47. Reese
Mom is running late, but I’m not surprised. She never was great about being home on time. It’s one of the things that pissed Dad off the most. What he didn’t realize was she didn’t come home on time because of him. He’s not here, but I guess old habits die hard.
I wander to the kitchen to grab some water, something to pass the time. I don’t know why Mrs. Lewis wants my mom over for dinner anyway. No, I do know, and it’s because Mrs. Lewis is a saint. I have no doubt the dishes I found in the fridge, piled with food, are from her. I know they can’t be Mom’s—the dishes are too nice. I grab the plates from the dish drainer and stack them, ready to bring them over when she gets home.
Another ten minutes go by, and I’m getting annoyed. Whatever, I’ll come back when she gets home. Not like it’s a far walk. I pull my hood over my hat and grab the dishes before heading for the front door. It isn’t even fully open before the distant jingle of sirens fills the air. It occurs to me they could be for my mom, but I shake it away and step out, not bothering to lock the door. Not like there’s anything anyone would want to steal anyway.
The December air is bitter and bites right through my sweatshirt.
I squint against the snowy air. The sirens don’t fade, they grow closer, and I stop and watch which way they go. They don’t speed by like I expect. Instead, they turn. My heart skips, waiting to see which neighbors’ house they stop at. The road is full of elderly people, but what a shitty time to need an ambulance.
Dread fills me when they come to a screeching halt right across from me, and my heart stops altogether when the door flies open and Elijah is carrying Winnie.
The plates fall from my grasp, crashing to the icy ground with a loud clatter. I hardly notice it, halfway across the road already.
No, no, no. What the fuck happened in the fifteen minutes I’ve been gone?
“What happened?” I bark when I’m close enough.
Elijah is shaking, looking at his sister, and Mrs. Lewis is behind him holding her mouth and crying. The paramedics are in my way, so I can’t see her.
“Sir, you need to back off.” One of them places his hands on my chest, shoving me away.
“What happened? Is she okay?”
“Are you related?” another asks.
“He is,” Elijah growls. “Let him through.”
My head is spinning with what could be wrong. There’s a pit that tells me I might know, but I ignore it because I refuse to think about it.
The paramedic steps aside, and I move to Winnie’s side. They load her into the back, and I follow. Looking her over, I don’t see much, but they have a blanket over most of her body. Her eyes are closed, and there’s O2 being fed into her nose.
My eyes fly to Mrs. Lewis and Elijah.
“We will meet you there,” she tells me, with a wannabe-okay voice, but I see right through it.
I dig under the blanket and grab Winnie’s freezing hand. Pulling it to my mouth, I kiss her knuckles. “I’m here.”
She rolls her head my way, and her eyes flutter open. I blow out a relieved breath seeing her chocolate eyes.
“What happened, baby?”
Winnie’s lips wobble, and her voice is weak. “I’m so sorry.”
Sorry? What could she possibly be sorry for?
She’s closed her eyes again, and it’s obvious she’s not completely in it. I drop my head to her hand, but my focus catches on something on her fingers, and pulling back, I spot the red. She’s bleeding, but where? I reluctantly drag my gaze down her body and land on the blanket molded to her lower half. I swallow hard and lift the blanket, and everything in my body goes cold.
The rest of the ride to the hospital is a blur. Winnie hasn’t opened her eyes, but she’s breathing. The paramedics are doing what they need to, and when they lift the blanket, I look away.
It hurts.
Everything fucking hurts.
My baby.
I don’t need to be a doctor to know all that blood isn’t good.
We come to a stop, and so much happens all at once. The doors fly open, and Winnie is dragged away. I rush after, but when we hit the doors, two nurses turn and stop me from going any further.
“Sorry, sir, we can’t let you go back.”
“What the fuck do you mean you can’t let me? I’m her boyfriend. I’m the fucking dad to that baby inside her.”
They swap faces, but they don’t budge.
“I’m the fucking dad! She needs me there.”
“I assure you she’s in trusted hands.”
Trusted hands, maybe, but not my hands.
“You’re not listening.” I get in one of the nurses’ faces. If she were a dude, I would throw a punch. “That’s my baby in there. I want to be with my girlfriend.”
“Sir,” a deep voice sounds behind me. I don’t have to look to know it’s security.
“Please.” I lower my voice and take a step back. “I’m the dad.”
“Sir, back up, or we’re going to have to physically remove you.”
Fuck hospitals. Fuck everything.
I turn away but keep the nurses in my peripheral, and when they move from the door, I take off. They shout behind me, and it takes longer than I’d like to find Winnie. As I’m not completely a dick, I wait until I hear her cries before throwing open the curtain. The security is on me, holding me back and keeping me from getting to my girl.
“Reese.” Winnie’s voice is weak.
“I’m here. Are you okay? Is—” I cut off, unable to utter the words.
Her head shakes. My knees buckle, and it gives security the upper hand to drag me away.
“I’m the dad! That’s my girlfriend. She needs me!” No matter what I scream, they don’t stop. They drag me all the way outside, fighting the entire time, and drop me to the ground.
I can’t stand. I can’t fucking feel anything.
“Stay there until you can calm down.”
It’s not like I can do anything else.
You ever have those moments when the world stops? This is one of those moments for me.