Danger lurking 2.

Danger lurking 2.

"Elenora! Elenora!"

I can hear a faraway voice calling my name but I don't know where the voice is coming from. It's like it's coming from everywhere and nowhere. My eyelids feel so heavy as if they've been permanently shut and it is a struggle to open them .

I hear more voices in my head, frantic and worried, stern and calm. All of them a cacophony of sounds so loud that it feels like they are all inside my brain.

I slowly peel my eyes open and I'm aware that I'm not in my apartment anymore. I can feel strong arms around me as I am lifted into a vehicle.

My vision is blurry, but I can still make out the paramedics uniform and the sound of the siren is faint but firm in my ears.

In the midst of all the noise all I can hold on to is the scent of Ross as my hearing and sight is in a state of utter confusion.
The spicy woody scent keeps me grounded as I keep on breathing him into me.
There are so many things going on around me that it just hurts to try and process them all.

I hear whimpers behind me that sounds like Kathy and I struggle to look back but the heaviness is so unbearable that I can't even bring myself to look back.

My eyelids flutter open and I look around to find Ross and a paramedic peering at me.

I can't find the words to say because my throat feels so dry and scratchy.

Every word I try to utter comes out either as a croak or a groan.

What happened?

I ask myself and slowly my brain replays how I found a finger in a box and a note.

My hand moves to my belly and I release a sigh comforted by the weight of my protruding belly.

I turn to Ross who nods his head with a sad smile on his face.

"They're fine. They're okay. You're doing great!" He whispers as he plants a kiss on my forehead.

I close my eyes again as the tiredness pulls me back in.


"We've got a pregnant female!"

A voice shouts and I can feel myself being transferred onto a stretcher.

I still feel too weak to stand up or even properly open my eyes but I can see the blinding white lights of the hospital and the doctors and nurses in scrubs.

"What's her name?" A doctor seemed to ask someone close to me.

I know it might be Ross since I can still smell his cologne. I know he's with me and the thought of that alone comforts me.

"Elenora Hamilton, she's twenty eight, she's seven months gone. She just recently witnessed a traumatic experience, I think she fainted or went into shock..

"I don't know. Please, just save her! She's all I have. All that really matters to me"

Ross's voice breaks as if he's on the verge of tears.

"Step back sir! She'll be fine" A firm voice says and I can hear Ross's weak protests.

I feel him being separated from me as his hands leave the comfort of mine.

My hand feels so cold without his in mine.

I'm vaguely aware of the doctors talking around me, giving orders and passing commands.

My head is spinning in all the noise and confusion.

It's not long before I feel the sharp sting of a needle on my arm and it lulls me into sleep.

I wake up in the plush comfort of a bed and a view. The room is darkly lit but beautifully decorated.
I know that I'm in a hospital because of the IV hooked up to my arm and the hospital gown on me.

But why the hell am I here?

I ask myself as I look around.

In the private ward the atmosphere is completely different. The air has a perfumed scent and the seats are warm and  plush. Every surface is dustless. The nurses who later attend to me are unhurried and they move with a serene purposefulness from room to room on their rounds. There are vases of flowers and beautiful framed pieces of art on the walls. In the corridor is a water dispenser and a large television with muted sound is on the wall.

Ross walks in with a doctor following closely behind him and my heart leaps as I see him.

"Ross!" I call out and he smiles at me as he pulls me into a hug the minute he reaches my side.

I bury my face in the crook of his neck as I breathe in more of him, I miss him so much.

He looks extremely tired.

"What the hell happened? Why am I here?"

I ask as I look at him and the doctor who gives me a small smile.

"It's nice to meet you Mrs Hamilton"

"Why am I here Doctor? What's wrong with me?"

The doctor looks over at my files.

"You have been putting a lot of stress on yourself Mrs Hamilton, it can negatively affect your pregnancy. The buildup of that stress coupled with what you witnessed earlier was what caused you to faint."

I put a hand on my belly as I look at Ross.

"I didn't know that I was stressed out. I mean, I feel fine"

The doctor grimaced.

"You might feel fine now Mrs Hamilton but that was not the case a few minutes ago. Too much pressure on your body can affect your pregnancy. Have you been working lately? Or been in a lot of stress related situations?" The Doctor asks and I scoff.

"I work. In fact I just finished a very important project for my company recently. And yes, I may have been in a few stressful situations but I thought I had to constantly be on my feet to be healthy!"

"There's always a limit Mrs Hamilton. We're going to put you on compulsory bed rest."

"For about two weeks" he adds.

My eyes widen as the thought of staying in the hospital while everyone else moved on was sickening.

"No! No! No!"

