Page 102 of How to Catch a Rockstar

“I’ll call her and have her meet us at the hospital.”

Once she finishes the call, she crawls between the seats to the back. Fender growls at her.

“Shut it, grumpy pants. We’ve got bigger issues than my not wearing a seatbelt.”

“Put your seatbelt on now,” he grumbles.

She buckles herself in before grasping Aurora’s hand. “It’s okay. You’re going to be okay.”

“Little Bean,” Aurora whispers.

Leia smiles at her. “Little Bean will be okay, too. Both of you will be fine.”

I want to believe her, but… “You can’t know that.”

“Be nice,” Fender orders.

Leia continues to utter assurances to Aurora for the entire drive while my words are caught in my throat. I don’t know what to say. I don’t know how to reassure her. I don’t know how to make this better.

My fear intensifies until I struggle to breathe. I’ve never been this afraid before. Not even when I graduated high school at seventeen and was kicked out of the foster home I was staying in with no job or place to go.

“We’re here.” Fender screeches to a halt in front of the emergency room.

I open the door but I can’t climb out with Aurora in my arms. But I can’t let her go either.

Fender stands at the door. “I’ve got her.”

“Precious cargo,” I remind him.

“The most precious,” he says as he takes Aurora from my arms. I jump out of the car and he immediately places her back in my arms.

The doors open and Leia leads two nurses with a gurney outside. “She’s pregnant and bleeding. Her doctor is on the way,” she instructs as I lay Aurora down.

Aurora clutches my hand as they roll her into the hospital. “Don’t leave me.”

“Never, baby. Never.”

I keep hold of her hand as we enter a room. The medical staff buzzes around us. Dr. Edwards arrives a moment later.

“I need the father out of here,” she orders one of the nurses without addressing me. The nurse pulls me away from Aurora.

“No. Don’t leave me,” Aurora begs as she reaches for me.

“Can’t I stay?”

Dr. Edwards glances my way. “I need to concentrate on my patients. I can’t have you distracting me.”

“I’ll be quiet.”

She nods to the nurse to take me away.

“It’s better this way,” the nurse says as she pushes me out of the room.

Fender and Leia are waiting for me in the hallway.

“You shouldn’t be back here,” another nurse complains as she rushes past us.

“Come on.” Leia grasps my elbow and leads me to the waiting room where the rest of my bandmates and their partners are waiting for us.

---