31. Chapter 31
Chapter 31
Emilio
O vercome with rage, all I can do is carry my wife, who is bleeding heavily and now unconscious. I can't think about torturing my housekeeper for her part in this, and Antonio’s dead. Unfortunately, I won't be able to torture him for what he's done.
I was shocked when I realized it was Antonio who had taken Serena. There was no point that I didn't trust him, but now, looking back, the signs were there. Then, when Serena told me Josephine was involved, I was floored. I still don't have the complete story, but I can't wait to get my wife to medical help. If this baby doesn't survive, it's going to break her. Hell, it's going to break me too.
I run with her in my arms as fast as possible, and when we get to the SUV, I open the door and gently place her inside. As I lean over to strap her in, I look down and see blood. There’s so much blood between her legs that her jeans are soaked.
Swallowing down my fear, I jump into the driver's seat and take off. I try to drive and use the GPS on my phone at the same time, which I wouldn't normally do, but have no choice now. I don't know where anything is around here. Looking for the nearest hospital, I set the location.
Moaning comes from the seat next to me and I look over to see Serena's brows furrowed and a scowl on her face. She's still unconscious, but clearly in pain.
Driving as fast as my car will allow, I navigate the curves as I rush to the local hospital. I'm not a praying man. Hell, the gates of hell would swallow me up if I tried to attend church, but right now, I'm praying to whoever is listening to save my wife and our baby's life.
Pulling up to the hospital, I leave the car running and jump out, racing around to the passenger side. I open the door and undo Serena's seat belt, before picking her up and running through the automatic doors, screaming for help.
"My pregnant wife. She needs help. Now."
A hoard of doctors, nurses, and orderlies come running with a stretcher. I place Serena on the bed and lean over to kiss her forehead.
I try to follow the stretcher, but a nurse places a hand on my shoulder. "Sir, wait out here. Let the doctors work on her."
Tears well up in my eyes, blurring my vision as a deep ache settles in my chest, making it hard to breathe. My heart feels heavy, like a lead weight is dragging me down, each painful beat a reminder that I can't live without her. My body is trembling, and it's hard to contain the overwhelming emotions flooding my system. The weight of the world presses down on my shoulders, making me feel helpless and exhausted.
I'm moving, but everything is in slow motion and my brain isn't functioning. If Serena dies, I'm dying with her. I can't live without her—without them. Oh God. As I hold my head in my hands, a tear flows down my cheek, then another, and soon they are flowing freely. I can't tell you the last time I cried. Probably back when I was a small child.
Time stands still as I sit and wait for word. Anything at all. Gio and Marcello arrive, and I can't even lift my head to acknowledge them. They both walk over and place their hand on my shoulders, one on each side. They take the seats beside me, leaving me in the middle, showing their support as much as possible. Thank God they aren't shooting at me. "Any word?" Gio asks
"Nothing yet," I say lethargically.
Hours pass as we wait, and gradually, the waiting area fills with Serena’s family. Everyone greets me, and the women even give me a hug, which I don't respond to. I feel Serena's father's stare on me, but I don't bother to respond. If he wants to kill me, let him.
Soon, I might not have anything to live for.
A nurse walks out of the double doors, looks at a chart in her hands, and calls out, "The family of Serena Esposito?"
Jumping out of my seat, I run to her. "How is she? Is she okay? Is the baby okay?" I know my words are gushing out of me too fast for her to even answer, but I can't control it.
"Are you her husband?"
"Yes. I'm her husband and the father of her baby."
"Come with me, please. The doctor will talk to you in a moment."
As we stroll down the seemingly never-ending hall, we pass a bustling nurses' station. The sharp scent of antiseptic stings my nostrils, permeating the air with its sterile aroma.
Finally, we come to the door where a man stands in a white doctor's coat. "Mr. Esposito?"
"That's me. How is she, Doctor?"
"The placenta has started to separate from the wall, which means we might have to deliver the baby."
Relief hits me. "That means the baby is still alive?"
"He is, but both your unborn son and wife are not out of the woods yet. Serena is too early to deliver, so we are going to have to keep her for as long as possible. She's on strict bed rest. We gave her medication to stop the bleeding and cramps, but if the placenta tears any more, we will have to deliver the baby in an emergency C-section. Not doing so would result in both of their deaths, so this is important, Mr. Esposito."
I nod, letting him know I understand.
"She's receiving pain meds for the break in her arm. It was severe. Don't worry, they won't harm your baby. I know she probably wants to go home, but Serena needs to stay pregnant as long as possible to give the baby time to grow, and that means she can't leave her hospital bed. If she were to start bleeding again, we would need to deliver immediately, and there wouldn’t be time for her to travel from home to the hospital. I've lost mothers who've had placental abruptions more times than I can count, so I'm not trying to scare you, but I want to get across how serious this situation is."
Giving him a nod, I reach out to shake his hand. "Thank you, Doctor, and if it gets my baby out alive, we will stay here as long as necessary."
The doctor's footsteps fade away, leaving me alone to push the door open and enter the dimly lit hospital room. As I gaze upon my wife resting on the bed, connected to a web of beeping and pumping machines, she seems so small and fragile. I am afraid to touch her.
Bruises mark her face, and her lips are busted. Her arm, which was broken, is now in a cast. I wish there was more I could do to help her after all she's been through. Instead, I take the hand on her good arm and bring it to my lips, placing a kiss on it. "I love you, Serena, so much that I can't live without you, my Little Storm."
I feel her move before she slowly peels her eyes open. Serena looks at me, startled. I grab a cup of water with a straw in it that the nurses left at her bedside and bring the straw to her lips.
She takes a few sips before rasping, "Emilio. The baby. Is he alright?"
I give her a warm smile. "He's okay. You are going to be in the hospital, on strict bed rest until he's born, but he's alive. Our boy is a fighter, and so is his momma."
Relief spreads across my wife's face and tears start flowing down her cheeks.
I don’t know who heard my prayers, but I mouth a silent Thank you to them all the same, before wrapping my wife in my arms.