Chapter 143 Part 143
Asher
His hands felt sweaty around the steering wheel, and his heart was hammering against his ribs. He was driving too fast, but it didn’t feel fast enough. Emerson still had a pulse, but the blood scared him half to death.
He parked in front of the emergency doors, and got Emerson from the backseat. He left the doors open and ran inside, yelling for help. Lindy saw him first, and she reacted instantaneously.
“She’s almost 36 weeks pregnant. Jeanette’s her doctor! She’s bleeding, and I found her unconscious. I don’t know how long she was on the floor.”
“Dr. Blackwell’s on call tonight,” Lindy said. “Page Dr. Blackwell! I’m taking her down to surgery!”
Asher was stopped by another nurse and he watched as Lindy disappeared with Emerson as more people joined her, and pushed her down the hall. He looked down and saw the blood that had stained his arm.
He dragged his hands over his face and pulled his phone from his pocket. He dialed his father’s number and paced as he listened to the line ringing.
“Fitzgerald,” he answered.
“Pops, it’s Emerson. I’m at the hospital—”
“What happened?”
Asher sank down into a chair, and he could feel the tears well up in his eyes. “I don’t know Pops. I should’ve gone to her house sooner. I found her on the floor bleeding.”
“We’re on our way,” he said, and ended the call.
Asher lowered his head into his hands, and he clenched his eyes shut. He wasn’t going to cry until he knew exactly what was going on. She had to be okay. Henri had to be okay. He couldn’t lose them, either of them.
It was only a few minutes later when his father and brothers walked through the doors, and headed toward him. His father grabbed him in a tight hug, and patted his back.
“Have you heard anything?”
Asher shook his head. “No.”
Dylan handed him a styrofoam cup of coffee a while later. “Thanks.”
“If something was wrong, someone would’ve come out to tell you by now.”
“Or she’s still hanging on, and they’re trying to save them both,” Asher said.
Blair’s hand squeezed his shoulder. “Keep your faith, Asher. It’s in God’s hands, and God doesn’t take lives.”
It felt like hours before those doors swung open and a woman in scrubs walked toward them. “Family for Emerson Reid?”
“That’s us,” Thomas said. “We’re her family.”
“I’m the baby’s father,” Asher said.
“I’m Dr. Carter, and I assisted Dr. Blackwell. Your baby boy was born a little underweight, but he is perfectly healthy, and currently in the nursery. Emerson lost a lot of blood, but we were able to stabilize her, and perform an emergency C-section. Dr. Blackwell is still busy with her but she will be taken to recovery very soon. Dr. Blackwell will inform you when you can go in and see her.”
“Can I see my son?”
“Of course,” she said.
“We’ll wait here for you,” Colt said, for once not grinning. His expression was one of relief, just like Asher’s.
He followed Dr. Carter through the same doors she’d come in from, and they waited for the elevator. “Emerson’s really fine?”
“She’s really fine,” she said, and smiled.
“Thank you.”
A few minutes later, Asher was standing in a room adjacent to the nursery, and he watched in awe as Dr. Carter picked up a baby, and walked toward him. It felt like his heart rate slowed and everything was happening in slow motion.
“This is your son, baby Reid,” she said.
“Henri Fitzgerald,” Asher said, as she placed him in his arms.
“You can sit over there. The nurse will be with you shortly for his first feed. With the anesthesia and blood transfusion that Emerson received, she won’t be able to breastfeed as she originally indicated.”
“That’s fine. They’re both okay, milk is milk,” Asher said.
The nurse left him in the room and he sat in awe. Henri was beautiful, perfect in every possible way. His finger trailed over Henri’s head, the dark hair soft, and fuzzy feeling.
“You’re perfect, Henri Thomas Fitzgerald, just perfect,” he whispered.
When Henri was back in his bassinet, Asher took a few pictures with his phone, and went back to the waiting room. His phone was passed around, and Asher couldn’t stop smiling.
“He’s perfect,” Thomas said.
“Emerson named him Henri Thomas Fitzgerald, Pops.”
Emotion clouded his eyes, and he smiled. “That’s a fine name, son.”
“She should’ve named him Colt, I mean, she checked out my ass,” Colt said, and everyone chuckled.
“I’m really glad you were all here, but they’re not going to let you see Emerson tonight. Dr. Carter already said I could go in. She might not even wake up for a few more hours.”
“When she does wake up, give her our regards,” Blair said.
“Thank you. Will you check in on Cassidy and the boys?”
“Of course,” Blair said.
“Forward that picture to Eden. She’d be here, but Genesis’ fever is up and down,” Finn said.
He watched them all leave, and a few minutes later, Jeanette found him in the waiting room. “Asher.”
“She’s okay?”
“They’ve moved her to the maternity ward. I’ll take you to her room. She’s still asleep, but I’m sure she’ll wake up in the next hour or so.”
Asher followed Jeanette to the fifth floor. He inhaled deeply before he walked into Emerson’s room. He closed the door behind him softly, and sat down in the visitor chair.
Emerson was pale, her stomach still swollen, and he gripped her hand in his. He let go of everything, and let his emotions take over. The tears rolled down his cheeks, his shoulders shook, but he didn’t make a sound.
He checked his watch, and realized, only three hours had passed since he’d found Emerson, but it felt like days. He was exhausted, relieved, and a feeling of love so powerful that it could bring him to his knees overwhelmed him. It didn’t take long for him to lean back against the chair and close his eyes.