Behind Closed Doors (New Version)

Chapter 97

Jenna's pov
(This chapter is very longer)

It's late, well past midnight, and I'm lying in bed with Aliyah. We've been watching some random movie on Netflix for the past hour, but I haven't really been paying attention. My mind is somewhere else. It's always somewhere else these days. Even the baby's movements are just background noise to the constant worry that's gnawing at me. Liv is always on my mind.

Aliyah is curled up next to me, her legs tucked beneath the covers, focused on the screen. She's been here for weeks now, staying with me, making sure I don't lose my mind while Liv's still in that hospital bed. She's trying to keep me sane, but nothing really helps. Not when Liv's heart is beating, but she's still not here. Not really.

I'm just lying there, staring blankly at the screen when my phone suddenly rings. It startles me, and I quickly sit up, grabbing it off the nightstand. I don't recognize the number, but my heart instantly starts pounding. It's the hospital. It has to be. My hands are shaking as I swipe to answer.

"Hello?"

"Is this Jenna Ortega?" the voice on the other end asks. It's a man, calm, but there's a weight to his tone that makes my stomach twist.

"Yes, this is she." My voice is trembling, but I try to keep it steady. I feel Aliyah's eyes on me, her body shifting as she sits up beside me.

"I'm just calling to let you know that Olivia's heart stopped a little bit ago, but we've got it back beating again, and we're keeping a close eye on her."

The world freezes for a second. My breath catches in my throat. Her heart stopped. Liv's heart... stopped. The words hit me like a brick to the chest, and for a split second, everything blurs. I don't even hear what he says after that because I'm stuck on those words.

Her heart stopped.

But then I hear him say, "We have it back beating again," and I breathe—barely. I clutch the phone tighter, my knuckles going white as I try to process what's happening.

"I'm on the way," I say quickly, already throwing the covers off and getting out of bed. I'm moving on autopilot, not thinking about anything except getting to her. I need to be there.

"Ma'am," the doctor says on the other end of the line, his voice calm, too calm for what he just told me. "Everything is okay now. We have a nurse in there watching her, and we're monitoring her closely. It's very late, and it's cold outside. You can come back first thing tomorrow morning."

I don't even hesitate. "No, I'm on my way there now." I grab the hoodie draped over the chair, the one I always wear—Liv's hoodie. My hands are trembling, but I manage to pull it over my head, my mind racing.

The doctor tries again. "Ma'am, we promise she's going to be okay throughout the rest of the night. We're not going to let anything happen to her."

Before I can argue, Aliyah grabs the phone out of my hands. I spin around, glaring at her, but she's already speaking to the doctor. Her voice is calm, too calm for how I'm feeling right now. "I got it from here, doc. Thanks for updating us, and we'll see you first thing in the morning."

She hangs up the phone and looks at me, and I can feel the anger bubbling up in my chest. "Why would you do that?" I yell at her, my voice cracking. "I told him I was going. Why would you stop me?"

Aliyah stands there, watching me, and I can see the concern in her eyes, but it just makes me angrier. "Because, Jen, she's going to be okay. They're taking care of her, and he's right. It's late, it's cold, and it's dangerous for you to be out there at this hour." Her voice is steady, but it's not what I want to hear. It's not what I need.