Between Us

chapter twenty

20

  I run to her side, growing increasingly concerned. As I get closer, I can hear her groaning and crying. I put my hand on her shoulder and roll her over gently, kneeling on the ground next to her. "What's wrong?"

  She doesn't say anything, just lets tears run down her face as she clutches her stomach and moans. I push the hair off her forehead and my heart starts beating faster. "Taryn! Talk to me, baby, what's wrong?" I ask as she clutches her abdomen tighter and cries louder. "What's wrong? You're scaring me!"

  "St-stomach!" she gasps out, squeezing her eyes shut, causing more tears to escape.

  "Where?" I ask. "Where in your stomach?"

  She groans again and rolls, almost falling off the couch if I hadn't caught her. "R-right s-s-side!" Taryn wheezes out, sobbing.

  "We're going to the hospital," I tell her. "It's okay, baby, it'll be okay."

  I grab a blanket and throw it over her before picking her up in my arms, taking quick strides to the door as she writhes in my arms. I throw the door open and slam it shut behind me, going as quickly as I can down the three flights of stairs. When I get to my Jeep, I put her in the passenger seat and buckle her. She curls up into a ball, the blanket draped over her.

  I throw myself into the drivers seat and start the car, then gun it to the closest hospital I can think of. On the way, I grab my phone and dial a number I don't want call but need to.

"Can I help you?"

I roll my eyes and bite my tongue from saying something rude as Taryn's mother answers the phone. "I'm taking Taryn to the hospital right now, there's something wrong with her stomach and she can't even walk and I don't know what's happening," I ramble, speeding through an intersection to beat a red light.

"What?" she says, losing the snotty tone she answered the phone with. "What did you say?"

"You heard me," I say, making a sharp turn. "We're going to Beaufort General."

"Oh my god, I can't believe this! If I hadn't kicked her out and argued with her over something so stupid-"

"Look, this isn't your fault. Just get here as soon as you can," I say, hanging up as I swing into the emergency room parking lot.

Taryn moans in pain, still curled up tightly. "We're here, Tare," I say, unbuckling and quickly moving around to her side. I open the door and carefully pull her out of the car, the movement making her cry harder. "I'm so sorry, baby, it'll be okay."

I carry her into the ER, looking around for somebody to help. "Somebody help, please!" I yell over the commotion from other people. There's people everywhere, with varying degrees of injuries. A nurse runs over and directs us through some doors, yelling for a gurney.

  "Set her here," the nurse says as another one pushes a gurney towards us. I set her gently on the gurney, but Taryn grabs my hand tightly and doesn't let go. Not that I mind. "What's going on?"

  I run my free hand through my hair. "I don't know, I came home and found on the couch like this. She said something about the right side of her stomach?"