Page 64 of Renewal After Dark

He struggled to hold back the anger that threatened to boil over. She’d been through so much already. How much more could she endure before she cracked under the weight of despair?

At first, the news they were expecting quads hit like a tsunami, overwhelming them with the implications of havingfivesons under the age of two. But over time, they’d begun to excitedly anticipate the babies’ arrival. The pregnancy had been rough on Abby, and it’d been getting more difficult with every passing day. But she’d been determined to see it through, to get the babies to the latest point she possibly could.

He'd never loved or admired her more as he watched her soldier through, despite her increasing discomfort as the babies grew.

If they lost them, he wasn’t sure how they’d go on.

David came to the door. “A word in private?”

Adam glanced at the man who would’ve been his brother-in-law once upon a time. Now he was a trusted friend who’d saved the lives of several people Adam loved, including his sister Janey and her son, PJ. He nodded in response to David’s question and followed him and Victoria into David’s office, closing the door behind them.

David glanced at Victoria.

“We want to be straight with you,” she said.

“I wouldn’t want anything else.”

“We were able to stop the labor. For now. But the situation is precarious. We want to get her to Women and Infants in Providence as soon as possible. It’s very likely they’ll admit her for the duration of her pregnancy.”

Adam felt like the breath had been knocked out of him as he processed what Vic was saying. “She’s got eighteen weeks to go.”

“I know, Adam, but this just became an even higher-risk pregnancy than it already was, and we want her carefully observed. The longer we can keep the babies in utero, the better the chances are that they all survive without complications.”

Adam ran a hand through his hair as frustration and despair overtook him. “How soon do you want to transfer her?”

“Immediately. We wanted to talk to you—and then to her—before we call for a Life Flight.”

His heart sank as it became clear the situation was far more serious than he’d thought—and that their lives would be upended for the foreseeable future. “Yeah, okay. Let’s talk to her.” He glanced at David. “Could I borrow your car to run home to grab a few things?”

David nodded. “Of course.”

They walked together to Abby’s room.

Her eyes were closed, but opened when she heard them come in.

Adam forced a smile for her. “How’re you feeling, hon?”

“Better. The pain has stopped.”

“That’s good news. David and Vic want to talk to us about what happens next.”

Abby’s gaze shifted toward Victoria. “Are the babies okay?”

“They’re doing great,” Victoria said, “but the early labor has me concerned enough that I’d like to get you to Women and Infants as soon as possible so you have the highest-level of care going forward.”

“Oh.” She looked at Adam and then back to Vic and David. “So, like I have to go there now?”

“That’d be our recommendation.”

“We’d have to get Liam and get a car on the boat and…”

“We’d call a chopper for you.”

Her entire body became tense as the implications of that registered with her. The wordsLife Flightwere synonymous withemergencyto the island’s residents. “Is it… I mean, it’s that serious?”

“You and the babies are stable right now,” Victoria said. “We want to keep you that way, and to do that, we need to get you to Providence as soon as possible.”

Abby’s chin quivered as she listened to Vic. Then she looked to Adam for his take.

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