Page 35 of The Chance

“I need to be with her. I need to. She’s my world, Guth. My everything.”

“I know, bro. I know. And I get it. I’m going in with her. I promise. I will be with her every step of the way.”

Aubrey would never forget what they looked, sounded, like in that moment. Eva was there, and Hadassa. They knew what to do. And Genny—Genny led her oldest brother away.

Aubrey stayedat Ronnie’s side, squeezing her hand. Guthrie stayed close. As close as he could get.

“Ronnie, you’re at the hospital now. You’re in good hands. This is my ED, after all. We’re going to take care of you and the baby,” Aubrey told her.

Ronnie’s eyes opened. “Where’s George? Wasn’t Guthrie?—”

“I’m here, Ronnie. George needs to get his arm looked at and wash his hands, that kind of thing.” Guthrie leaned over Ronnie’s head, wrapping his fingers around hers. “You’re safe, and we’re going to take care of everything. Just hang in there.”

“Take care of my babies, Guthrie Hiller. I want your promise. No matter what. You make sure my babies are taken care of.”

“No matter what. The girls and this seedling, too. I promise.”

“You are a good man. I’ve always thought so. And just as beautiful as your brother. Where is your brother? Is he okay? Where’s Georgie?”

“George is with Genny right now,” Guthrie said. “She’s going to make him get his arm taken care of, and then we’ll see whatwe can do about getting him up here with you. You’ll be okay, I promise. We’ll get to see if this one looks like me, okay? I just want one niece who looks like me. That’s all.”

“I’ll see… what I can do. Love you. All of you. I love all of you. And my… family… Make sure they all know…” Ronnie was fading out. Right before his eyes.

They needed to act fast. He nodded at Dr. Lewis. “Let’s get her upstairs. I’m going in with her. She’s my brother’s wife.”

“Understood. We’ll take care of her now.”

The stretcher moved swiftly as nurses wheeled her toward the elevator. Guthrie walked alongside. He would never forget how his brother’s beautiful, amazing, wonderful wife looked in that moment.

Aubrey had somehow beaten them upstairs.

Aubrey waited just outside of the OR, already dressed in fresh, sterile scrubs. Guthrie would need to be ‘dressed’ in sterile gear, too. But for now… “Ronnie, focus on your breathing. In and out, nice and slow. We’re going to get you through this. Aubrey is going to stay right next to you while I get into my cool doctor gear, I promise.”

Guthrie finally let go of Ronnie’s hand. Aubrey took it instead.

Ronnie nodded faintly, gripping Aubrey’s hand with surprising strength. “The… bab—need to tell… can’t… remember…” she whispered. Guthrie could barely understand her at all. “Where’s Georgie? Is he here? He promised to always be here. Is George okay?”

“George is probably getting stitches in the ED right now. Getting an X-ray on his arm. That’s all. He’ll be up here when he can. The baby’s going to be fine, and so is my brother. You just focus on staying calm. We’re taking you upstairs now.”

The elevator doors opened, and they moved her into the sterile hallway of obstetrics. A team of nurses and a surgeonwho sometimes assisted with cesareans, Dr. Laird, were already waiting.

“We’ll take it from here, Dr. Hiller. You and Dr. Fisher both scrubbing in?” Dr. Laird asked. “Heard she’s a relative.”

“Yes. My brother’s wife. This is their fifth.”

“Five is so much more work than four. Trust me, I know.” Dr. Laird was a single father—of five. He would know.

“Patient is prepped,” one of the nurses, who had been there longer than Guthrie had been alive, said. “Heart rate stable but elevated at—” she gave the rest of the necessary stats.

Guthrie listened. He knew what they all meant.

His brother’s baby was about to make a grand entrance into this world. Guthrie was going to be ready for whatever that meant for them all. But now… now he was giving a prayer that his niece or nephew was going to be okay.

“Aubrey? You still here?” Ronnie asked.

“I’m right here. We’re going to do the C-section now. I can’t wait to meet this little Hiller to see if he or she looks like Guthrie,” Aubrey leaned down. Guthrie just watched her, watched her with his brother’s wife. Had he ever really thought this woman was cold and unfeeling? He had never been more wrong about a woman in his life. “Everything is going to be okay.”

29

---