Page 141 of Whispered Sins

I felt like I was having déjà vu from my last trip to the hospital after I flew home from Pittsburgh, except this time I wasn’t having contractions. I just couldn’t catch my bearings. Everything seemed to be blurring in and out, and breathing felt like a task on a to-do list that I couldn’t quite check off no matter how hard I tried to get to it.

“What’s your name, sweetie?” asked the woman.

She was probably old enough to be my mother.

“Addison,” I replied, holding my belly woozily. “You?”

“Sandra. You’re going to be just fine, Addison,” she said, taking my hand and giving it a squeeze.

“Thank you, Sandra. Can you call my friend? Her name is Monica,” I said, reaching for my purse.

“I’ll get that for you,” she said. “You just rest.”

She reached over and grabbed my purse for me, searching for my phone. I quickly typed in my password for her and she scrolled through my contacts to Monica’s name. I closed my eyes as the cab weaved through the traffic of Manhattan.

“Hi, Monica?” asked Sandra.

She waited for a reply.

“Yes, this is Sandra. I’m with your friend Addison. We are on our way to the hospital. Can you meet us there?”

There was a brief silence as Sandra listened. I could hear Monica’s frantic voice on the other line.

“No, no. Everything is fine. I think she’s just a little out of sorts, but I think it’s best she see a doctor.”

Sandra gave me a reassuring smile.

“Yes, yes. I’ll text you the hospital once we get there.”

She hung up.

“Thank you,” I said. My mouth felt dry and tasted sour from throwing up.

Ten minutes later, we were pulling up to the hospital. Sandra paid the cab driver, even though I protested. She waved me off and walked me inside.

“I’ll text your friend which hospital we ended up at,” she said as we walked to the front desk.

Sandra explained what had happened and the nurse brought over a wheelchair, helping me sit down.

“We are going to take her up to triage and get her check out,” said the nurse.

I looked up at Sandra gratefully. “Thank you so much. Please let me repay you for your kindness,” I said.

She waved me off. “Oh please, sugar. I believe in paying it forward. You just get better, okay? For you and that precious baby.”

I nodded, feeling teary-eyed.

“I better get going. My shift starts soon.” She bent down and gave me a quick hug before walking toward the door.

The nurse wheeled me toward the elevators and we rode up to triage, where she found me a room. She helped me into a hospital gown and got me settled in a bed where she hooked me up to the machines. The same one as last time, although I wasn’t having contractions. She brought me some water and said she would be back.

I lay back in the bed and closed my eyes. I must have dozed off because I soon woke up to a knock at the door. Monica quickly strode in and her eyes took me in, a worried expression on her face.

“You have to stop doing this to me,” she said, putting her hands on her hips.

“I’m sorry,” I said. “I don’t know what happened. I ran into Daniel and then it was like my body went into some sort of shock.”

“Excuse me? Daniel?”

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