How Could She? (Book 2.0) - INTERSEX

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Rayden

It's been two weeks since the accident, and they finally let me see Olivia. She still hasn't woken up. They haven't said it as much, but I see it on their faces that they are afraid she might never. If she doesn't wake up in the next seven months, they said they're still going to have to deliver the babies. They explained to me how they would do it if she was still in a coma, but I need her to wake up.

I can't raise them on my own, they need their mother. I need their mother. Tears fill my eyes as I lay thinking about it. Adelaide sees it and wipes the tear before it completely falls. "She will wake up Sissy. Have faith. Please don't cry." Since I've been in the hospital, Addy gave birth to Ethan. I wasn't there to see, but it's her fourth, so I know how it goes.

She helps me sit up, and Macy comes in with a wheelchair. I sit down, fixing the beanie on my head, and she rolls me to Olivia's room. As I get in, I look to the bed, and my heart drops. She looks lifeless with a bunch of wires connected to her, bandages around her head, and her leg in a cast.

I feel a hand on my shoulder, realizing I started crying again. "The tubs are to keep her and the babies alive. She doesn't need help breathing," Macy says

"So why hasn't she woken. It's been two weeks?"

"Her brain swelled too much. We have to wait and see if it heals itself. Rayden sometimes patients do this. There is too much stress on their body, and this is the body's way of healing."

I nod my head, and she pushes me over to the side of the bed. I grab her chilled hand as the tears come stronger " Can she hear me?"

"We don't know," Macy says. "We'll give you some alone time."

They close the door behind them, and I'm left alone with my wife. I look at her pale body as her chest moves up and down. She looks like she's just sleeping, and I hope she can wake up from this nightmare soon. I lift my finger to rub the side of her cheek. "Hi, baby girl. I don't know if you can hear me... but I need you to come back to me."

I look to her stomach and see the tiny baby bump I once thought was all the food she was shoving into her mouth. I chuckle through my tears. "I thought you two were just a food baby, "I say, rubbing her belly. "Turns out you were an actual baby... well two," I say, smiling. "Mommy knew all along. She's always been much smarter than me. I give her that" I wipe a tear away. "You little ones stay strong in there, you hear me? She will wake soon, I promise."

I look up to my wife. "I will be back every day to help you come back to me." I say, rubbing her head, "I love you, Olivia, Forever and Always" I lift myself slightly to kiss her pale cheek and roll to the door opening it to Macy and Addy. "Take me home now."

***

"Scratch that wall. I want the kitchen to be an open plan."

He nods his head. "And the baby room?"

"Keep the colors neutral I don't want to find out the sex of them until they are born" he nods and continues to jot down notes as I scan the blueprints. "Pull this wall out some more, and make sure these are floor to ceiling windows. Our room needs to have a view of the ocean."

"Rayden, you're working the poor man too hard," Mom says, coming over to me and kissing my forehead.

"Any news?" she shakes her head, and I sigh. It's been four weeks since the accident. Liv is 3 and a half months pregnant. Although the babies are still growing strong their mother's body doesn't seem to want to wake up yet. "She will wake"

"Yeah, everyone keeps saying that, but when?" I ask impatiently.

"Ray, I get you're hurting and trying to buy time until she does wake up but take a second to breathe."

"I need to get the house done. I promised her we would get this together and start our life here... She just needs to wa.."

"I know, baby," she cuts me off, pulling me to a hug. I pull away and look at the worker.

"Make sure there are double ovens, and the kitchen is huge. Olivia loves to cook"

Mom starts laughing. "She does. Remember that time you two had a food fight in my kitchen."

"Oh, my goodness, she started it, and there was cake batter and flour everywhere," I say, laughing at the memory.

"You left the cake in the oven and forgot about it. You almost burnt the house down."

"It took me a week to get the flour and the smell of chocolate out of my hair" We both continue to laugh, and she pulls me into a hug.

"God, I missed that laugh. you're so strong, Rayden."

I sigh into her shoulder, "I don't feel like it. I'd feel strong if I could get her to open her eyes."

"Give her time to heal. She will. In the meantime, I'm going to make sure my grandbabies room looks amazing." She pulls back from me, and I watch as she starts bothering my men.

Jayson walks in, and I smile at my best friend. "What are you doing here."

"Well, you quit the station, but you can quit me. I missed you, dude," he says, hugging me and patting my back.

"I'm good, Man. Just trying to get this house done before the babies."

"How did you become a dad before I did?" he said, punching my shoulder.

"Maybe you aren't dicking it down right, bro," we both start laughing.

"Shut up! Nah, Kim is on the pill. I don't think she's ready yet. But I think she will be soon after yours come." Kim is his girlfriend of 2 years.

"Yeah, bring her around when they do. We will have a get-together after the babies are born here to tell everyone their names."

"Sweet, we'll be here. Look, Ray, I know you're going through a lot right now, so if you need anything at all, just text or call. You know I'm always here for you."

"Yeah, I know Jay. Thank you" We both head out together. Him getting into his car and me mine. I reach the hospital to see Olivia as I promised her every day I would. I reach her floor, and all the nurses say hey to me. I'm a regular now, which they call me because I come simultaneously every day to see her.

I walk into the room, and the band-aids are still on her head because her brain is still swollen. "Hi, baby girl," I say, kissing her forehead. Her belly has grown some more, and I smile at it. Macy walks in, and I look up at her. "How are they?"

"Um, the twins are good; both seem to be growing to scale so far. Liv's brain seems to be reducing the swelling, which is good."

"So, she'll wake up soon," I ask with hope.

"We still don't know that, Ray." I look down, and the nurse walks in with her things

"It's bath day. Are you ready?" I nod and grab the things I need to bathe Olivia. Macy was able to pull strings to allow me to be the one to wash her. She walks out, and I'm left there alone.

I pull back her covers and open her gown from behind and pull it from both of her arms. I squeeze the water out of the loofa and start gently scrubbing her body. "You're so beautiful, even when you're like this." I walk around her body to continue, "So it turns out the twins share a placenta and amniotic sac. You know what that means?"

I wait for a response but know she won't answer. "It means I need you to wake up, please, because I can't handle two kids that look exactly alike. Liv, you are the one good at this stuff, not me."

I fight back the tear, knowing I can't cry anymore. "Why couldn't it be me. You are going to be a way better parent than me, Liv; please wake," I whisper hoping she can hear me.

She doesn't respond, and I toss the sponge in the tray, drying her off and putting a new gown on her. I push the cart out the door, and the nurse retrieves it. I look out the window to the night sky, wishing she would get better. As I lay onto the couch, I sigh and watch her from across the room like I do every night since she's been here.