"No offence but I can't stay in the hospital for that long"

The doctor signs as if he has dealt with a lot of difficult patients before and I raise my eyebrows at him.

"I'm afraid you'll have to Mrs Hamilton." he replies.

"I'll check on you later, I'm Doctor Walker by the way. Your regular ObGyn doctor will be here shortly"

He gives me a tight smile and walks away.

"I can't stay in here for a night. Or even a week! You have to talk to him about that because I'm not doing it"

Ross's eyes looks at me pleadingly as he takes my hands in his.

"Elenora. I want you to think about the babies. I know you don't want anything to hurt them but this is the best way for you to protect them. In fact, this is the only way."

"I know Ross! But if I stay here for two weeks! I will definitely go crazy. There has to be something else we can do. There has to be a way to protect them other than this way"

"There isn't! Let's just forget about everything else for now and focus on our children Elenora!"

He looks so worried and tired that I can't even argue further.

I think he's just as tired as me, about everything.

Tears stream down my eyes as I think of everything that has been going on.

"How Ross?!!!"

"Tell me how I'm going to focus on our kids when someone sent me a box with a finger in it!"

Ross looks away quickly with a hand closely covering his mouth.

"How am I supposed to focus when I'm supposed to be with Kathy for her one year checkup?"

My voice goes higher and higher and I can see Ross flinching.


"How am I supposed to focus when you might lose everything? Our very future lies in our children and we have to protect them!"

Ross runs a frustrated hand over his hair and he buries his face in his hands for a few seconds.

"I'm trying. I'm doing all I can Elenora!"

His voice is muffled by his hands but I can tell that he's in so much pain and conflict.

The two of us have been through so much the last few weeks, it has taken just this one incident to unravel us both.

"I know you can. But you have to let me help you. We can do it together." I tell Ross but he stays quiet.

I make rook for him in my bed as he slowly crawls onto it and lies next to it with a large rough hand on my belly. I can feel his touch through the thin fabric of my hospital gown.

"Did you tell the police everything?"

It takes a while before Ross answers.

"No. We didn't mention that Carter is a suspect. Nor the fact that we know where the waiter was. His name is Carlos by the way"

I raise my head to look at Ross, his eyes are closed as if they're in sleep.

"Why didn't you?"

"For all I know, Carter might have an inside man with the police. Believe me when I say Carlos is well hidden. It won't take time before the police finds his girlfriend"

"Do you think she's dead?" I ask in a small voice so low that I didn't think Ross would have heard it.

"No, for all we know it could have been someone else's finger. The police claimed that no one has reported her missing yet. They're still investigating."

"Hnmmm"

A long silence fills the air as I gently stroke Ross's dark hair. He heaves a sign of relief. I feel so safe and complete with him next to me that it feels unreal.

Unreal that I am not bothered about whatever is coming as long as I'm facing it with Ross.

"What about Mr Dunham?" I ask and Ross stands up to look at me.

"I'm sorry. I asked Sophia for help."

I slowly untangle my hands from his .

"Why would you do that without informing me?"

"She offered. Kerry told her what was going on and she was more than happy to help. She sounded so convinced that she could get the truth out of Carter that I had to beg her to help"

"You should have told me earlier."

"I'm sorry. I was going to tell you after birth class but then all this happened" he replies as he points to the hospital suite.

"What's going to happen now?"

I ask him with uncertainty lacing my voice

"I think I may be able to convince the doctor to let you spend your two weeks at home. But not our home."

"Where? My new apartment?" 

Ross shakes his head.

"No. I will call my grandparents. I am sure that they will be more than happy to spend two weeks with you."

"But what about the baby shower?"

Ros shrugged.

"We can have it right after you're back from your two week rest."

The tone in Ross's voice portrays so much seriousness that it is impossible to complain.

And he is right, I have to start thinking about the babies too.

They are my number one priority.

"I will also be assigning a personal bodyguard for you. I though it would be too extreme before but now I see that it's a necessary evil. He'll start work tonight. He'll be stationed right outside your door" Ross points to the door.

"Don't you think you're being a little paranoid?"

Ross looks at me for a long time before kissing my lips softly and slowly.
He caresses my face slowly and I close my eyes to savor his hands on my skin.

"I don't think I'm being paranoid enough Elenora. I will do anything to protect you and our babies"

"I love you Elenora" he declares out loud and my jaw drops.

I try to form words in my mouth to say to Ross But I can't even bring myself to form a single letter.

"Is that so?"

Nick's voice brings us at of our trance as we both look up at him surprised.

How did he know?

He is standing in front of the door way with flowers in his hands with an expression so angry and hurt that I'm afraid he's going to hurl something at Ross.

It's going to be a long day.