37. Callie
Callie
For the second time in three months, I wake to the smell of antiseptic and whispered words from the man I love.
“I don’t know any more than that. They won’t tell me dick because I’m not family,” he complains to someone.
“Fuck that. Didn’t you guys know I’m Marcus’s long-lost brother?” Arlo butts in a moment before I hear the door to the room open and close.
I open my eyes slowly, confused about what I did this time to earn a stay at the hospital. I blink rapidly, my eyes adjusting to the light before Kellen comes into focus at the foot of the bed. I turn my head and see Blake beside me, his large, scarred hand wrapped around my thigh.
“We have to stop meeting like this,” I choke out, watching Blake’s head whip around to face me.
“Jesus fucking Christ, woman.” He stands and leans over me, burying his head in the crook of my neck, breathing me in.
“What happened?” I ask him, wincing when I lift my arm to wrap it around him.
He pulls back to look at me curiously. “You don’t remember?” I look from him to Kellen and back again.
“I remember going to the doctor’s with Felix and Marcus—” My eyes widen as everything comes back to me like a movie being played fast forward. “Marcus,” I gasp, sitting bolt upright.
“Shh… calm down. He’s in surgery now. We’re just waiting for news.”
“June?” I ask fearfully.
He smiles a soft, relieved smile at me. “She is out of surgery and awake. She is, in a word, pissed.” He chuckles. “Banner and Felix are with her.”
I flop back, relieved, my hand moving to cover my belly. “The baby?” I ask, my eyes locked on his.
“Baby?” he questions with wild eyes before turning to Kellen.
“I’ll grab a doctor,” Kellen shouts, hurrying out of the room.
Turning back to look at me, Blake lifts a shaky hand and places it over my stomach, covering my hand beneath his. “You’re giving me a son?” he asks, his voice filled with awe.
“Or a daughter.” I feel it’s prudent to point that out.
“Oh fuck no. A little girl with your hair and copper eyes? She’ll have me wrapped around her little finger.” He smiles before it quickly morphs into a frown. “I’ll need to buy another gun. The guys will too. No dickhead will try dating my daughter if they have to pass through me and her favorite uncles to do so.”
“I think you might be jumping the gun a little. She is barely the size of a peach right now.”
He presses his lips to my forehead before moving down to kiss my belly. “Hello, Peaches. I’m your daddy.”
I choke back a lump in my throat, running my fingers through his hair, wishing I had a camera so I could capture this moment and stare at it forever.
“I want ten,” he tells me, making me laugh lightly.
“Maybe we could just work on this one first, Bundy,” I answer, trying to sit up again, grimacing as my arm throbs.
“Careful, Callie, you were nicked with a bullet. Nothing major, but your arm will likely hurt like a son of a bitch for a little while.”
I nod, remembering the slice of pain as I slammed the door to the panic room shut.
I look up when the door to my room opens, smiling as Kellen walks back in with a blonde nurse about my age.
“Hey, Miss Ward, how are you feeling?” she asks cheerfully, checking something on my chart.
“A little stiff but not too bad. I just found out I’m pregnant, and I’m worried about the baby,” I tell her fearfully.
“Okay, sweetie, I’ll let the doctor know and get an ultrasound machine. But try not to worry. Babies are surprisingly well protected in there.” She pats my arm before heading off to find the machine.
I look over at Kellen and smile. “You okay?” I ask.
He smiles, a dimple popping in his cheek as he approaches the bed. “I didn’t want to intrude on your moment.” He gives Blake a playful shove before leaning to give me a hug. “Congratulations, mama,” he whispers in my ear before kissing my forehead.
“Hey, asshole, keep your lips off my woman!” Blake pouts playfully.
“I call dibs on baby duty.”
“Wait, what?” I look between him and Blake, who is rolling his eyes.
“Why does our baby need protection? Oh my god. Christian got away, didn’t he?” I begin to panic, but Blake grabs my face with both hands, touching the tip of his nose to mine.
“Christian can’t hurt you anymore, honey, I swear it. He’s gone. Nobody is going to hurt our baby.”
I suck in a shaky breath and feel my muscles start to relax. “Okay, good. I’m sorry, I’m a mess,” I whisper, looking at Kellen over Blake’s shoulder.
