Page 49 of One Unexpected Gift

He gave a slow nod before curling to his side, pain etched all over his body, and then climbing out of bed and into the waiting wheelchair. If Mountain Medical was like most hospitals, Nick would be gone for at least twenty minutes. She unbuckled Gabby for some snuggle time. Even though she didn’t mind sleeping in her car seat all day, Sky felt guilty keeping her in there for too long.

The little sack of potatoes could sleep through anything. Bringing Gabby to her face, Sky inhaled the fresh baby scent and kissed her cheeks. They’d filled out quite a bit since birth. Six weeks ago, her face was squished and blotchy, but within days, her skin had turned a beautiful creamy white. The tufts of hair on her head were dark, and from what Sky could tell, her eyes were blue. They could lighten or darken in the next year, but she really hoped they stayed blue.

Gabby puckered her lips and then stretched. Slowly, her eyes opened and she blinked them awake. “Hey, baby girl.” Hearing Sky’s voice, Gabby smiled a giant toothless grin. “Oh, my heart. You’re so perfect.”

She kissed her neck and rubbed noses.

“They’re a little backed up in radiology so your husband is going to be there for a while.” Nurse Cynthia came into view. “Can I get you anything while you’re waiting?”

Instead of correcting her on the husband comment, Sky shook her head. “I’m all set. Thank you, though.”

“Your daughter is beautiful. What’s her name?”

“Gabriella.”

“Precious. You have a gorgeous family.”

She didn’t correct the nurse the second time either and thanked her with a smile. Sky set Gabby down in the middle of the bed so she could stretch her little limbs.

“How are you doing, pumpkin? I’m going to need to feed you earlier than normal, is that okay?” She rubbed Gabby’s tiny feet together and giggled when her daughter cooed.

Sky was blessed with an easy-going baby. She’d heard plenty of horror stories from her new Mommy groups on social media about the first few months. Granted, that could change at any moment. Hopefully Gabby would always be so laid back.

Needing to stretch her legs, she scooped up Gabby and poked her head out the curtain. When she spotted Cynthia, she asked, “Is it okay if I take a little walk while we wait for Nick to get back?”

“Sure thing. If you go through the double doors at the end of the hall it ends in a T. Take a right and you’ll see a courtyard on your left.”

“Thank you. We’ll be back soon.” Sky cradled Gabby to her chest and followed Cynthia’s instructions. There were two other nurses taking a break at a picnic table, other than that, she had the courtyard to herself. It wasn’t large, just big enough to walk a few laps along the trail made of crushed rock. The October air was crisp and pleasant, but Sky wished she’d brought an extra blanket for Gabby.

Gabby started rooting at her breast, so Sky sat at a nearby stone bench to nurse. Better to do it out in the courtyard than in front of Nick. He’d been so consumed with pain she didn’t think he even remembered she had a pint-size sidekick.

Unlatching her bra, she covered up the best she could and brought Gabby to her breast. While she nursed, Sky stared off into the gardens and replayed the events from the afternoon. She’d been so quick to judge Nick, assuming the worst. Not that having a concussion from doing something you love was bad.

Instead, he’d suffered from a spontaneous CAD, which was even worse. That meant the likelihood of it happening again was greater than if the dissection had come from an injury. He could have a connective tissue disorder, or he could fall into the category of most who never get answers or explanations for their diagnosis.

When the doctor asked if he knew what had triggered the headaches, Nick had looked at her with an odd expression. Something between amusement and embarrassment had crossed his face. Again, she’d wrongly accused him—even if only in her head—of being reckless and irresponsible. She owed him an apology, an explanation. A big one.

First, he needed to follow the doctor's orders. If his CT scan showed another carotid artery dissection, he’d have to stop his extracurricular activities. That would destroy him. He was a man of action and adventure. Being grounded would most likely strip the fun and carefree spirit away. A spirit she rather admired, even if it went against her profile for the perfect baby daddy.

Gabby didn’t nurse long and soon dozed off. Sky wiped the dribble of milk spilling from her lips, hooked her bra and righted her clothes. She headed back to the ER and was relieved to see Nick hadn’t come back yet. Setting Gabby in the middle of the bed and keeping her in place with one hand, Sky reached with her free hand to the diaper bag.

“Stay sleeping, little bug, okay? I’m going to change your diaper real quick and then put you back in your seat.” Sky made quick work of changing her. She paced the cramped room for a few more minutes until she heard voices down the hall.

She’d just finished buckling Gabby in when Nick was wheeled in by an orderly.

“Can I help you into bed?”

“I got it. Thanks.” Nick pushed himself slowly out of the wheelchair and climbed back into bed. When the orderly left, he stretched out his arm. “Can we resume the position?”

Sky checked to make sure Gabby had stayed asleep then cuddled up close to Nick. “How did it go?”

“I’m pretty sure I wet myself.” Nick covered his crotch with his hand.

“You had a dye injected in your IV called a contrast material. I’m sure your nurse explained how it helps light up the blood vessels making them easier to read.”

“Yeah. I swear, every time they shoot that stuff into me, I pee myself.”

Sky chuckled and ran her hand up his inner thigh. “You feel nice and dry to me.”

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