Doctor, Doctor (R.S.L)

Chapter 8

Whimpers coming from across the small apartment hallway pulled me from my sleep, and it took me a minute to realize that it was Jess. I jumped out of bed and ran into her room in record time, my heart falling to my stomach as tears rolled down her cheeks. "Baby, what's wrong? Did you have a bad dream?"

She shook her head, cries escaping her mouth. I brushed my fingers through her hair. "Honey, what's wrong? Mommy can't help you if you don't tell me what's wrong." Despite the calmness of my voice, I was internally freaking out. She never did this before. 

My eyes travelled to her little hand that was wrapped around her stomach. "Does your stomach hurt, baby?" At her nod, I gently flipped her over onto her back, eliciting a scream from my little girl. "I'm sorry, baby. I know it hurts." I had an idea of what was going on, but I prayed that I was wrong. I pressed down on the lower right-hand side of her stomach, and I bit my lip as she cried out in pain. "Okay, let's go." I whispered, gently lifting her up into my arms. 

Not caring that it was past three in the morning and I was still in my pajamas, I hurried towards my car and buckled her in, kissing her forehead and whispering soothing words in her ear before running towards my side. It took all my willpower not to cry as I drove, but I needed to be strong. She most likely had appendicitis, something I had when I was younger, and even though it wasn't life-threatening, it was still scary. 

Terrifying. 

I parked in the first spot I found, taking my baby girl in my arms and rushing into the ER. I almost collapsed in relief when I saw Ross talking with a nurse, completely forgetting that he was working overnight. I brokenly called his name, and his eyes whipped over to mine, widening when he saw me. He rushed over almost immediately. 

"What happened?" 

I choked back a sob, quickly explaining the situation. Every fiber of my being was crying, but no actual tears were escaping. I tried so hard not to break down when Ross placed Jess on a bed, examining her stomach. She was crying out in pain, and there was nothing I could do to stop it. My heart just broke into pieces.

~*~

"Drink this." Ross ordered softly, placing a cup of coffee in my hand. I gave a weak smile in thanks, tilting the cup back and taking a sip. He set himself down next to me, giving my thigh a squeeze. "She'll be fine, Blake. The surgery usually takes less than an hour. And Dr. Green is an amazing surgeon."

"She was in so much pain." I murmured, fresh tears filling my eyes. "She was screaming and crying...and  I-I was so scared." I couldn't stop them from echoing in my head, and it tore at my heart. 

He gently wrapped his arm around my shoulders, pulling me close. That simple gesture was all it took for me to break down and sob into his chest, staining his shirt beneath his lab coat. He didn't utter a word, opting to just hold me close. I could feel my body visibly shaking, unable to stop myself from picturing Jess' small and fragile little body cut open on an operating table. 

Somehow I must've fallen asleep, because the next thing I knew I was being shaken awake, Ross' soothing voice in my ear. I blinked tiredly, straightening my sore back to question what was going on. My mind was in somewhat of a fog, like my head was full of clouds that wouldn't allow any sunshine to pass through. 

"Hey," He murmured, kissing my forehead lightly. My eyes felt puffy and swollen, and my head was pounding. "Dr. Green wanted me to tell you that Jess is out of surgery and is resting in her room. She said the surgery went smoothly and there were no complications."

Relief flooded through me. "She's okay?"

"She's okay." He confirmed, smiling. "She's still under anesthesia, but should be waking up in about an hour. Come on, I'll take you to her room."