Fatal Wounds

48

Valentina

Oliver had to drive us to the hospital. The car ride was a blur, mainly because of the tears in my eyes. I'm getting hysterical, tears going down my face, heart racing, heaving breaths, stifled cries.

My stomach contracts painfully and I feel myself grow nauseous. Will today be my last time seeing him?

The front doors open automatically as we rush into the hospital. There's an eerie silence in the elevator. My cries go silent the closer we get to Theo's floor. Is he gone already? Were we too slow? Too late?

His door is slightly open and my ears perk up at the commotion. The sounds blur into one, my ears ring as I push the door wider. My name is called behind me, telling me to wait. But I can't hear the distant voices.

I become paralyzed. There's a doctor leaning over Theo, compressing against his chest. There's a doctor getting ready to shock him. When the doctor stands back, arms up, they shock him with paddles making his body convulse.

I step back with a horrified sob. They wait, looking at the screens, there's no beat of his heart.

"Again!"

My body flinches when he's shocked again, his body jerks. It looks painful. I press a shaking hand to my mouth, and one to my stomach. I frantically look for the trash bin feeling my throat burn with the lunch Camilla made us.

I cough and splutter into the bin, my vomit mixes with my tears and sobs. I grip at my chest feeling that once familiar unbearable ache. But this time I can't breathe. I gasp trying to fill my lungs, it burns, hurts.

"Get her out of here!"

My chest heaves quickly and irregularly. My body recoils at the hand that tries grabbing my wrist. I hold it close to my chest. She looks like a young nurse, she tries telling me something about a panic attack but the ringing in my ears gets louder making me dizzy. My vision spots black and I stumble into the nurse who's expectant and had her arms out. "I've got you, hun. Come on let's get you in another room and on some oxygen."

My limbs feel heavy, my mind blanks, and my eyes shut.

But not before I hear Theo's heart start again.

•••

When I open my eyes, I'm laying on a bed. I'm back in a gown, but this time there's a fetal monitor around my belly. A wave of panic makes me sit up and wince when I pull on the IV.

"It's alright," Camilla says taking hold of my arm to calm me. "You're alright."

"Why am I wearing that?"

Camilla smiles sympathetically, her eyes are red, her cheeks have dried tears. "You were showing signs of fetal distress and early labor."

"What?" I gasp, taking hold of my belly. "Is she alright?"

"She is." She swallows thickly and caresses my arm, "your water broke, darling."

"No." I whimper, clutching my belly. I had a week. A whole week to wait and see if there was a possibility of Theo joining me.

She nods, "your dad is on the way. Brooke and Brian are stopping by your house to grab your bags and the carseat.

"I can't do it today." I tell her desperately, "Theo's still unconscious and he's hanging on by a thread. I can't-" I shake my head frantically, my voice cracks with a cry as I try taking off the fetal monitor.