Empty Net
Page 149
“Oh my God, Audrey, I love you, oh my God,” Fallon cried, as Lucas came up behind her, smiling down at Audrey as he ran his hand up and down Fallon’s back.
“Everything is fine, baby, breathe, it is okay,” Tate said calmly since all Fallon could do was cry and whisper she loved Audrey. It was what he wanted to do, but someone had to be the calm one here. Lucas still looked half asleep, so Tate knew he was no help. “I’m here, Fallon’s here, everyone is here. Just breathe.”
Audrey nodded, tears welling up in her eyes as she looked up at him. He gave her a full smile as he leaned down and kissed her forehead. Her hands were shaking and Tate knew she was freaking out. Leaning over her, he reached for the nurse button and pressed it, waiting for the nurse to come over the line. When she did, he smiled and said, “Audrey is awake.”
***
Audrey’s body was on fire.
She hurt from the top of her head to the tip of her toes. Looking from Tate’s face to Fallon’s, she tried to tell them that she was hurting, but she couldn’t move her mouth. She went to reach up to her face, but Fallon stopped her.
“No, honey, that’s your ventilator, just hold on,” Fallon said through tears that rushed down her cheeks. She looked so tired, so distraught.
Why the hell was she on a ventilator?
“It’s okay, baby, everything is going to be alright, the doctors are on their way,” Tate said from the other side of her. She looked up into his beautiful face to see his tears welling up in his eyes.
What the hell was going on?
Where was she? And why was she hurting so badly? She felt like her face was ripped apart, she couldn’t see very well out of her left eye, and her throat was burning.
Suddenly, it was like everything hit her at once.
Levi had beaten the living shit out of her. She thought she was going to die under his strong hand. No, she was convinced of it. Now, by some kind of miracle, she was breathing. With every strike from his hand, she grew weaker and a little piece of her life passed before her eyes. She tried to fight back, but he was too strong. Every time she tried to move away, he would take her by her hair, and slam her against the wall. Why did he stop? Why didn’t he kill her? Did Fallon stop him? Before she passed out, she heard Fallon’s voice. Did she save her? Looking up at her sister, she looked fine except that she looked tired, they all did.
Her mother and father came into view, both crying as they came to Fallon’s side, holding onto Audrey’s arm while Tate’s thumb ran along the back of her knuckles.
“My sweet baby girl, I’ve been so worried,” her mother cried.
Baby.
Her baby!
Pulling her hands from Tate and Fallon, she moved her hands to her mid-section, her eyes wide with worry. Was her baby okay? Was there still a baby? Did Levi kill it? Did she not protect it well enough?
Oh my God, someone, tell me f**king something! She screamed in her head.
She wanted to scream for answers, but it seemed that no one knew what was going on. Her eyes darted from each of their faces as she held her stomach, but they all looked around, confused.
“Are you sick honey? Does your stomach hurt?” Nora asked.
No! Is my baby okay! Take this f**king tube out my throat!
She reached over, taking both Fallon’s hands in hers. Fallon just looked lost and confused as Audrey’s eyes bored into her, hoping for some kind of sisterly telepathic powers or something! Shouldn’t she just know what Audrey needed to know!? They were sisters! She put Fallon’s hand on her stomach, and pushing through the pain, pointed to Fallon’s stomach, but Fallon just sat there crying.
“What’s wrong, is she hurting, where the f**k are the doctors?” Lucas yelled, holding Fallon close.
“I thought I was going to lose you, A,” Fallon cried.
“Oh my goodness, this is a miracle,” Nora cried, holding onto William.
“Everyone calm down, it’s okay, she’s awake that’s all that matters,” William said squeezing her arm, “Baby, you’re okay, I promise. Everything is okay.”
Oh God, I must have lost the baby.
Falling back into the bed, Audrey griped the sheets in frustration, tears spilling from her eyes. That was the only reason she could think that everyone kept saying she was okay, and not the baby. Didn’t Fallon know that this was the most important thing to her? Nora knew that too, so why wasn’t anyone telling her anything? Looking up at Tate through clouded eyes, she wished she had had the chance to tell him. At least they would have had that little moment to celebrate the fact they could have kids. She wanted to scream that she loved him and that she was sorry she couldn’t protect herself and their child. She could tell by the look in his eyes, he had been so worried about her.
“Baby, it’s okay,” he said softly, moving close to her, kissing her forehead. She closed her eyes tight, basking in the feel of his lips as he said, “You are okay, I know it must hurt but you’re awake, I can see your eyes, baby, I have missed them so much.”
I’ve missed yours, how long have I been out?
“And now we get to blow this popsicle stand when you’re better and get ready to raise our little chicken, which by the way I think is a great nickname, I thought the same thing when they showed me the ultrasound. That yolk sack is weird, huh?”
It was like her heart stopped and then blew up in her chest. Her eyes went wide as his smile grew, and his hand squeezed hers. She was still pregnant; there was still a little chicken in her and he loved her nickname like she knew he would. He was weird like her; they were made for each other. They still were having a baby!
