The Proposal (The Proposition #2)(21)
“I’m here.”
He raced forward, throwing the curtain aside. At the sight of Emma in stirrups and a doctor between her legs, he froze. “Aidan,” she urged, motioning him to her side. The insistent tone in her voice caused him to move quickly. He sidestepped the doctor and went to her side. He grabbed up her hand and squeezed.
“I’m sorry. I had to fill out all this paperwork and then go move my car.”
“It’s okay.”
He shook his head. “No, it’s not. You shouldn’t have had to be back here alone. You needed me.” He gazed down at her. “I needed to be with you.”
“You’re here now. That’s all that matters.”
Aidan couldn’t stop himself from leaning over and kissing her forehead. He would have to give the hospital props. They had been there barely twenty minutes, and Emma was already outfitted in a hospital gown and was being seen by a doctor. He couldn’t help but wonder if it was not only the seriousness of her condition, but also Dr. Nadeen that helped matters along.
The doctor, whose white coat had “Dr. Pendleton” embroidered in blue, rose off his stool. “You can come out of these now.” Emma eased her legs out of the stirrups as Dr. Pendleton slid the table back down for her. After he tossed his rubber gloves in the trash, he turned to face them. “Even though you were experiencing preterm labor, you’re not dilated, and your cervical plug is still intact.”
At what Aidan assumed was his blank expression, Dr. Pendleton said, “Those are good factors. I’m going to have a nurse come in and administer Turbutaline, which will stop the remaining contractions you’re experiencing. I’ll come back in and do an ultrasound to see how your baby looks. From his heartbeat, he seems to be a little agitated, but that could be from the uterine walls contracting.” He turned to go to the door. “Since you’re condition is now stable, I’ll be back in a little while to check on you.”
Aidan’s legs didn’t feel like they would support him any longer, so he collapsed into the chair by the bed. Relief washed over him. For the moment, it appeared that Noah was going to be okay, and in turn, Emma was as well.
“Thank you God,” Emma murmured.
A commotion came outside the door. “What the—”Aidan began before Casey and Connor burst inside the room.
CHAPTER SIX
“Em!” Casey cried, hurrying over to the bedside. She wrapped her arms around Emma and squeezed tight. “What’s the verdict?”
“For now, I’m okay, and Noah’s okay. Some preterm labor, but they’re able to stop it.”
Casey and Connor both exhaled noisily. “Thank goodness,” Connor said.
A nurse interrupted by coming in to administer the shot of Turbutaline. She eyed everyone before shaking her head disapprovingly. “You really shouldn’t have such a crowded room. You need rest and relaxation.”
“Please don’t make them leave. They are relaxing to me,” Emma protested.
She tsked before sticking the needle into Emma’s IV. “Dr. Pendelton won’t like all these people in here, disturbing you, and he’s about to come back in to do your ultrasound.”
“We’ll step outside for a bit,” Casey said diplomatically.
“Yeah, we don’t want to get you in trouble,” Connor agreed.
When Aidan didn’t budge, Casey shot him a look. “I’m staying with Emma and my son,” he replied tersely.
“Whatever,” she snapped before starting for the door. She and Connor were about to go out when Dr. Pendleton swept inside. They pressed themselves up against the far wall. Without a hello or an admonishment to the over-capacity room, he proceeded to do the ultrasound. Emma felt slightly comforted seeing Noah’s form on the screen. His heart rate had thankfully calmed down. “He looks like he’s planning on staying inside for awhile,” Dr. Pendleton remarked before turning off the machine.
He stood up. “While everything appears to be improving, I’m going to insist on strict bed-rest for at least the next week to two weeks. You may lie down or sit, but your feet are only to touch the ground to use the restroom. I’d advise that you use a seat in the shower, too. Is that clear?”
Emma gasped. “But my job—”
Dr. Pendleton held up a finger to silence her. “Ms. Harrison, I know it seems that since we have the situation under control at the moment that all is well, but the future stability of your pregnancy rests on the care you give yourself in the next ten days.”
“I understand,” she murmured, trying to calm the rising panic that pricked its way like needles over her body.
“As for your job, I’ll fill out the necessary paperwork for you to take a leave of absence. The most important thing right now is for you to rest and limit your stress level. We don’t want any more premature labor.”
“How long do I have to stay in the hospital?” Emma questioned, her voice wavering.
“I want to keep you over night, and then you’re free to go home. Let me go check on the status of moving you upstairs.”
After Dr. Pendleton exited the room, Emma’s emotions spiraled out of control. She tried fighting with everything in her not to totally and completely lose it at the prospect that Noah’s life might still be in danger. It was too much to bear, and she couldn’t stop the floodgates from opening. A strangled cry erupted from her lips, sending both Casey and Aidan racing forward to comfort her. Somehow Casey elbowed Aidan out of the way, blocking him from getting to her.