Page 40 of Wine & Whiskey: Everything for You
Max shakes his head and puts his hand on the phone. “No.”
Fuck this. He’ll find someone who can help her. He kicks open the door leading to a hallway of exam rooms.
A gentleman comes out from one of the offices, wiping off his hands with a paper towel. “What’s going on out here?”His voice full of irritation at the commotion, he looks from Shae to Nick. “What happened?”
“I think she was drugged.”
The doctor nods and waves for them to follow him. “Bring her back. Come on, Martha. I’m going to need your help.”
Nick lays her on the exam table, cradling her head before it touches the cushion. The man frowns as he lifts each of her eyelids and shines a small light into them. He rubs down her arms and across her torso. “Did she say anything?”
“No. She’s been unconscious since we found her.”
“This isn’t an emergency room, so I’ll do the best I can with the resources I’ve got.”The doctor looks up at him. “She might need some x-rays. Is there any possibility she could be pregnant?”
Nick swallows, trying to speak normally. “She was, but her doctor said something wasn’t right, and she’s going to miscarry.”
The man grasps the corner of his glasses with his forefinger and thumb before pushing them farther back on his nose. “When was this?”
“About a week ago, but nothing’s happened yet.”
“Let’s do an ultrasound to make sure.” The physician turns to the nurse. “Can you please bring it in?”He glances at Nick before pointing to the door. “You’re going to have to step out so I can examine her.”
Like hell. He just got her back, and there’s no fucking way he’ll leave her again. “No.”
“She’s safe now.” Max motions to him from the doorway. “Let him help her.”
Neither of them speaks as they walk to the end of the corridor. Nick slides down against the wall and flexes on his heels. There’s nothing left to say. He fucked up, thinking he could hide this from her, and eliminating his enemies would make her life better or happier. She warned him, and he was too fucking stubborn and arrogant to listen.
After a few minutes, the nurse opens the door and walks toward them, her cheeks flushed, eyes dropping to the floor as she speaks. “You have to come back. Dr. Wilson needs to speak with you.”
The longest ten steps of his life. With no right to ask for anything, a prayer crosses his lips for the first time. Offering his life for hers, anything he has, for her to be all right.
The doctor presses a wand against Shae’s stomach while another nurse stands by her legs. He nods at Nick before pointing to the screen. “See this blinking dot? It’s the baby’s heartbeat. I’m not sure where her doctor got his information, but this young woman is definitely pregnant.”
Son of a bitch. He bends over, grabbing his thighs and trying to suck in air. From death to life in a moment. “Is she okay?”
“It looks like she was given a pretty strong sedative. She should sleep for a few more hours before it starts to wear off. You need to keep a close eye on her, as she might have a mild concussion from that bump on the back of her head.”
“What about the baby?”
The doctor wipes the gel off her stomach and pulls down her shirt. “As far as I can tell, the baby seems fine. Be sure to get her examined by her own doctor as soon as possible, as well as an OB-GYN who actually knows what he’s doing.”
Once the nurse slides on Shae’s shorts and removes the sheet covering her stomach and legs, Nick scoops her up. Cradling her against his chest, he kisses her forehead before turning back to the man. “Thank you.”
Stripping off his latex gloves, he tosses them into the bin by the door, frowning as he looks Nick up and down. “I did it for her, not you. If you care about this girl, you need to keep her out of trouble.”
Max removes a small stack of one hundred dollar bills from his wallet and lays them on the counter.
The doctor shakes his head. “I don’t want your money.”
Max points to pictures on the wall of the doctor posing with children that appear to have been taken in Africa. “Then use it for the kids.”
At the rustling of sheets, Nick pulls the chair closer to the bed. Shae’s hand slides across the blanket, and he enfolds it in his. Maybe his last chance to hold her before she finds out what the fuck he did and kicks his ass out. Yet, he won’t walk away until he knows she’s okay. Until she knows everything he has belongs to her. Then, he’ll keep his promise to do what she needs for him to do.
“Nick?”
His heart explodes in his chest at her scratchy voice asking for him. After all she’s been through, the first thing she seeks is him. “I’m here.”
