The Firefighter Who Rescues Me

Chapter 20 ♚ Happy Couple

There was something familiar, and at the same time bizarre, when I opened my eyes and found myself on a bed at the ER. The familiar part was that it was the same bed I'd been given after the car accident. I lay directly under a stain on the ceiling shaped like Florida, or maybe that was just me missing my family in my worst moments.

What made absolutely no sense this time, though, was that I was surrounded by four men.

One of them wore a white robe and held a chart in his hands. If I remembered correctly, his name was Kevin, the same physician who had my case before.

Next to him was Pace. His face was pinched with fear I suddenly felt right down to my bones. As I tried to ease to a sitting position, Maurice helped me on my right and Chase on my left.

Despite nausea sloshing in my stomach, I managed to ask, "What's going on?"

The doctor and my boyfriend turned to me. It was the physician who said, "Welcome back, Miss Diaz."

Why did that make me feel like I'd just sucked a lemon?

"First things first," he announced, as though the other men and I weren't on the verge of panic. Kevin flipped a page in his chart like he had all the time in the world. "You're pretty healthy so today's incident isn't really a cause for concern for someone in your condition. I'd just advice you take it easier with the physical activities, because you're burning more calories now."

For a beat, the only sounds came from activity around us. A couple of nurses wheeled in a patient to a nearby bed. Over by the counter, someone talked a bit too loud on the phone.

I glanced at my companions, seeking the understanding I sorely lacked. The blank expressions in the Leblanc men's faces told me they suffered from the same confusion as I did.

So, I asked Kevin, "What condition do you mean?"

That succeeded in tearing him away from the chart.

The doctor finally faced me, his eyebrows were up as though he was now the confused one.

"Well, you're pregnant."

I—

"Que yo qué?"

Someone drew a sharp breath that sounded almost painful.

Was that me?

My head swam. I dropped back on the bed, ready for the dark.

It didn't come. Instead, the stupid Florida shaped stain danced above me.

"That can't be," I muttered with the weakest voice to ever come from my chest.

"Who here is the father?" the doctor asked, his voice just shy from breaking into laughter.

He took turns inspecting the three men, as if he really thought I could have boinked a man thirty years older than me, or another who was at least five years younger than me.

Pace lifted his hand and it made the world stop. At least mine. Because his admission made this real and any hope I harbored that it was a sick joke went up in smoke.

There was no color left in his face. We might need another bed for him to pass out, too.

"Congratulations, man!" Kevin clapped him on the back.

I'd never seen someone misread a room so bad.

Then again, the way his eyes shone hinted he was probably doing this on purpose.

"Why don't we leave the happy couple to rejoice in the news in private for a bit?" the doctor beckoned Maurice and Chase to join him and the two men did, their bodies moving as though they were under water.