Against the Odds A Love Story

Chapter 25

Trials are unwelcome but shouldn't be wished away. They produce a thicker skin and a stronger will.

Twenty-five

I slipped in and out of consciousness. When I finally awakened fully, I was lying in an emergency room bed at Roswell Regional Hospital with an IV in my arm. Hayden was sitting in a chair next to the bed holding my hand, his brow creased with worry. When his eyes met mine, he heaved a relieved sigh and smiled

“Welcome back, baby,” he said, his voice cracking slightly. “You've been out for a little while.”

“What happened?”

“I don't know, honey. You were holding on to the cart and the next thing I knew, you just passed out. I barely caught you before you hit the floor.”

My free hand immediately went to my stomach. “The baby?” I questioned anxiously.

“The baby is fine, darlin'. Dr. Salem is having some test run on you. They called him as soon as the paramedics brought you in.”

“Are you sure the baby is okay?” I asked again, worried about anything happening to our child.

“I'm positive. The doctor listened to the baby's heartbeat and said it was strong.”

I sighed, relieved. We both turned as Dr. Salem entered the room. The graying Indian man smiled as he approached the bed. “How is my favorite patient feeling?” he asked, placing a gentle hand on my arm.

“My head still hurts a little.” I looked up at him. “What is it? Is there something wrong?”

“I'm afraid so,” he said in a kindly voice. He rolled a small stool over and sat next to the bed, turning so he was facing both me and Hayden. “I got your test results back, and there is good news and bad news.”

I squeezed Hayden's hand tightly as my stomach balled up in a tight knot. “What's the bad news?”

“Well, the bad news is you're suffering from preeclampsia, or toxemia as it's commonly called.”

I didn't have to ask him what it was because a couple of my friends in Atlanta had had it with their pregnancies. “But until today, I have been feeling fine. How could it just suddenly happen like that?”

“Sometimes it just does. Every woman's body is different, and while some women gradually feel the effects of preeclampsia, it strikes others suddenly, sometimes in a matter of days, sometimes hours, which is what happened in your case.” He flipped open the chart. “Now, we found a lot of protein in your urine and your blood pressure is pretty high. The heightened blood pressure is probably what caused the headache and the dizziness. Sometimes stress can trigger the symptoms and make them worse.”

Feeling Hayden's grip tighten on my hand, I looked at him as he lowered his head and closed his eyes  tightly. I heard him swear under his breath and I knew he was thinking about Jerome's visit upsetting me, not to mention the earlier words with Debra. I squeezed his hand back, urging him to look at me. When he opened his eyes, I gave him my 'everything will be okay look,' and he forced a smile.

The doctor looked up from his chart. “How is your vision?”

“It's fine now, but earlier it was a little blurry.”

“Any pain anywhere?”

“My right shoulder hurts a little.”

“Those are two more symptoms of preeclampsia.” The doctor pressed his fingers against my ankles. “You've got a little swelling too.”