Released (Caged 3)

“Mr. Teague?” a nurse called out.

She smiled and pointed to a doorway. I followed her blindly.

“Don’t worry, Mr. Teague,” she said. “We’re going to take really good care of your wife and the baby.”

I nodded and walked heel-toe behind her until we reached another room with bright lights and lots of people. Tria was up on a high table with her arms stretched out from her sides and secured to some kind of crossbeam on the bed.

She looked crucified, and the very idea made me cringe.

I swallowed hard and made my way to the side of her that didn’t have the IV in her arm. She turned toward me, and her eyes were almost as red as the rest of her face, but at least she wasn’t screaming anymore.

“Hey, babe,” I said quietly.

Tria blinked.

“I didn’t want this,” she whispered.

“I know,” I replied. “But we’re going to get through it—just like we always do, right?”

Tria’s head flopped away from me. She sniffed, and then turned back with a more determined look on her face.

“It will all be okay,” she said. “It has to be.”

I could only agree with her.

The doctor poked at Tria’s stomach with a straight pin, and it took me a second to realize she couldn’t feel it. Thankfully, I realized it before I punched the dude.

“Okay, you might feel a little bit of tugging,” the surgeon told Tria, “but nothing should hurt. You make sure to speak up if you feel anything else, okay?”

“Okay.”

Tria’s voice sounded muted and half asleep. I squeezed her fingers gently as I glanced quickly between her face and the doctor’s working hands. Even when the red of her blood covered the pale skin of her bloated stomach, I couldn’t let myself think of it for what it was. Everything was happening too quickly, and all I could do was beg and beg silently to whoever might have been listening.

Please don’t let her die…please don’t let her die…

“Her uterus is very thin,” the doctor said quietly. “We’re just in time.”

Part of me wanted to ask him what he meant but decided I really didn’t want to know. Tria’s finger gripped mine, and when I turned my eyes to her, there were tears on her face.

“It’s all okay,” I whispered as I tried to smile. It probably didn’t end up looking very comforting.

“The baby…” Tria’s voice cracked and fresh tears flowed from her eyes.

“It’s okay,” I said again, and I looked back to see the red flow turn to a small hole. The doctor’s hand moved inside, and I felt my stomach try to revolt.

Don’t you fucking dare!

I swallowed hard and looked back, prepared to force myself into remaining in the present with my wife, no matter what it all looked like.

Then I saw her.

Just a tiny blob covered in red at first, but as the doctor’s hand moved, her face turned upwards toward the light. Her eyes squeezed shut against the brightness, and her face scrunched up. She looked so much like Tria whenever she tried to eat the cheap vege

tarian burgers, I almost laughed.

“Beautiful girl you have here,” the doctor said as he handed her to the nurse beside him. “Why don’t you give me a hand here, Liam?”

The next thing I knew, I had a tiny pair of scissors in my hand, and I was cutting the cord in between two little knots of thread. As soon as I did, her tiny mouth opened and she let out a wail.