“Thank you,” I replied before heading inside and up to Rush’s room. I thought about calling Rush but changed my mind. He already had one female needing him. This might be nothing more than gas for all I knew. I would call him if the doctor thought I should. No reason to put more stress on him.
The little voice in my head whispered what I didn’t want to admit to myself. “You’re afraid you and the baby won’t come first. You don’t want him to have to choose.”
I pushed the thought away. Changing my bikini bottoms for a pair of panties, I then pulled a sundress on before quickly heading back downstairs. I would feel better after a doctor told me I was okay. Just as I reached the bottom step another pain hit me and I had to grab the railing to hold myself up. The cramping made me whimper.
“You okay?” the concerned tone of Dean’s voice surprised me.
I forced a smile and nodded. “Yeah, I’m okay. I’m just going to get checked out at Harlow’s OB/GYN. I’ll be back soon. Tell Rush I’ll call him if I need to.”
“Where’s Rush at?” Dean called out after me as I made my way to the door.
“With Nan,” I replied, then opened the door and went to get in Harlow’s Audi convertible.
Harlow hadn’t been wrong when she said that her doctor would see me right away. We had arrived and the nurse had ushered me back without asking me to fill out paperwork or even sign in.
“I’ll wait out here,” Harlow told me.
I was glad she wasn’t going to come back with me. I liked Harlow but we weren’t close enough for her to accompany me to an examination room just yet.
“Go ahead and take off your bottoms. You can leave your top on. And cover up with the blanket on the table. The doctor will be in in just a moment,” the lady informed me. I nodded and thanked her. Once the door was closed behind her I went into the changing room and slipped my bottoms off.
The red streak in my panties made me pause and take a deep breath. The terror slowly starting to invade my thoughts made breathing difficult. I stood there staring down at my panties wondering if this was normal. If this could be okay. I should have called Rush. I took a moment to pray. I didn’t do it often but right now I needed someone to protect my baby.
After my silent plea, I stepped out of the dressing room, went over to the table and covered up my bare bottom half. A swift knock on the door then a pause before it opened made me feel marginally better. I was going to have help. This doctor would know what to do. I hoped. A much younger than I expected man walked in followed by the nurse who had brought me to the room.
“Miss Wynn, I’m Doctor Sheridan. Harlow told me that you’re experiencing cramps and you’re a long way from your doctor in Florida.”
I nodded. “Yes, sir. I’m also bleeding a little.” The words came out in a choked sob I hadn’t been expecting.
“There now, this could be something as simple as dehydration. Don’t worry it won’t help things,” he said as he took his seat and had me slip my feet up into the stirrups. “What are you doing so far away from home?” he asked as he started to examine me.
“My fiancé and I are here visiting his father,” I explained and left it at that. No reason to tell the man the real reason we were here.
“How do you know Harlow?” he asked.
“My fiancé’s father is Dean Finlay,” I said figuring if the man was a fan of Kiro he’d be able to figure that out easy enough.
He paused. “Really? So this baby we’re checking on in here is Dean Finlay’s grandchild?”
I nodded and wished he’d stop asking so many questions and get on with the exam. I needed to know my baby was okay. He seemed to get more serious about his examination.
“I don’t want to alarm you Miss Wynn but we need to do an ultrasound to check the baby. After that, I want to monitor you and the baby for a couple of hours here in the office. This happens often. I am just taking precautions and making sure all is well. I also want you to drink some fluids for me. Melanie will bring you something to drink once we get finished with the ultrasound. We have a room in the back just for this. It has a comfortable bed. Melanie will dim the lights and play relaxing music while you rest.
He wasn’t admitting me to the hospital. This was a good thing... right? I managed to nod again.
“I’ll have Melanie go tell Harlow what we’re doing in case she wants to go do something else until you call her. Is that alright with you?” he asked.
I had forgotten about Harlow. “Yes, of course. Tell her I said to leave. I’ll let her know when to come back. I don’t want her sitting here all that time.”
The doctor nodded and headed out the door. The nurse who I was assuming was Melanie, helped me up. “Go get your bottoms back on and then I’ll take you to get the ultrasound.”
RUSH
By the time I got to Nan’s hotel room, I was pissed. I had left Blaire upset and it was all Nan’s fucking fault. If she weren’t so damn selfish, I wouldn’t even be here. I needed to tell her that she had to grow up and deal. I was done. I couldn’t keep on doing this. She had to figure this out. I was her crutch.
I knocked on the door to her hotel room and waited. I’d checked with the doorman and Nan had returned about fifteen minutes ago so I knew she was here. I waited a few minutes then knocked again and got nothing. More damn games. I started pounding on the door harder. “Nannette, open this door,” I called out.
A bellman paused when he saw me beating on Nan’s door. “My sister’s in here and she isn’t answering. I’m worried about her,” I lied. “Could you open the door?”
The man still didn’t look too sure about me. I could tell by the look on his face he was close to calling security. Nan would love that. I reached in my back pocket and pulled out my wallet. “Check my license. I’m Rush Finlay. My sister Nannette is in that room. Having me escorted out is a really bad idea.”
“Yes sir,” the bellman replied. He had recognized my last name. In LA that happened a hell of a lot more than it did in Florida.
He had the door opened and I was stalking inside the suite getting ready to yell at Nan for being a child when I saw her crumpled body on the sofa. She was lying there in an unnatural position. I ran over to her and felt for a pulse to find a weak one against my fingers. I wanted to weep from relief. “I need paramedics, NOW,” I roared as the bellman stood at the door gaping at Nan.
“Yes, sir,” he replied and took the phone from his waist and started telling whoever was on the other end exactly what was going on.
“What did you do, Nan?” I asked as my heart slammed painfully against my chest. My throat was tight and I couldn’t get a deep breath. I hadn’t believed her. I had thought she was trying to get attention. I’d become like everyone else in her life. I had ignored her. I was a horrible brother. I held her against my chest as my phone vibrated in my pocket. I pulled it out, saw Harlow’s name on the screen and tossed it aside. I wasn’t in the mood to talk to Harlow. She was part of what tormented Nan. I didn’t have anything to say to her at the moment.
I rocked her in my arms gently. This was Kiro’s fault. He’d pay for this. If something happened to her he’d pay for this. “I have you Nan. I won’t leave you but you can’t leave me,” I whispered as we waited for help.
It felt like forever before I heard feet pounding down the hall and the doorman say, “In here.”
Three paramedics came rushing into the room and I handed Nan over to them. They began checking her vitals as I stood there and watched helplessly. I heard my phone ring from where I’d tossed it on the floor. I should get it.
“She’s taken something. Do you know what it is?” one of the men asked me.