The Eye of a Hurricane

Pippa

Lin had an early meeting downtown a couple mornings later, so I offered to take the girls to school.  I waved goodbye to Isabel and walked Luna to her classroom, holding her hand.  I followed her into the classroom and over to her cubby.  I knelt down next to her and reminded her that if she got upset, she needed to use words, not biting.  She agreed and I said a quick hello to her teacher.

I'd brought my laptop with me, so I found a little diner nearby to grab a quick breakfast and pump myself up with coffee.  I was trying to cut back for the baby's sake but I couldn't function without it.

I took a sip of my coffee and thought it tasted a bit funny.  Still, it was good.  I finished the mug and the waitress filled my cup back up.  I spent an hour or so going through emails.

A while later, I began to feel ill.  I grabbed my laptop, not trusting the strangers around me, and rushed to the bathroom.  I figured it was just more morning sickness, but it soon became apparent that it wasn't.  I felt like I was vomiting up all my insides.  Never had I been so violently ill.  I spent a good 15 minutes puking my guts out.

Finally, I rinsed out my mouth and asked the waitress for my bill on the way out.  As I was rummaging through my purse, I happened to glance towards the kitchen.  There, I saw John.  His eyes met mine and I immediately knew he had a hand in this.  My heart dropped and I had to sit down.

"I...I need a doctor," I said, my voice shaky.  My hand went to my mouth.  My baby.  What had he done to my baby?"

The lady who'd been working at the cash register yelled for someone to get me some water and she helped me sit down.  She stayed with me, holding my hand as we waited for the ambulance to arrive.  She asked if there was anyone we could call and I told her to call Lin.  I passed her my phone and she called, then handed the phone over to me.

"Lin?" I asked, and as soon as I heard his familiar voice I broke down.  "He did.  John did it."

He, of course, had run out the back door as soon as I'd started feeling ill.  The sound of sirens filled my ears and soon an EMT was next to me, checking my vitals.  I said goodbye to Lin after I told him where they were taking me.

The ride to the hospital was a blur.  I was poked with an IV at some point and wheeled into a room.  They decided my stomach needed to be pumped.  They gave me something to relax me and intubated me.  I was barely aware that Lin had come in.  He was stopped at my door and told to stay outside.  At least I knew he was there.

When I came to, Lin was at my side.  He saw me stirring and rushed over to hold my hand.

"Hi, sweetheart," he said gently.  "I'm here."

I groaned, moving my head for the first time in probably hours.  I felt awful.  What had happened?  Suddenly, it all hit me and I reached for my belly.

"The baby.  Is it okay?" I asked him frantically.

"She's fine," Lin told me, squeezing my hand.  I looked at him.

"She?" I asked, my eyes searching his.  He nodded and then brought my hand up to his lips, kissing it.

"Yes.  We're having a little girl."

I smiled widely.  I had desperately wanted a girl.  Lin leaned down and kissed me gently on the lips.

"They did a full work-up on the baby, including an ultrasound.  They were able to tell the sex.  All her vitals look good."

My happiness was soon replaced with anger.  John could have killed my baby.  Killed me.  Things were starting to get dangerous.

"John did this," I told him seriously.  "My coffee tasted funny and I saw him in the kitchen."

"Sweetheart, there's no record of him working there," Lin informed me gently.  "Are you sure it was him?"

"Yes, I'm sure," I told him, searching my memory.  I was 100% sure it was him.  We had locked eyes and I could tell he purposely wanted to hurt me.  "He must have snuck into the kitchen."

"Maybe," he said.  "The police are looking for him to question him."

"He should be in jail for attempted murder," I told Lin.  "Did they find anything?"

"The labs are still out," he said.  "Within the next day we should know."

I adjusted myself in bed a little and Lin helped me with my pillow.  "Now," he said.  "We need to focus on getting you better.  Are you in any pain?"

I shook my head know.  I just felt exhausted and still nauseous. 

"Good.  Get some rest," he said.  "I'll be right here."

I closed my eyes and rested back again.  Lin was by my side so I knew I was safe.  Only turns out I wasn't.