Second Chance Pass (Virgin River #5)(84)

Emma was crying, David was screaming and Mel was passed out again.

He put his lips on her forehead and prayed. God, I’ll do anything. I’ll do anything. Don’t take her from me!

He repeatedly checked Mel’s pulse, suckled and prayed. It was the longest two minutes of his life until he heard the sound of rotor blades. For a moment he was thrown back in time, almost an out-of-body experience—he was surrounded by dust and smoke as the choppers came into the rocky desert to pick up his wounded. His eyes glazed over, he was back there in Iraq, desperate to save his men.

He forced his mind through the maze of flashback. He said, “Don’t stop,” to Brie as he ran from the room to the porch just as the helicopter landed in the clearing in front of his house. He thought back to the last battle he’d fought—a battle he’d fight a thousand more times if it would save his wife. The medics had a saying—if we can get you to the chopper, you’re going to live.

He saw two medics jump out and run toward the house with a stretcher. “This way,” he yelled. “I’ve given her two doses of Pitocin and one of Methergine,” he yelled as he jogged back into the house with them on his heels. “I think the bleeding slowed a little, but it’s still heavy. Real heavy.”

They followed him into the master bedroom and immediately took over. An IV was started. He’d watched Mel do it a dozen times, but this was the fastest work he’d ever seen. They were shouting orders—Ringers, Pitocin, blood pressure seventy over forty, pulse one-sixty and thready, diaphoretic, respirations shallow. “Let’s boogie,” one of them said, throwing a towel between her legs as they lifted her quickly onto the stretcher, leaving behind a blood-soaked bed. “Load her and go, go, go!”

“Brie, get Doc out here with formula for the baby.” He grabbed Mel’s bag and followed them out, jogging behind them toward the helicopter. They were airborne in seconds.

Jack held Mel’s hand on one side of the stretcher while on the other side an inflight nurse monitored blood pressure and IV fluids. “We used all the drugs in her bag,” he said. “Two Pitocin, one Methergine,” he repeated to the nurse.

“Her bag?” the nurse asked.

“She’s a midwife. I left the syringes behind, but threw the empty vials in the bag. The OB’s wife, a nurse, talked me through it.”

The nurse relayed that to the pilot and after a minute the pilot shouted back that he’d been radioed a second order for Methergine and the nurse plucked the ampoule out of their supply, drew the syringe and pushed it into the IV. Another few minutes passed; Mel opened her eyes, looked at Jack and mouthed, “I love you, Jack.”

He put his lips by her ear. “Melinda, you are my life. You are my whole life, baby. You stay with me. John’s at the hospital, honey. We’re going to the hospital. You hang on. You’re going to be all right.”

Jack heard the pilot radio the hospital that they were inbound and relayed that there was an OR team and anesthesiologist standing by. The nurse pulled back the blanket to gently part Mel’s legs and look at the bleeding. “I think we’re gonna make it,” she said. Then she said softly, “Dear God, let us make it.”

If Jack weren’t so terrified, he’d be impressed by how fast the team could move. When they touched down, the nurse and EMTs on board had that gurney out of the chopper so fast they almost knocked Jack out of the way. Waiting for them were emergency nurses and a doctor. They ran into the hospital where someone was standing at the elevator, holding the door open. Jack stayed with them, but he was stopped as they flew into the surgery.

Jack stood outside the doors, staring. He had no idea what to do, but he wasn’t leaving her. He couldn’t even sit down. His heart was pounding, he was sweating, hyperventilating, dying inside. He’d faced his own death with more calm than this.

Five or ten minutes passed before a nurse came out to talk to him. “Mr. Sheridan, she has a uterine hemorrhage and has lost a lot of blood. Dr. Stone took her immediately into surgery to try to stop the bleeding. It’s possible he’ll have to do a hysterectomy. It’s going to be a while before we’ll have anything more to tell you.”

“She’s going to make it, right?”

“Her situation is life threatening, Mr. Sheridan. But Dr. Stone is very, very good. He’s being assisted by Dr. Larson, an excellent surgeon.”

“Yeah,” he said, running a hand over the top of his head. “God.” Confused and terrified, he turned around in a complete circle twice. Then to the nurse he said, “I’m going to the chapel, but I’ll be right back.”

Jack made one phone call, to Brie. Then he found the chapel and though he had no idea what good it did, he lit a bunch of candles. His shaking hand made the light flicker so much he almost couldn’t make contact. He didn’t even have a wallet with him to leave money in the box but he was thinking, If she lives, I’ll write this hospital a check for a million dollars. Then he went into the second pew, got on his knees, leaned his elbows on the pew in front of him and prayed.

God, I know you’re sick of hearing me beg, but this is my woman, my wife. My best friend! No, she’s so much more than that—she’s the other half of my heart. I’ve waited my whole life for her—I’d give my life a hundred times to keep her safe! A thousand times! She’s every breath I take, every single beat of my heart. I don’t think I can live without her now. Not now… Please, God. Please. Oh God, please…