“Nothing to be sorry about, Callie. It was my fault. I didn’t think,” Kellen apologizes, looking guilty.
Blake pulls back and sits on the bed beside me with his hand in one of mine.
“When I said duty, I meant teaching him pickup lines and how to throw a ball,” Kellen teases gently.
“You’re going to teach my daughter pickup lines?” I raise my brow.
He glares at me. “Daughter?” He turns to walk away, leaving me shocked. Wow, is he really that upset that I might have a girl?
“Kellen?” I question.
He turns to face me, his hand on the doorknob. “If you’re having a daughter, I need to go and buy a new gun. Maybe two,” he tells me straight-faced before leaving the room, muttering about buying a grenade or two as well.
I turn wide eyes to Blake, who roars with laughter.
“Told ya.”
He’s still laughing when the perky nurse comes back with the ultrasound machine and a pretty red-haired doctor in tow. Knowing the drill, I push the blanket down to expose my belly and lift the hospital gown out of the way. Blake watches my movements, asking the doctor questions, but my eyes stay fixed on the screen as I hold my breath.
“Okay, Miss Ward, this will be cold,” the doctor tells me as she squirts the gel before moving the wand over my still-flat stomach.
Blake holds my hand in his, his grip getting tighter the longer it takes to find anything. After a few moments of silence, I feel the tears start to slip down my cheeks as I try to process everything I’ve gained and lost in one day when the thump, thump, thump sound of a fluttering heartbeat fills the room.
I swipe my cheeks and throw a beaming smile to Blake, who has tears of his own on his face.
“There he is,” the doctor tells us, making Blake look at her with a smile.
“It’s a boy?”
She smiles back but shakes her head. “It’s just a figure of speech. It’s too early to see the sex just yet. What I can tell you is that everything looks good. Your baby is doing exactly as we expect during this stage of gestation, and I see nothing concerning to worry about.”
“Thank you,” I whisper, still choked with emotion.
Blake takes the paper towel she offers him and wipes the goop from my belly as I take a moment to compose myself.
“It’s my pleasure. Now, I’m happy to sign your discharge papers, but if you experience any pain or spotting, come straight back. Sit tight, and you’ll be out of here before you know it.” She gives my arm a squeeze before leaving with the nurse, giving Blake and me a few minutes of peace to absorb the news.
“Thank you.” He coughs to clear his throat before starting again. “Thank you for giving me everything I never knew I wanted.”
“Silly man, it’s you who needs thanks. I had nothing when I moved here, and you gave me the world.”
He kisses me softly on the lips, tasting the salt of my tears before whispering, “I’ll give you the moon and stars, too, if you let me.”
A knock on the door breaks our moment as Arlo, Felix, and Banner poke their heads around the doorway. “Is it safe to come in?”
Blake shouts no, and I shout yes. Naturally, they ignore him and make their way inside and over to me, each offering me a hug.
“You manage to find out any news on Marcus?” Blake asks Arlo.
“He’s out of surgery and in the ICU. He was shot, as you know, a through and through, but it clipped his liver and spleen on the way out. They stopped the bleeding, removed his spleen, and said he should make a full recovery. He lost a lot of blood though, so they will be keeping him in for a while to monitor him and to watch for infection.”
“Jesus, that man has nine lives, thank fuck,” Blake tells the room at large, the relief evident in his voice.
“He’s been hurt before?” I ask, wondering if these guys would consider letting me wrap them with bubble wrap.
“It’s not my story to tell, sweets. But in another life, Marcus was a cop, and he experienced the shitty side of it,” Arlo answers, surprising me.
I don’t push for any more information, knowing Marcus will tell me himself if he wants me to know.
“What about June?” I ask Felix and Banner.
“She’s napping. Apparently, there are not enough—and I quote—‘hot doctors’ for her to look at, so sleeping is the best option,” Banner says sardonically, making me laugh.
I can picture June saying that.
“What about you, Missy? You finished napping?” Felix teases.
“I was shot, I’ll have you know,” I tell him indignantly.
“’Tis but a scratch.”
