Total pages in book: 123
Estimated words: 114467 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 572(@200wpm)___ 458(@250wpm)___ 382(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 114467 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 572(@200wpm)___ 458(@250wpm)___ 382(@300wpm)
Matthew and Dad now come in the room, and Matthew gasps. “Why is she bleeding?” He starts to panic, unlike us, who were playing it cool. “There shouldn’t be blood,” he says. My father grabs his shoulder, and he quiets down.
Another nurse comes into the room with the ultrasound machine, and now my mother is standing beside him, trying to hide her tears. The doctor walks in and smiles at everyone, trying to hide the worry in her face also.
I stand next to Zara with my hand in hers as we share a look. “Hey, it’s going to be okay.”
I put my head next to hers, and she whispers, “It hurts so much, Zoe, and …” She holds her stomach with the other hand as she has another contraction, and now the baby’s heart rate goes lower than before. “Where is Evan?” she asks after the contraction.
“On his way,” Matthew says. “He’s on his way,” he says and holds Karrie beside him who tries to hide the fact she’s crying also.
The doctor puts the gel on Zara’s stomach and then turns on the machine. “There is your baby,” she says, and we all look at the screen, and Allison sobs out in happiness that the baby is moving. “Well, don’t we have a stubborn little one. Your baby must have had a party in there and moved everything around.”
“Oh my God, the head was down last week,” Zara says.
“Okay, folks”—she turns the machine off—“we are going to have to do an emergency c-section to get the baby out.”
“I can’t do this without Evan,” she says, and the contraction comes again. Blood now just comes out in a puddle.
“Okay, people, we need to get her in there,” the doctor says, and the nurse moves everyone away.
“What’s going on?” Zara asks and looks at me, and I just look at her and then I shout at the doctor.
“Someone needs to tell her what is going on!” I shout. “She is scared and about to give birth, and she should have some answers.”
“Zoe.” I hear Allison beside me, and I just shake her hands off me.
“Now can someone please tell her what is going on?” I say in a lower tone.
“Your baby has turned, and your placenta has detached, so we need to get your baby out of there now,” the doctor says, and then they wheel her out of the room at the same time as Evan runs through the door. He’s still in his full uniform; the only thing he took off was the skates and he’s wearing his Adidas flip-flops with no socks.
“Evan,” Zara cries, and he rushes to her. He looks down and sees the blood, and his face goes white.
“The baby.”
“Everything is going to be okay.” I follow her down the hallway on one side while Evan is on the other side. We get to the entrance of the two doors, and it says authorized personnel only. “I promise you it’ll be okay,” I say to her, and the door closes in my face. My hand flies to my mouth to stop the sob from echoing in the hallway, and my legs suddenly give out, and I feel myself falling except I never hit the floor. Instead, I’m picked up into strong arms, arms that hold me close.
And through the tears and the sobs, all I hear is his voice. “It’s okay, Zoe. It’s going to be okay.” I look up to see his blue eyes. “I’ve got you, baby,” he says to me, and I don’t question it. For the first time in a long time, it’s where I’m supposed to be.
Chapter Thirty-Three
Viktor
We skate off the ice, and the minute I see Max’s face, I know something is up. “Where’s Evan?” he says, and his hair looks like he has been running his hands through it like a madman.
“What?” I ask and look behind me to see Evan coming off the ice. “What’s wrong?”
“It’s Zara,” he says, and I’m already taking off my skates when Evan comes into the room, throwing his stuff everywhere.
“I have to go,” he says and takes off his skates and slips on his Adidas flip-flops, and I do the same.
“There’s a little bit of a problem,” Max says, and I see the worry on his face. “Allison has the keys to my truck.”
“Oh my God,” Evan says, and he starts to panic and freak out.
“Mark!” I yell into the room for the goalie. “Zara is at the hospital; give me your keys.” He doesn’t even bat an eye and tosses me the keys to his truck.
“Let’s go,” I say and walk out with them.
“You don’t have to come,” Max says, and his phone keeps blowing up.
“You have that thing going nuts,” I tell him, “and this guy can’t drive anywhere because he’s shaking,” I say, getting into the truck.