Cool Mom

71: A Fright

Hazel insisted on opening presents before going to bed and that extended her bedtime to 11 p.m. and midnight for Daniel and I as we cleaned up the mess of wrapping papers that Hazel created, since we didn't want to wake up the helpers so late at night.

Sleep easily finds me and pulls me into deep slumber until I wake up gasping for air.

I sit up in bed and rub a hand across my chest, hoping to ease the knot that is forming in my chest from the lack of oxygen. I silently get out of bed and grope my way towards a window before throwing it open and gulping in the fresh air. But it makes no difference.

A moment later, I can't take it anymore.

"Daniel!" I call out and instantly his side table light is turned on.

"Emma?" He asks.

"I can't breathe. Something's wrong with the baby." I gasp as tears streak down my cheeks.

In an instant he's out of bed, telling me to start heading downstairs as he grabs his phone and wallet. By the time I reach the last step, I collapse against the railing and my body threatens to shut down. I don't realize that Daniel has picked me up in his arms until we're outside the house and he's helping me into the waiting car.

As we zoom out of the driveway, I'm conscious enough to hear Daniel talking to someone on the phone. When he finishes, he gives my hand a little squeeze and says, "Hold on, Emma."

Mercifully, this late at night, all traffic signals are free routes so we arrive at the hospital in almost five minutes which would have taken fifteen on a busy time of the day.

"Emma!" I hear Ana call out as Daniel helps me through the hospital's front doors.

I'm put in a wheelchair and taken to the Emergency Room where I'm put on an oxygen tank which relieves me of the breathlessness and pain in my chest but my brain remains dizzy from the oxygen deficiency.

Daniel stands by my side as Ana checks my vitals and then conducts a swift ultrasound.

"The baby's okay." She announces after a minute and I see Daniel heave a sigh of relief at the same time as me.

"You are not though." She adds, giving me a stern look. "Were you exhausted before you went to bed?"

"Hazel had her a party for her friends last evening." Daniel tells Ana and I find my voice to add, "But I had plenty of rest before going to bed."

Daniel frowns at this and nods, "That's true. Emma probably had a good two hours of rest."

"Did you eat anything in those two hours?" Ana raises an eyebrow at me.

"I had a coffee." I say, sounding irresponsible to my own ears too.

"Emma." Ana sighs and sits down on a stool next to my bed, "Emma, your pregnancy is already quite high risk and you need to treat it as such. Rest is important but not as important as your diet. You're supporting another body, which is growing every day, might I add."

I listen to her quietly, realizing my mistake and as she finishes, I look up at Daniel who is studying my face. Without a word he leans down and kisses my forehead before turning to Ana.

"I'll make sure too that she keeps up a healthy diet." He promises.

"And, in light of tonight's events, I need you to come in for a weekly check-up instead of monthly." Ana tells me to which I agree without a second thought.

Five minutes later, Ana passes on the information to the nurse on duty in the ER and tells us that she's heading home but that we can call her any time that we want to. I'm to stay at the hospital for the night.

"What will we tell Tess?" I groan as Daniel sits down in a chair next to my bed.

"It's up to you." He says, "We have to tell our families at some point. And your first trimester comes to an end next month."

I think it over for a second before saying, "Might as well start with Tess."

Daniel laughs at this and I smile at him, "What?"

He shakes his head before replying, "You make Tess sound like a demon who can't keep a secret without even saying the actual words."

I give a small laugh at this too as I settle back into my pillows and let Daniel hold my hand as I drift off to sleep again.

"ARE YOU OKAY?! WHAT HAPPENED?!" Tess screams, hurrying into the Emergency Room, bumping into a nurse on her way out, "Oops! Sorry." She apologizes before continuing her worry.

"I'm alright." I sigh but accept her hug nonetheless.

She allows me time to breathe as a nurse disconnects the tube that was connected to my hand to help them monitor my oxygen levels through the night.

"Was Hazel awake?" I ask since it is Sunday.

Tess nods, "Yup. She said she has homework. So I made her eat breakfast, which she insisted on having the leftover cake and now she's studying in her room with guards outside the house."

Relieved that Hazel is busy and safe, I finally turn my attention to the problem at hand as Daniel walks back into the ER and Tess repeats her question to him, "What happened to her?"

"Emma?" Daniel says, a reminder of our agreement last night.

"Tess." I say and she instantly straightens up, "Yes?"

"You can't tell anyone. Because no one knows except Daniel and me." I tell her.

Suddenly she starts squealing.

"What?" I ask, confused.

"I know what this is!" She screams.

"You do?" I raise an eyebrow at her.

"You're getting Hazel another puppy?"

"What?! No!" I gape at my sister, "Where did you even get this idea from?"

"Well it was her birthday yesterday." She shrugs.

"Why would I be in the hospital over that?" I question.

She shrugs again, "I don't know. Nerves?"

I groan and flop back into my pillows. I look over at Daniel and our exchange has clearly amused him which is evident from the grin on his face.

"Stop." I punch his arm.

He gets serious again, "Tess. Hear Emma out?"

"Fine." Tess, sighs. "What can be important than another puppy for Hazel?"

"A sibling." I blurt out.

"What?" Tess shrieks, "Are you?"

I nod, "I'm pregnant." And then quickly add, "You cannot tell anyone!"

"My lips are sealed." Tess replies in an awestruck tone.

"Tess?" I frown.

"I'm going to be an aunt again?!" She screams.

"Ouch." I groan, rubbing my temple.

Sorry for the late update, I've been sick the last few days but now I'm feeling better and hopefully this means, back to regular updates :)

-T