Paging Dr. Vulcano

Chapter 28

The door to their home closed softly behind her as Sal locked the deadbolt. They had finally returned home after three days in the hospital where they both went through the worst thing they had experienced in their lives. Faith had spent most of the time in bed barely responsive to anyone's intervention to her spiral. Grieving was normal and expected, but this was something Sal worried was much more. That's why he had texted Nicole on their way out of the hospital. While their bond was one in a million, Nicole and Faith were practically sisters. They just "got each other".

"Hey Love?" Sal asked as Faith started to make her way up the stairs slowly. She was still in some pain, much less now but was still cramping like "normal" periods.

"Yeah Sal?"

"I texted Nicole at the hospital. We are both worried about you. We know this is unimaginable but we are worried that you are blaming yourself, which is not at all where the blame should be placed. It was a terrible accident that you had no control over."

"Yes I did Sal! Please stop saying I didn't! I should have known when the Nexplanon expired for god sakes it was in my arm! I should have known my period was late. I should have known we hadn't been using any protection since I trusted the EXPIRED Nexplanon in my arm! I should have been responsible and not put us in this horrible position! I shouldn't have been the one to take our baby away! I shouldn't have been the one that took YOUR baby from YOU. I hate myself for that, I always will!" Faith sobbed through attempts to scream. She sat down on the stairs not finding the strength to keep walking up them. Sal walked calmly but briskly over to the stairs and up to her. He wrapped his arms around her letting her sob into his chest.

"Love, there is no one else in the entire universe that I want as my partner, my best friend, my wife and my soulmate. Yes, this hurts, I feel it too. I'm not negating that. What I will put a stop to right now is your thoughts that YOU are the one who did this. You're not. You are not responsible for this accident. If you would have known we both know heard the doctor say nothing would have changed. We lost the baby and we can mourn that for however long that takes, but please stop blaming yourself because that is the farthest thing from the truth...and it is the last thing I believe." Sal said with a kiss to the top of her head.

"Now let's get you upstairs, in some comfortable clothes and you can tell me everything your mind is thinking of while we sit in bed together."

Six weeks later

Sal unlocked the door kicking off the mud from the very rainy April they were having. He got inside to hear his phone chime.

Hey Cutie, I miss you.

Hi Love, I miss you more. Can't wait for you to
come home later today.

I know, I can't either.

Can I make a confession?

Of course...?

I'm really having a hard time not
breaking our rule.

THE rule?

Yes that's the one.

Can we talk about it when I get home?

Sure.

I love you.

Love you too.

Faith locked her phone, getting ready to board the plane back to New York. She had been on a rotation out of state, and while the timing was difficult, it was nice to be out of the house. She needed to get away from the memories. To be clear that did not mean her husband, though that seemed to be proving a challenge recently. She had little to no interest in the physical aspect of their relationship since everything had happened...well at least the sex part of it. She knew it was a matter of time before Sal would be expressing the lack of it in their relationship. Sal never pressed her to do anything she didn't want to but they both had a relatively active sex life and since the miscarriage they hadn't.