Crown Me

13.

*Jade's Pov*

"Your Majesty," the doctor bowed his head in formal greeting.

I waved my hand, losing patience with everyone's formality. "How is my wife?"

"She suffered a fairly traumatic brain injury that's caused her to slip into a coma."

I sank into a chair and nodded for him to continue. "This isn't uncommon following severe trauma. The good news is that we've got her oxygen levels stabilized."

"When will she wake up?"

"That's difficult to say. Some patients come out of comas in hours or days..." He trailed away but I knew what he was leaving out.

Others never came out.

"The hospital has been placed on lockdown to ensure..."

He prattled on but I didn't care. It was too much to wrap my head around. Hours ago I thought I'd lost her and it nearly killed me when she walked out. Now...

"And the baby?" I forced myself to ask. I'd seen the car, so I expected his answer.

"It's too early to say. We focused on your wife's condition because frankly the baby can't survive without the mother at this stage." He placed a hand on my shoulder but it was anything but comforting. "Call your family. Don't be alone."

Alone. The concept echoed through me.

There were people to call. People who would help and those who needed to know. But without her, I would always be alone. I tugged my phone out of my pocket and stared at it. Lauren was addressing any possible hospital security issues. I should call Jesy and her parents. But maybe it was because of the hopelessness yawning inside me, draining every bit of fight I had left, I couldn't bring myself to dial. It seemed impossible that the whole world didn't already know on some subconscious level.

The door to the waiting room opened and I sucked in a deep breath. More news already couldn't be good. But when I saw my Luke I began to cry.

Luke took the chair beside me and just waited. No questions. No status updates. Having him here made me feel better and worse at the same time. His presence comforted me but it also meant this was real.

It meant I was losing her, too.

I was losing everything.

—————————-

I resisted Luke's suggestions that I rest, choosing instead to split my time between pacing the halls and staring blankly at the waiting room door. We'd been informed that they were running a blood panel and I could see Perrie soon. The minutes stretched interminably, each ticking past in a vacuum of emotion, as we waited for news that never seemed to come. Luke excused himself to take calls and handle the matters that I'd normally oversee. He ghosted to and from the waiting room without a word and I was only barely aware of his presence.

When The Doctor finally reappeared, dark circles rimmed his eyes but he smiled reassuringly. "Your wife is doing well. All of her vital signs are strong. We'd like your permission to run an ultrasound to check on the baby."

"Of course," I agreed, quickly adding, "on the condition that I can be present."

He hesitated and a fresh surge of fear tightened my chest. "If that's your wish, you certainly may be present. However, you need to prepare yourself. The baby's heart rate is strong on our external monitors, but the baby's situation is unstable."

I nodded my understanding, even though the warning was a moot point. No amount of preparation could ready me in the event that something happened to either of them. But I owed it to her to be there and more than that, I wanted to be there. Perrie was the source of my strength. Now I needed to be strong for her.