37. A You Problem
A YOU PROBLEM
“It looks as if Tatum is developing right on track,” Gabriela said two weeks later to the parents in front of her.
Their smiles told her how proud they were that their four-month-old seemed all but perfect.
“When can we give her solid food?”
She looked back at her notes. “She is drinking the max formula that I would recommend. Does she still seem hungry?”
“She’ll scream when she’s done. Or want to eat earlier. I guess it’s worse in the morning when she’s slept longer, even though she’s waking up to eat too.”
“I don’t see why you can’t try a few baby spoonfuls of cereal with her bottle at dinner. See how she does. Only a few. Even if she loves it. We want to make sure she doesn’t get a bellyache.”
“We can do that, right, Sadie? My wife wants to give her food to make her happy when I say to let it sit and see if she is fine in twenty minutes.”
“I agree with that method. She’s getting plenty enough and growing well, but she could require more. Some babies do. If she tolerates it well, then do the same in the morning for a few days. Work your way up to about two teaspoons worth for breakfast and dinner and then we’ll go from there.”
Sadie was typing it all into her phone. She loved when the parents were so on top of things and enthusiastic. It saved calls later on if they missed something.
When the young couple left, she walked out and left the door open. Her last patient of the day.
Glancing at her watch, she realized she was actually on time. A rare victory she wanted to celebrate—though with a cancellation this afternoon, the universe was clearly cutting her some slack.
“Heading to the hospital now?” Kate asked.
“In a few. I might grab something to eat first. I forgot dinner, and once I hit the floor, it’s a blur until the cafeteria closes.”
She swung her jacket on, tossed her purse into her bag, snapped her laptop shut, and locked the door. A wave to the team, then she was out the door.
Pulling out her phone, she called Luca. Their little check-ins were becoming a ritual. One she’d never done with anyone before. Not like this.
“Wow. You’re done early.”
“On time,” she said, letting her shoulders shimmy in triumph.
He laughed. “I’m marking the calendar. This is a first for you.”
“How do you know that? Someone spilling tea?” she teased.
“Maybe,” he said, a smirk in his voice. “Or maybe I just know you too well.”
“Scary thought.” Her grin widened. “I don’t have a reputation for being on time. Everyone knows that,” she said, opening the door to walk through the long hallway connecting the hospital to the offices. “I’m not sure why you’re celebrating.”
“Because it’s a miracle,” he teased.
She laughed, walking a little slower to enjoy these few minutes. “A miracle. Sure. I’ll take that.”
She couldn’t help it she enjoyed her patients so much that she wanted to play with them before and after their appointments.
“You better,” he said, his voice dropping just a little lower. “I might start expecting more miracles. Could get dangerous.”
“Dangerous, huh?” She smirked, pressing the phone between her shoulder and ear while juggling her bag and pulling her badge out to open the first door. “Are you saying that because you want me to be late next time?”
“Maybe,” he admitted with a soft chuckle. “Or maybe I’m just imagining you walking in, your hair messy, your feet moving fast, being out of breath. That sound you make when you’ve exhausted yourself.” His voice dropped a little husky. “And knowing I can’t do anything about it.”
Her cheeks warmed. She just loved this playful side of him. And saw exactly what he was doing. “You’re impossible.”
“Maybe,” he said, “but you keep calling me anyway. Sounds like a you problem.”
She shook her head, smiling despite herself. She was the one to call when it was her shift. When it was his, he did the calling.
“I have a lot of problems, but you’re not one,” she said, trying to sing it like the Jay-Z song. She failed miserably by the laughter on the other end.
And the looks of those watching her make a fool of herself.
“Okay then. I think it’s time for you to go before you start really rapping.”
She burst out laughing. “Oh, the horror for everyone around if I did that.”
She could almost see him rolling his eyes at her. “Try not to miss me too much,” he said.
“I’ll manage.”
And with that, she hung up, her heart still racing, her mind caught somewhere between work and him. He had a way of making even a simple walk to the hospital feel like the start of something dangerous and thrilling, yet welcoming at the same time.
She shook her head of those thoughts.
There was a job to do. One she loved and was damn good at.
Her pace picked up as she made her way to the cafeteria to order a turkey sandwich that she’d throw in the fridge in her office, then got a smoothie to go that she’d drink on the walk back and while checking in with her patients.
Thirty minutes later, she was walking out of the first room.
“When do Nick’s parents normally stop in?”
“They should be here soon,” Veronica said.
“It’s been hard for him to be here so long, but for the best. His father had to go out of town for work, and his mother had to return to work.
” One of her favorite nurses put her head down and lowered her voice.
“It’s just so sad, but they are juggling things as best they can. ”
Nick was eight and had lymphoma. A patient of her brother’s, and stayed in the hospital when having his treatment. The stays were now longer with each treatment taking a toll on his body, but since they lived and worked on the island, for now they’d rather stay here than Boston.
“They are doing a great job. I’m sure Garrett will be up to check in on him soon. I’ll pop back around and speak with them also.”