I scowl at his Monty Python reference. “I’m baking a human here!” I yell before freezing then turning slowly to look at Blake.
“Oops, I didn’t mean to blurt that out.”
“You’re pregnant?” Felix asks.
I turn back to him just in time to see him jumping back from the bed. I snort. “Don’t worry, it’s not contagious.”
“I don’t want to hurt you. Wait, are you okay? Is the baby okay? Can I get you anything? Towels, water?”
We all stare at him before cracking up into fits of laughter.
“Why would I need towels and water?” I ask through a bout of giggles.
“I don’t know, it’s what they do in the movies,” he replies, looking adorably confused.
I shake my head, my face sore from smiling so much. “You really need to get out more. I’m fine, the baby’s fine. To be honest, I’m not sure why I’m here.”
“You went into shock and lost consciousness,” Blake answers, looking pale as he remembers. “If you could never do that again, I’d appreciate it. I’ve never felt more helpless in my fucking life.”
“I’m sorry. Marcus got shot, and then my… my mom.” I swallow the bile rushing up my throat.
Visions of red, blood-soaked clothes, bloody hands, manic smiles, and the life draining from my mother’s eyes flash through my mind. I can’t escape. It plays over and over making me want to scream, only I can’t because there isn’t enough air.
“Deep breath, Callie. That’s it, breathe with me, baby. Good girl,” Blake’s voice coos in my ear, pulling me from visions of death.
I follow his advice and mimic my breathing to match his, the images disappearing as reality seeps back in. I feel Blake on the bed behind me, his legs on either side of mine and his arms wrapped around me. His chest is flush against my back as he takes slow, deep, even breaths for me to copy.
The guys all watch me, looking worried.
“Jesus, I’m sorry,” I tell them when I get my breath back, feeling freaked out and embarrassed. “She wasn’t a good person, but she was still my mom.”
“Stop apologizing. You have nothing to be sorry for,” Arlo says softly.
“He’s right, Callie. You’ve been through hell and back. I hate to say it, but you won’t be okay for a while, but that’s okay too. We will be here with you and Blake every step of the way,” Banner promises, making me cry.
“Freak out, yell, scream, throw shit if you need to. None of us will judge you for it or think of you as weak. You’re the strongest chick I know, and none of us is going anywhere,” Felix adds.
“I love you. They love you. Let your family take care of you, sweetheart,” Blake whispers into my ear.
I nod with a sob and offer them all a watery smile.
I can do that. For family.
It was a testament to Blake’s love and worry for his friend that he didn’t grunt or moan when I climbed up on the bed beside Marcus and promptly fell asleep with my arm wrapped around him. I don’t know how long I was out, but their voices talking quietly wake me.
“If I’d have known getting shot would lead to waking up with a hot woman in my arms, I would have done it years ago,” Marcus teases.
“Marcus Popeye Bennet, that is not funny. You scared the shit out of me!” I yell, and to prove my point, I burst into tears and bury my face against his chest.
He holds me tight even though it must hurt, murmuring words of comfort and stroking my hair before I calm down enough to breathe without my chest hitching painfully.
“I promise to not get shot again, at least not for a while,” he vows with a strained smile.
“You better stick to that or you’ll miss out on the top uncle spot,” I tell him.
He looks at me with a frown before facing Blake. “What’s she talking about?”
“Callie’s pregnant,” Blake answers, letting the weight of his words settle over the room. “I’ll never be able to thank you, man.” Blake’s voice croaks so he stops and clears his throat.
“No, thanks necessary, Blake. You know I’d do anything for you, for both of you. I’m hoping whatever kind of magic you guys have rubs off on the rest of us.”
“You want a wife and kids, Popeye?” I ask softly, looking up into his eyes.
“I never thought I would, but after seeing you two together, yeah, I do. Besides, if Blake here can land a girl like you, I shouldn’t have anything to worry about. I’m ten times more manly than he is,” Marcus jokes, making me laugh as Blake calls him a dick.
Blake has lost his home and his business, but none of that matters to him. I can see it in his eyes. Everything he cares about is right here in this hospital.
Buildings are just bricks and mortar that can easily be rebuilt.
Family is what makes a place a home.