Page 46 of Anchor

“She, fuck Travis, don’t make me say it,” he begs.

I squeeze my eyes tight and demand, “Fucking say it, Lance!”

“She hit her head hard, and she was unconscious at the scene…with no pulse,” he admits, and I take deep breaths as a phone rings.

“Trouble?” I hear Steal say with pain.

“She’s at Memorial, isn’t she?” I confirm, and they nod.

Why else would Cassidy be calling her man during her shift?

I nod, and without a word to anyone, I take my son from my father, who looks ready to protest but keeps quiet at the glare I give him. I walk out of the clubhouse to the club truck without a backward glance, my heart in my throat.

Half an hour later, I walk, with my son in my arms, into the hospital's main entrance, and head to the reception desk.

I hear several pairs of boots behind me, but I ignore the brothers and clear my throat, getting the male nurse’s' attention.

His eyes widen when he sees my cut, then the rest of the brothers behind me, before his eyes go to Micha, and they soften.

“My wife Heaven Turner was brought in unconscious,” I say, and his eyes sadden for me, and I swallow hard.

He picks up the phone and waits a second before he says, “He’s here,” then hangs up, looking back at me. “Cassidy will be down in a minute; she’s working on your wife’s case,” he confirms, and I nod just as I see Tanner, Cassidy’s best friend and our Secretary, Shotgun's boyfriend, rush over to him.

I look away as they embrace when I hear the doors open, and Cassidy rushes out, not looking as put together as she normally does.

“Anchor,” she whispers, and I hold my son closer to me as he sobs, his face in my neck.

“Just give it to me straight, Cass…. Where’s my wife?” I rasp, and her tears fall.

“She, uh, she has swelling on the brain and has been placed in an induced coma,” Cass admits reluctantly, and my knees give out.

Steal and my dad catch me as someone takes my son. I go to shout at them to give me him back, but instead, my eyes lock on Perrie to see she has got hold of him, and I know she’ll ensure he’s safe.

I look back at Cassidy. The pain and heartbreak shining back at me, it’s too fucking much.

“What aren’t you telling me, Cass?” I demand to know, and she shakes her head, her body trembling, causing Steal to step forward. She shakes her head at him and then looks my way.

“In the first years of my residency, one of my closest friends came in, and I swore I’d never do this again, but here I am,” shesays, her tears falling. “I’m so sorry, Travis, when Heaven was hit by the car, she landed on her stomach…she lost the baby.”

I squeeze my eyes tight as my brothers all murmur in shock behind me, realizing just how much I haven’t told them, not because I didn’t trust them but because my wife didn’t have club protection because of my stupidity, and now, because of me, because I trapped her with a pregnancy, she’s got to live with the fact she saved our son, only to lose our baby….

My whole world tilts, my pain overshadowing everything… I’m ready to break.

“Where is my wife?” I ask Cassidy numbly.

She sniffles and points, “Through those doors, first left into ICU, then the fifth door to the right.”

I nod, step forward, kiss her forehead, and whisper, “If you could have saved it, you would have. Don’t blame yourself, sweetheart, and don’t worry about telling Heaven; that one is on me.”

She sobs, and Steal quickly takes her in his arms. I turn to one of the strongest women I know, a woman I know would kill for my son if need be.

“Perrie, take Micha to the cafeteria, but don’t let him out of your sight,” I ask softly at her, and she nods, her tears coating her cheeks as she keeps one arm wrapped around my son, her other hand covering her bump.

Carefully, I kiss my son's head and whisper, “Go with Auntie Perrie, bud, please, for me….”

He sniffles but nods as he wraps his arms around my waist, squeezing tight. Everything in me slowly dies as I place my handin his hair. Carefully, Perrie takes him from my arms, and I watch as she guides him to the elevator, trying to comfort him. Natalie, Piston’s old lady, follows them.

I don’t take my eyes off them until the elevator doors begin to close. Once the doors shut, I say, “Dad, I’m going to need you to keep to your promise….”

---