Page 115 of The Forsaken
“Of course they are, but they have a job to do, and your dad’s only job right now is to look after your mum.”
“And me,” Emma protested. “He has to look after me.”
“What if I look after you?”
Emma shook her head. “I’m not coming with you. I want to see my mum.”
“We don’t have to play a game. We can take a walk to the cafeteria.”
“It’s the middle of the night,” Emma pointed out.
“Hmm, you’re right. The cafeteria is closed, but there is a vending machine just outside, and I happen to know that it has three different ice cream selections. I bet you like ice cream. I sure do.”
Emma looked tempted.
“Darling, please get some ice cream with Ms. Daniels. She’ll bring you right back after you’re done,” Gabe pleaded, desperate to get to Quinn.
“All right,” Emma conceded. “But I’ll never forgive you if anything happens to my mum,” Emma threw over her shoulder. “It’s all your fault.”
“How’s it my fault?” Gabe demanded, wounded by Emma’s words.
“You put that baby in there. I know all about it. Aidan told me how it’s done.”
Emma walked off without a backward glance, leaving Gabe staring after her, shocked and terrified for Quinn.Get hold of yourself, man, he berated himself as he sprinted down the corridor toward the room where Quinn had been taken, despite the nurse’s request that he remain in the waiting area. The young doctor from earlier was there, along with a middle-aged woman whose eyes were glued to the fetal monitor.
“What’s happening?” Gabe’s eyes flew to Quinn, who appeared much calmer than she’d been before. She was already hooked up to several machines, including a blood pressure monitor.
“Mr. Russell, I’m Dr. Young,” the woman said. “I’ve paged Dr. Malik, but I’m afraid we can’t afford to wait for her. Your wife has suffered a placental abruption. The fetus is in distress, and your wife’s blood pressure is dangerously low. We’re going to perform an emergency C-section as soon as Mrs. Russell is prepped and ready to go.”
“Why did this happen? She was on bedrest.” Gabe felt as if he’d just been punched in the gut. He’d expected Quinn’s blood pressure to be high, not low, and given the concerned look on Dr. Young’s face when she looked at the monitor, this could be a matter of life or death for the baby.
“It isn’t anything your wife did, sir. The placental abruption was likely caused by the preeclampsia. It usually happens around twenty-five weeks of pregnancy, but in some cases, it occurs later. Now, I’m sorry to have to ask you to leave, but we must get on. The operating theater is ready for us.”
Two hospital porters appeared at the door, ready to wheel Quinn away.
“Can my husband not stay with me during the surgery?” Quinn asked.
Dr. Young shook her head. “I’m sorry, Mrs. Russell, but under the circumstances, we feel it would be safer for both you and the baby if we performed the cesarean section under general anesthesia. Your husband will have to wait outside.”
“But I’ll miss my baby’s first moments,” Quinn argued.
“I know it’s upsetting, but we can’t take any risks with your well-being.”
“I understand. Gabe.” Quinn reached for Gabe’s hand.
“I’ll be there when you wake up. All will be well,” Gabe said as he took her hand.
“Please comfort Emma. She’s so scared.”
“Don’t worry about Emma. I’ll see to her. I love you.” Gabe’s voice sounded watery. He was frightened, for both Quinn and the baby, but there was nothing he could do to change whatever was going to happen. He could only wait, which was sometimes the hardest thing to do. Dr. Young allowed them a moment to say goodbye, but he saw the urgency in her gaze. There was no time to waste.
“I love you.” Quinn brushed her hand against Gabe’s as the gurney began to move toward the door. “See you on the other side.”
SEVENTY-THREE
Gabe watched with trepidation as Quinn was wheeled away from him. She looked so small and vulnerable on that hospital gurney. Her belly, which had grown huge within the past few weeks, rose beneath the white sheet like a snow-covered hill. Gabe looked after Quinn until the porters turned the corner, then retraced his steps to the waiting area. Emma was there with Ms. Daniels. Her face was tear-stained and she was clutching her blanket as if it were a life preserver.
“She changed her mind about the ice cream,” the social worker explained. “She’s too worried about her mum to eat.”
