No One But You

“I understand enough.” I could hear the coldness in my own words as my finger pushed into his chest. His gaze lowered to my hand. “You’re not letting her go through this alone. You’re not going to do to her what you did to Quincy.”

His breath caught and as he looked up at me all the composure he’d had unravelled as a tear snaked down his face.

“I can’t lose her or the baby, Jamie.” He whispered.

“You’re a fucking doctor. You know that she can get help and you know that there is a very good chance that both of them will come out of this unscathed. Just pull your head out of your arse for a moment and think logically.” I grabbed Jenna’s socks from the vanity and bunched them into his hand. “You don’t even know that Quincy is right.”

“Do you think she’s wrong?”

No. “That’s not the point.”

“What is, then?”

I took a deep breath to steady myself. “The point is that you need to be strong for her and for your child. I don’t think that Quincy’s wrong, but she’s not freaking out, so that tells me that she doesn’t feel like there’s a death sentence.”

His eyes widened as he swallowed my words.

“So, I’m going to get the car. You’re going to help her get ready, and you’re going to comfort her because she’s panicking. Take this,” I pulled the small paper bag from my back pocket and thrust it into his chest, “You’re going to hold her hand and when her panic attack comes, because trust me—it will, you’re going to talk her down from it and get her to breathe into the bag.” He nodded like he already didn’t know what to do. “Then you’re going to take her into the other room and make sure that she gets to give our daughter a hug and tell her that you’re going to go home now.” I felt like such a condescending prick.

“What about mum?” The panic flared in his eyes again.

“I’ll deal with her later. You focus on your woman and your child and nothing else. You hear me?”

He nodded.

“Quincy’s going to call the hospital and tell them we’re coming in. She’ll have whichever Obstetrician is on call ready and waiting. Now, get yourself together and get your arse out there.”

He took a deep breath as he turned to the vanity. He picked up the glass of water and downed it before he washed his face.

I walked out of the bathroom to fin

d Quincy already on the phone relaying all the information. Jenna was sat in the chair between Quincy’s side of the bed and the window. Her face was blotchy with mascara smears and tear tracks; her teary hiccups were still going as she listened to what Quincy was saying down the phone and the noise from the kids playing down the hall.

I grabbed my digital monitor from my bag by the small dresser and the packet of make-up wipes on top of it.

I really hoped Richard would comfort her. She had that deer in the headlights look about her that just made me feel so very sorry for her. She sighed and looked up at me when I picked up her hand from the arm of the chair. She took the wipes with the other.

I smiled at her as I threaded her arm through the inflatable cuff and tightened it around her upper arm. It hit me that I actually hadn’t checked it for myself. I trusted Quincy, but it’d been almost an hour since she’d last checked. I sat on the window ledge bringing her arm down with me to make her more comfortable before I pressed the start button.

I continued listening to Quincy in the background as I watched the small monitor attached to the cuff.

“He’s leaving me, right?” She sobbed. Her eyes puffy and red.

I contemplated not answering but as I thought about it I watched as her pulse reading began to spike even more. “No, he’s just scared.”

“Me too. I can’t do this alone.”

“You’re not. He just needs a minute to get his thoughts together.” I swiped her hair away from her cheek.

Her eyes rounded as she looked up at me like that one touch was her saving grace.

I glanced up as Quincy stopped beside us, her eyes going from me to Jenna and down to where her cheek was still in my hand. I smiled up at her but her gaze dropped to the floor as she sighed. Her brows were drawn in and her lips pinched. I had the urge to pull her closer to me as she shook her head and walked to the foot of the bed where she started pacing. Her phone still stuck to her ear. From the way her shoulders were slumped I could tell that she wasn’t doing too well.

I lowered my hand from Jenna’s cheek feeling a little stupid for even touching her like that. But it was instinct. It didn’t mean anything, it was just…I don’t know, it just happened.

“You need to try and relax a little. Calm down.”

Her heart rate had risen, but I was sure that was mostly down to her anxiety.