Page 16 of His Hellcat

My gaze finds my brother standing just inside the room. My heart clenches and I have to steel myself against the grief that wells up inside me. The deep scars that mar the once perfect skin on the left side of his face don’t take away from his good looks, but knowing that the event that caused those scars nearly took him from my life guts me every time. And the haunted look in his eyes keeps me up at night.

“Unka Dwake, up!”

“Yeah, yeah, buddy.” Drake picks him up, tickling his sides and filling our home with sweet baby giggles as he heads toward the kitchen.

“He’s going to be fine, you know?”

Hutch always knows what’s worrying me. He’s spent every day of the last three years chasing worries away and guarding my heart against hurt.

“I know.” I snuggle into his side, taking his strength for my own. “I can’t help worrying… and peeing. These babies of yours are tap dancing on my bladder today. I’m going to go lay down since you won’t let me do anything else.”

He barks out a laugh, slapping my ass as I waddle away. “Someone’s got to make you slow down.”

I’ll never admit it, but the second my tired body collapses on the mattress I’m out from exhaustion. It’s been a hard pregnancy. I was spoiled with Brenden, everything went smoothly from start to finish, but the twins have been hard. Morning sickness—which was more like all day and night sickness—bleeding, and threats of bedrest because of my high blood pressure. Despite it all the babies are healthy and strong. It’s my body that’s causing the troubles.

“Kitten.”

“Hmm…”

“Time for dinner.”

Hutch drops a kiss to my forehead, then helps me from the bed. When I stand, dizziness rushes through me and I wobble. Hutch steadies me and I smile up at him, but my smile falls from my lips when I take in the look on his face. Following his gaze to the bed, I see the large dark circle where I was laying. Confusion hits at the same time as another wave of dizziness. That’s when the world tips the wrong way and darkness clouds my vision. The last thing I see is the stark fear in my husband's eyes.

Hutch

My wife lays in a hospital bed, tubes and wires hooked to her frail body. Hours ago she was full with the lives of our twins, her skin pink, and smile wide. Now she's fighting for her life. She always seems larger than life. She's has such a zest for everything, never taking a single moment for granted. I'm clutching her hand like it's a fucking lifeline. In a way it is, she's my life and I don't know how I could ever go on without her.

I watch the heart monitor, thanking God for every beat. The doctors said she coded three times on the table. They practically lost count of how many bags of blood they used as they fought to save her. My eyes burn with unshed tears. If I let the dam break, it'll consume me. I'll be lost and I can't let that happen while she's laying here. When she needs me to be strong.

"Kitten, you've have come back to me. Back to us," I beg.

I'd sell my soul if I thought it'd help in this situation, but I know it's up to her. The doctors did their jobs and now she's just got to fight.

"The twins are healthy. Identical heads of black as night hair, sweet little noses, and sassy attitudes from their first breaths... just like their momma."

The nurse comes in, checking vitals and giving her a fresh bag of fluids. "She's looking good, Mr. Hutchinson. She'll come around."

I know she’s doing her job by trying to make me feel better, but right now the only thing that will make me feel better is for my wife to open her eyes. It's been three days since she was brought in and every minute of every hour has been torture. I haven't left her side. Thankfully, Drake has stayed with the twins in the nursery. Using FaceTime, he's been giving me updates and letting me see our girls.

I should be there with them, too. Blake and I should be cuddling our babies and introducing them to their big brother. This should be a time of joy, not a nightmare.

With a sympathetic look the nurse leaves the room.

I press gentle kisses to the back of Blake's chilled hand, wrapping both of my hands around hers gently and willing my warmth into her body. Exhaustion weighs down on me. Resting my head on the bed I fall into an uncomfortable sleep.

“Hutch?”

An angel speaks in my dreams. Striking blue eyes with hair so black it’s nearly blue, and a smile so wide it’s devastating in its beauty. The angel speaks again, but I dare not respond. I couldn’t live if this dream disappeared and reality took its place. Then a soft touch, a gentle caress from cool fingers across my cheek, has me jerking away from my dream into an even better reality.

“Kitten?”

She’s got a soft look on her face, but her gaze is laced with pain. A look of panic takes over and her heart monitor goes crazy.

“The babies?” She chokes out, as her free hand moves towards her now flat stomach.

“Are fine. Calm down, Kitten. They're perfect. Drake hasn’t left the nursery since they were born. He’s caused quite the scene from what I’ve heard.”

The relief on her face is instant and the vise that gripped my heart at her panic loosens.

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