“Everything is fine, baby, breathe, it is okay,” Tate said calmly since all Fallon could do was cry and whisper she loved Audrey. It was what he wanted to do, but someone had to be the calm one here. Lucas still looked half asleep, so Tate knew he was no help. “I’m here, Fallon’s here, everyone is here. Just breathe.”
Audrey nodded, tears welling up in her eyes as she looked up at him. He gave her a full smile as he leaned down and kissed her forehead. Her hands were shaking and Tate knew she was freaking out. Leaning over her, he reached for the nurse button and pressed it, waiting for the nurse to come over the line. When she did, he smiled and said, “Audrey is awake.”
***
Audrey’s body was on fire.
She hurt from the top of her head to the tip of her toes. Looking from Tate’s face to Fallon’s, she tried to tell them that she was hurting, but she couldn’t move her mouth. She went to reach up to her face, but Fallon stopped her.
“No, honey, that’s your ventilator, just hold on,” Fallon said through tears that rushed down her cheeks. She looked so tired, so distraught.
Why the hell was she on a ventilator?
“It’s okay, baby, everything is going to be alright, the doctors are on their way,” Tate said from the other side of her. She looked up into his beautiful face to see his tears welling up in his eyes.
What the hell was going on?
Where was she? And why was she hurting so badly? She felt like her face was ripped apart, she couldn’t see very well out of her left eye, and her throat was burning.
Suddenly, it was like everything hit her at once.
Levi had beaten the living shit out of her. She thought she was going to die under his strong hand. No, she was convinced of it. Now, by some kind of miracle, she was breathing. With every strike from his hand, she grew weaker and a little piece of her life passed before her eyes. She tried to fight back, but he was too strong. Every time she tried to move away, he would take her by her hair, and slam her against the wall. Why did he stop? Why didn’t he kill her? Did Fallon stop him? Before she passed out, she heard Fallon’s voice. Did she save her? Looking up at her sister, she looked fine except that she looked tired, they all did.
Her mother and father came into view, both crying as they came to Fallon’s side, holding onto Audrey’s arm while Tate’s thumb ran along the back of her knuckles.
“My sweet baby girl, I’ve been so worried,” her mother cried.
Baby.
Her baby!
Pulling her hands from Tate and Fallon, she moved her hands to her mid-section, her eyes wide with worry. Was her baby okay? Was there still a baby? Did Levi kill it? Did she not protect it well enough?
Oh my God, someone, tell me f**king something! She screamed in her head.
She wanted to scream for answers, but it seemed that no one knew what was going on. Her eyes darted from each of their faces as she held her stomach, but they all looked around, confused.
“Are you sick honey? Does your stomach hurt?” Nora asked.
No! Is my baby okay! Take this f**king tube out my throat!
She reached over, taking both Fallon’s hands in hers. Fallon just looked lost and confused as Audrey’s eyes bored into her, hoping for some kind of sisterly telepathic powers or something! Shouldn’t she just know what Audrey needed to know!? They were sisters! She put Fallon’s hand on her stomach, and pushing through the pain, pointed to Fallon’s stomach, but Fallon just sat there crying.
“What’s wrong, is she hurting, where the f**k are the doctors?” Lucas yelled, holding Fallon close.
“I thought I was going to lose you, A,” Fallon cried.
“Oh my goodness, this is a miracle,” Nora cried, holding onto William.
“Everyone calm down, it’s okay, she’s awake that’s all that matters,” William said squeezing her arm, “Baby, you’re okay, I promise. Everything is okay.”
Oh God, I must have lost the baby.
Falling back into the bed, Audrey griped the sheets in frustration, tears spilling from her eyes. That was the only reason she could think that everyone kept saying she was okay, and not the baby. Didn’t Fallon know that this was the most important thing to her? Nora knew that too, so why wasn’t anyone telling her anything? Looking up at Tate through clouded eyes, she wished she had had the chance to tell him. At least they would have had that little moment to celebrate the fact they could have kids. She wanted to scream that she loved him and that she was sorry she couldn’t protect herself and their child. She could tell by the look in his eyes, he had been so worried about her.
“Baby, it’s okay,” he said softly, moving close to her, kissing her forehead. She closed her eyes tight, basking in the feel of his lips as he said, “You are okay, I know it must hurt but you’re awake, I can see your eyes, baby, I have missed them so much.”
I’ve missed yours, how long have I been out?
“And now we get to blow this popsicle stand when you’re better and get ready to raise our little chicken, which by the way I think is a great nickname, I thought the same thing when they showed me the ultrasound. That yolk sack is weird, huh?”
It was like her heart stopped and then blew up in her chest. Her eyes went wide as his smile grew, and his hand squeezed hers. She was still pregnant; there was still a little chicken in her and he loved her nickname like she knew he would. He was weird like her; they were made for each other. They still were having a baby!