But she left most of Nick’s care to her brother and followed his guidelines.
By seven, she actually had made all her rounds, ordered her tests and was going to eat her sandwich when her phone vibrated in her pocket.
She pulled it out and saw the text from Hudson to come to the ER.
She stopped at the nurse’s station, told them where she was going and to text her if they needed anything.
The minute she was on the floor she heard crying and moaning. More than normal. Like a major emergency and it should be all hands on deck, yet no one was really rushing.
The nurse at the desk waved her over. “Room six has a teenage pregnancy in there. There is bleeding and cramping. Ava is in delivery right now and will be down as soon as she can, but Hudson needed another set of hands.”
“Got it,” she said, forcing herself to move. But her body felt heavy, like every step was dragging her deeper into something she wasn’t ready for.
Her feet wanted to stay frozen to the spot, yet she wouldn’t do that.
She felt off. Odd. Like it was a premonition that what was behind that door wasn’t going to be good.
No, don’t think that, she scolded herself.
Though really, how many teenage pregnancies were on this island?
She got to the doorway and saw Hudson doing an exam, Cora in the corner, and Taylor crying.
She rushed in. “What do you need?” she asked Hudson.
“I need you to stay with her until Ava gets here,” he said. “She’s dilated and bleeding some. Thankfully not much.” He moved out of the way and had her check it out.
It’d been a long time since she’d been here. Since med school where they want you there for a birth with possible complications with a newborn.
And that was why she was here.
Because there was a good chance this birth wasn’t going to be stopped and it was nine weeks early.
“Looks like five centimeters.”
“What does that mean?” Cora asked.
“It hurts,” Taylor said. “Make it stop hurting.”
She looked at Hudson. “We can’t do anything until Dr. Mills-Young gets here,” Hudson said. He turned to her and nodded his head for her to leave the room.
“Tell me,” she said out in the hallway.
“I don’t think this is stopping. Her contractions are five minutes apart. Ava knows and she’s trying to get down here.” He grabbed her hand. “I’m not finding a heartbeat. We haven’t said anything yet. I want Ava here and taking over if she can for that.”
Gabriela closed her eyes, the tears filling fast. “Hudson. I need to call Luca. He’s adopting that baby.”
“What?” Hudson said. “Shit. I had no idea.”
“We’ve kept it quiet,” she said.
“You can’t call him without their permission, you know it.”
“I’ll get it. I’ll stay with her. Go do what you need to and we’ll pray that Ava gets here fast.”
The two of them walked back in. “Dr. Mills is going to stay with you and monitor things. She’ll get me if she needs to. I know it’s hard, but please, try to relax. Practice your breathing.”
“I am breathing,” Taylor yelled. “Fuckkkkk. Make it stop!”
The teen sobbed and kept her hand on her stomach. Gabriela went over to put her hand on top of Taylor’s. Her stomach was rock hard, her body telling her something wasn’t right.
“What’s going on?” Cora asked. “She’s in labor? It’s too soon. And the blood.”
“She is in labor, but if we can stop it, we will.” She looked at Cora and then Taylor. “You should be prepared that we might not be able to.”
“I don’t want to deliver. It hurts. I don’t want to do this,” Taylor cried. “None of it. Make it stop.”
She knew the teen was scared, but they were in it now and the best she could do was make her as comfortable as possible. Even if it was only mentally.
“I have to ask—can I call Luca and let him know?”
“How do you know about that?” Cora asked.
“Luca and I are in a relationship. I’ve known all along, but he was doing this on his own.”
“I don’t want him to be mad at me,” Taylor said.
“He won’t be,” she promised, her voice steady even as her chest muscles clenched. “He’s not going to be angry. None of this is your fault.”
The contractions seemed to gather steam. Taylor whimpered.
“I ate too much ice cream again,” Taylor cried. “I really like it but it hurts my stomach—”
“That didn’t cause this,” Gabriela said firmly, rubbing slow circles as the tension eased. They might be more frequent, but they were only a minute long. If that. “You did nothing wrong. Try to relax between contractions. Save your strength.”
Cora swallowed hard. “You can call him, right, Taylor?”
Taylor nodded, tears streaming as she squeezed her eyes shut.
She stepped into the hallway, found a quiet corner, and pulled out her phone.
“Two calls in one night,” Luca said when he answered. His voice was warm. Relaxed. Completely unaware.
“I’m sorry,” she said softly. “It’s Taylor. She’s in the ER. She’s in labor.”
“I’m on my way,” he said immediately.
“Wait.” She closed her eyes. He needed to be prepared. “It’s not good. Hudson can’t find a heartbeat. Ava’s in delivery upstairs and should be down soon. Taylor doesn’t know yet. Hudson’s waiting for Ava to take over and verify.”
Silence.
Then, quietly, he said, “I’ll be there in a few minutes.”
The line went dead.
She stared at her phone for a long second before turning back toward the room, bracing herself for what came next.