of him. He lifted her into his arms easily, taking care not to touch the glass shard in her back and risk making her injury worse.

Hunter could hear Ty demanding to know what was going on, but he could bloody well wait. The tiny stunner in his arms, whose incredible auburn hair was flowing loosely over his arm, was more important. She was his priority right now.

He settled her across the seats in the back of his cruiser, with her facing the rear of the car, so that nothing bumped the glass in her back.

Being that he was nearly six foot four, the drivers seat was already as far back as it could go, but he moved the front passenger seat back as well, to stop her from rolling onto the floor when they went around the few corners there was in their town, to get to the hospital.

He sent thanks out to the universe that out of the five small country towns in this county, theirs was the one that had the hospital.

"Ty shut up man!" Hunter shouted into the radio as soon as he settled into his seat. He started the cruiser and began the drive to the hospital.

"Well tell me what the hell is going on!"

"Rae passed out. She's lost a tonne of blood. I couldn't talk to you and catch her before she hit the ground!" Ty swore and Hunter heard him call Sasha a stupid bitch. He wasn't wrong.

"I'm taking her to lock up. Enough is enough!" Ty said angrily. "I'll meet you at the hospital once I've got this menace behind bars."

"Sounds good to me." Hunter said, shutting off his radio and turning his sirens on, so that he could fly through town faster.

Rae groaned as he took the first turn and Hunter cringed, hating that she was in pain.

He wanted to kill Sasha.

The need to hurt the one that hurt Rae, was strong, but he couldn't do that to her. No matter what Sasha did, her daughter still loved her. He didn't know how or why, but she did.

"Stay with me baby girl." He whispered, reaching back and stroking the side of her face. Her breathing calmed at his touch and Hunter couldn't help but wonder if there was meaning behind that. "We're nearly there."

* * * * *

"Let me through Sarah and get me a gurney!" Hunter yelled at the triage nurse as he rushed into the emergency waiting room of the hospital with a still unconscious Rae in his arms. Sarah jumped up from her seat behind the safety screen at the front desk, pressed a button on the wall to open the swinging doors and called for an orderly to bring a bed.

Within moments, Raegan was on her side on a bed in a private room, with numerous nurses fussing over her. One of the nurses went to take hold of the glass, before Hunter's fathers oldest friend burst through the door.

"Don't touch the glass!" Doctor Morgan yelled. "Sasha again?" He asked Hunter, who just nodded in response. He was too worried about Rae to say anything. One of the nurses did something that made Raegan groan and Hunter jumped forward on instinct, to protect her. "Cannula for pain relief Hunter. That's all." Doctor Morgan assured him with a pat on the back. Hunter took a deep, steadying breath, nodded and stepped back.

"What have we got? Oh... Hey Hunter. Why are you here?"

"Abi, don't!" But before Hunter could warn the nurse, she looked at the patient and gasped.

"Oh sweet Jesus no! Raegan!" Abi rushed to her stepdaughters side and stroked the hair from her face. "What happened?" Tears were already streaming down her face. Hunter walked over and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Rae told me that Sasha threw a glass at her head during an argument. Rae ducked and it smashed against the wall behind her. Shards ricocheted off the wall and this one got her."

"Given the position and how deep it appears to have penetrated her skin, I'm thinking its nicked part of the scapular. Would explain why it's bleeding as badly as it is. Leave the glass where it is. We'll take her to the OR and deal with it there, just to be safe. Abi, contact Mitch and let him know. If she needs a transfusion, we'll need permission as she's still a minor." Doctor Morgan ordered and nodded for the orderly to wheel the bed out of the room. "She'll be fine you two. She's tough this one. She's proven that time and time again." He gave them both a smile and followed Rae out.

Hunter held Abi while she sobbed for a few moments and then walked out to the waiting room with her to wait for Tyler.

"Here. Thought you might need this." Hunter turned and grabbed the shirt Ty threw at him.

"Why?" He asked, raising one of his eyebrows. Ty looked at the one Hunter was wearing and nodded. Hunter looked down and swore. His own shirt was covered in Rae's blood. "There was so much blood man. For what should have been pretty minor, there was so much freaking blood. They think she must have nicked an artery." He unbuttoned his uniform shirt and swapped it out for the plain grey t-shirt.

"Lucky we're in a hospital." Ty said with a smirk.

"Why?" Hunter asked as he walked to the bathroom to wash his hands.

"You're so oblivious. Every woman in the waiting room just now was appreciating the view you gave them as you changed shirts. Heart attacks were imminent." He said with a laugh.

"Whatever." Hunter ran his wet hands over his hair to try and smooth it down a little, but gave up after a few minutes.

"She's seventeen Hunt..." His tone told Hunter exactly what message Ty was trying to get across.

"Don't Ty."

"You just broke countless protocols to get her here. You covered your cruiser in blood, rather than calling an ambulance to the scene and a blind man could see how you look at the girl."

"Have I done anything about it?" Hunter growled loudly. "Have I? No!" He stormed towards the elevator that would take him up to the OR waiting room. "I can't help how I feel Tyler, but I haven't fucking acted on it!" He smashed the button on the elevator numerous times before Ty slapped his hand away from it.

"That's not going to make it come any faster."

"I don't care! Right now I need to hit something and if it's not the damn button, it'll be you!" Ty took a step back and put his hands up in surrender.

"Ok! Ok! I'm sorry man. I know we've had this discussion numerous times since high school, but it's different now. Her age... The position you're in with the force. It's..."

"Messy... I know. Even if she reciprocated, which she doesn't, there's only two months until her age doesn't matter anymore." The doors finally opened and he stepped in. "As long as she comes through this shit anyway." He pressed the button for the third floor and gave his best friend a halfhearted shrug as the doors closed.