It's Always Been Briar

Chapter 54.

I couldn't even tell you how long I have been pacing in this hallway. I can, however, tell you that I haven't stopped moving, not even for a second. My mind needs my body to keep moving so the reality of this situation doesn't catch up. Multiple people have stepped in and out of this hallway but none of them are a doctor with information and answers to my questions.

Chase was the first to come out. He stood and watched me pace for a minute before he left through the elevator. After a while, he came back with a big Lululemon bag.

My dad has stepped out a few times to take a couple of calls. Mom peeked out to see how I was doing. William stepped out for a lot of calls. He also left and came back with two guys who look kinda familiar but I'm not sure who they are.

Fuck.

How long has it been? If it's taking this long, does that mean it's really bad? I don't know how much longer I can wait.

My energy is gone, I can't pace anymore. Right as I lean against the wall and am about to slide down, I hear the elevator ding and a pair of doctors walk out. Thank fuck.

'River Blankenship?' One of them asks.

'Yes.' I say while walking over to where they are. They shake my hand and introduce themselves but I honestly can't remember their names. My heart is racing and I'm ready for the drop.

They usher me back into the waiting room. When the door opens and we walk in, mostly everyone gets to their feet and moves closer to the door.

'Parents?' One of them asks.

Monica and Willis step forward and introduce themselves. My parents, Chase, Hunter, and William move closer to me. Do I sit or stand? Which way will I absorb the most information?

'River, why don't you take a seat and we will go over everything that happened, what we did, and what will happen moving forward.'

Well, fuck. They told me to sit, this is going to be heavy.

'First and foremost, Briar and the babies are fine. Everyone is stable. Briar should make a full recovery with minimal complications after birth.'

'Wait, did you say babies?' I ask.

They laugh a little. 'Yes, we weren't sure if you were aware. Sometimes babies like to play hide and seek during the first scan. Congratulations, you are expecting twins.'

I smile and hear many gasps from around the room. I also hear some weird crying. When I look around to see who is crying like that, it's the people that are with Coach Harvey. Who the fuck are they?

'We will start there. Briar had a minor vaginal bleed upon arrival that was cause for concern. After conducting multiple scans, including a microscope scan, we found the cause. During impact, a small corner of the placenta was removed from the uterine wall.

This should be no cause for major concern moving forward, the length of the tear measured at 0.4 mm. Very small but we will recommend bed rest for the remainder of her pregnancy to ensure the tear does not increase in size. The bleed has slowed significantly and should resolve within the next 36-48 hours.

Next, her leg. We cleaned and set her tibia and fibula. Since both brakes were compound, the healing time will be a little longer. The likelihood of infection is a concern. However, we feel the chances are slim. The medic did a wonderful job of packing and protecting her wounds. Rehab will be something that will be discussed upon the removal of her cast, hopefully in 6 weeks.'

Ok, this isn't as bad as it could be, right? This is going pretty well.

'Briar did require a bag and a half of blood to make up for the loss. That's not too bad. Her nose was reset, so you will see a splint, as well as a neck brace. Her vitals have improved. Blood pressure is back into the normal range. Still on the low end but better than when she arrived. Her pulse is stronger at 72 bpm.