Page 29 of Guarded

“Is the baby okay?” Briar demanded, struggling to remain calm inside.

“It’s in distress,” the doctor answered. “Right now the heart rate is dangerously low.”

The bottom of Briar’s stomach dropped out.Oh my God. Oh my God, no.“Can you do anything to fix it?”

“If the heart rate doesn’t come back up in the next few minutes, we’re going to have to get you into an operating room and get the baby out.”

Briar stared at her. She had known since last night that this was a possibility. But she wasn’t ready for it. Not yet. And not without Matt here.

As good as she was at suppressing emotion, this was too much. Her throat thickened, tears burning the backs of her eyes.It’s too soon.

A minute later the doctor looked at one of the nurses who was changing the towel between Briar’s legs. “Is it slowing?”

“No.”

Briar held her breath, waiting along with the doctor as they watched the monitor and listened to the heartbeat. Too slow. Too damn slow. And she was losing a scary amount of blood. The baby’s oxygen supply continued to flow out of her with every beat of her heart.

The doctor finally shook her head. “Prep the OR and have the anesthetist start a spinal. Go.”

Her words echoed in Briar’s head, sounding far away.I can’t have the baby yet. I just can’t.

As people rushed out she took Briar’s hand, squeezed it. “I don’t want to wait. I’d rather get your baby out and into the NICU than risk losing it.”

This was a nightmare. It was way too soon. Were the baby’s lungs going to be developed enough? But since there was no other choice Briar nodded, not trusting her voice for a moment.

She struggled to find the words, keep her voice from shaking. “My husband is at work.” He’d said he would keep his phone on him, but if the team had to go in after the suspect to save the hostages, he couldn’t just answer.

“Your friend is outside. Can she call him?”

“Yes.” Of course. Trinity would handle it.

The doctor squeezed her hand once more and let go, giving Briar a reassuring smile. “I’m going to scrub in. I’ll see you down in the OR in a few minutes.”

After the woman left, Briar squeezed her eyes shut and fought to breathe, pressing both hands to her belly. She willed her baby to move. To fight.

Her body was failing her child. Only medical technology could save it now.

The burn at the back of her throat and eyes intensified but she swallowed back the tears threatening to erupt. Crying was for the weak. Right now she had to stay calm and be the warrior her baby needed—the one she’d been trained to be.

Even so, she couldn’t help but send out a silent plea.

Hold on, little one. Please hold on.

****

In the back of the FBI Blackhawk, Matt snatched his phone from his pocket when it vibrated against his hip. Seeing Trinity’s number, his blood pressure plummeted.

Shoving the earphones off, he plugged one finger into his ear as he pressed the phone to the other. “Trinity. Everything okay?” But she wouldn’t be calling if it were.

She said something he didn’t catch over the sound of the engines and the pulse of the rotors.

“Can’t hear you. Text me,” he said over the noise in the cabin. He lowered the phone and waited, staring anxiously at the screen. A moment later a text appeared.

She’s bleeding again. Worse this time.

“Aw,shit.” He started to type out a response, only got the first two words done when another message popped up.

They’re taking her down to the OR for an emergency C-section.

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