After hours

Chapter Twenty-Four

DANIEL'S POV

I flew through the hospital doors looking around wildly until I saw a desk. "Stevens. Ryan Stevens!" I yelled to the nurse not giving a damn that she had a phone pressed to her ear. Nothing was more important than this. Nothing.

I tapped the desk frantically waiting for her to finish up.

She set the phone back down a few moments later and looked up to me with an annoyed expression.

Didn't she know it was my father who owned half of this damn hospital?

"Ryan Stevens. Now. Where is she?"

"Hm." She let out a thoughtful hum and began typing. "Looks like..."

I waited.

"I don't believe we have a Ryan here-"

I turned around abruptly. It's like I couldn't practically feel her coming in. Two men were pushing a stretcher at a fast pace and sure enough, my Ryan was laying on top of it.

"Ryan." Her name came out as a mangled whisper but she heard me. Or maybe she felt me here too the way I felt her because she sat up and pulled at the yellow restraint away from her neck. Mascara stains ran down from her eyes and her cheeks were puffy and splotchy the way the always got when she cried. Part of her hair at the top was caked in blood and it followed the curve of her jaw the entire way down.

"Daniel?"

Neither of us were aware of the EMT's trying to get the brace back around her neck or the bystanders I bumped into. In seconds I was at her and unable to stop myself from wrapping my arms around her. I held her like I hadn't seen her in years, like if I let go of her she would disappear. I pulled away and kissed her hard. Letting my mouth breathe life back into our life together. I held her face and she held mine.

"Jesus Ryan." I managed to choke out when I finally pulled away. I stepped away and let the doctors take over her again but followed on her tail.

"M-my sister and mom are coming." She stammered as she laid back down. "If y-you want to l-l-" She was stumbling on all of her words. Too emotional to manage.

"I'm not leaving you Ryan. I'm never leaving you." I assured her and gripped her hand. "The baby?" I turned to the EMT.

"Stress levels are a little elevated, heart beat strong, no contractions or cramping. So far, everything appears to be alright."

"Did you hear that Ryan? Our baby is okay." I sighed and pulled her hand to my mouth to kiss it. I was getting choked up now.

"I heard." She said softly.

I wanted so badly to curse her out for being so stupid to talk on the phone. She needed to be more careful! Didn't she know what would happen to me if I lost her?

I moved around to the other side of the small hospital bed she was on because someone was standing on the side I was at before. I pressed my lips to her ear. "I love you." I whispered softly and kissed her forehead.

"I don't want an IV."

"Okay." I promised her and I meant it. If anyone else tried to hurt her...

Ryan had suffered only minor injuries. She would be stiff, very stiff and very sore for at least a few days, perhaps even a week or more. But no bones had broken. The air bag had not deployed which ended up being a good thing because she didn't go forward, she went to the side. Had the air bag come out she would have probably been hurt worse. She had hit her head only once but they assured us that the wound looked worse than it actually was. Heads tend to bleed.