Page 209 of Glass Jawed
I pick her up again—while she’s mid-rant, mid-scream, mid-limb-flailing—and get her into the passenger seat.
Kai, my sweet, blissfully unaware baby boy, is still asleep as I strap him in.
We pull out of the driveway and call Liam.
Before I can say anything, Kash yells. “Where thefuckare you?”
“Babe?” Liam’s voice goes high through the car speakers. “What’s—”
“Her water broke,” I cut in. “We’re on our way to the hospital. Meet us there.”
“Fuck! Baby, I’m coming—shit—the ice cream—”
“Fuck the ice cream, you imbecile!” she howls.
Liam’s voice softens immediately. “Vee, baby, don’t worry. I’m coming. Just hold on, okay?”
Kash grits through another contraction—but this time, it’s different. Her head lolls forward. Her eyes go hazy.
Shit.
“Kash? Kash!” I reach over to touch her shoulder. “Hey—are you okay? Stay with me.”
“Vee? Baby, answer me!” Liam’s voice is frantic.
She’s still mumbling incoherently.
“Lucian, get my wife to the hospital. Now!”
“She’s barely conscious,” I say. “But we’re three minutes out. I’m getting us there.”
“I’m coming, baby. Just... just please be okay.”
Liam’s voice is breaking. Hell, I’ll start breaking if something happens to this woman.
Fuck.
We stay on the call, Kash barely awake.
Kai starts screaming bloody murder just as we pull up to the hospital.
An hour later, I’m pacing in the cafeteria with Kai strapped to my chest, his cries now subdued into sleepy sniffles. Rohi bursts through the doors, breathless, tears already falling.
“She’s okay,” I say quickly, grabbing her.
She barely hears me, planting a shaky kiss on Kai’s head.
“What happened? You said—”
“She had a slight placental abruption. They are doing an emergency C-section. But so far she’s stable.”
She nods numbly and I pull her into my arms.
“Baby, she’ll be okay. Liam is with her. She will be fine,” I tell her as firmly as I can.
But I keep seeing Kash’s face—drained, pale, limp in my arms.
I don’t want anything to happen to her.
