The red streak in my panties made me pause and take a deep breath. The terror slowly starting to invade my thoughts made breathing difficult. I stood there staring down at my panties wondering if this was normal. If this could be okay. I should have called Rush. I took a moment to pray. I didn’t do it often but right now I needed someone to protect my baby.
After my silent plea, I stepped out of the dressing room, went over to the table and covered up my bare bottom half. A swift knock on the door then a pause before it opened made me feel marginally better. I was going to have help. This doctor would know what to do. I hoped. A much younger than I expected man walked in followed by the nurse who had brought me to the room.
“Miss Wynn, I’m Doctor Sheridan. Harlow told me that you’re experiencing cramps and you’re a long way from your doctor in Florida.”
I nodded. “Yes, sir. I’m also bleeding a little.” The words came out in a choked sob I hadn’t been expecting.
“There now, this could be something as simple as dehydration. Don’t worry it won’t help things,” he said as he took his seat and had me slip my feet up into the stirrups. “What are you doing so far away from home?” he asked as he started to examine me.
“My fiancé and I are here visiting his father,” I explained and left it at that. No reason to tell the man the real reason we were here.
“How do you know Harlow?” he asked.
“My fiancé’s father is Dean Finlay,” I said figuring if the man was a fan of Kiro he’d be able to figure that out easy enough.
He paused. “Really? So this baby we’re checking on in here is Dean Finlay’s grandchild?”
I nodded and wished he’d stop asking so many questions and get on with the exam. I needed to know my baby was okay. He seemed to get more serious about his examination.
“I don’t want to alarm you Miss Wynn but we need to do an ultrasound to check the baby. After that, I want to monitor you and the baby for a couple of hours here in the office. This happens often. I am just taking precautions and making sure all is well. I also want you to drink some fluids for me. Melanie will bring you something to drink once we get finished with the ultrasound. We have a room in the back just for this. It has a comfortable bed. Melanie will dim the lights and play relaxing music while you rest.
He wasn’t admitting me to the hospital. This was a good thing... right? I managed to nod again.
“I’ll have Melanie go tell Harlow what we’re doing in case she wants to go do something else until you call her. Is that alright with you?” he asked.
I had forgotten about Harlow. “Yes, of course. Tell her I said to leave. I’ll let her know when to come back. I don’t want her sitting here all that time.”
The doctor nodded and headed out the door. The nurse who I was assuming was Melanie, helped me up. “Go get your bottoms back on and then I’ll take you to get the ultrasound.”
RUSH
By the time I got to Nan’s hotel room, I was pissed. I had left Blaire upset and it was all Nan’s f**king fault. If she weren’t so damn selfish, I wouldn’t even be here. I needed to tell her that she had to grow up and deal. I was done. I couldn’t keep on doing this. She had to figure this out. I was her crutch.
I knocked on the door to her hotel room and waited. I’d checked with the doorman and Nan had returned about fifteen minutes ago so I knew she was here. I waited a few minutes then knocked again and got nothing. More damn games. I started pounding on the door harder. “Nannette, open this door,” I called out.
A bellman paused when he saw me beating on Nan’s door. “My sister’s in here and she isn’t answering. I’m worried about her,” I lied. “Could you open the door?”
The man still didn’t look too sure about me. I could tell by the look on his face he was close to calling security. Nan would love that. I reached in my back pocket and pulled out my wallet. “Check my license. I’m Rush Finlay. My sister Nannette is in that room. Having me escorted out is a really bad idea.”
“Yes sir,” the bellman replied. He had recognized my last name. In LA that happened a hell of a lot more than it did in Florida.
He had the door opened and I was stalking inside the suite getting ready to yell at Nan for being a child when I saw her crumpled body on the sofa. She was lying there in an unnatural position. I ran over to her and felt for a pulse to find a weak one against my fingers. I wanted to weep from relief. “I need paramedics, NOW,” I roared as the bellman stood at the door gaping at Nan.
“Yes, sir,” he replied and took the phone from his waist and started telling whoever was on the other end exactly what was going on.
“What did you do, Nan?” I asked as my heart slammed painfully against my chest. My throat was tight and I couldn’t get a deep breath. I hadn’t believed her. I had thought she was trying to get attention. I’d become like everyone else in her life. I had ignored her. I was a horrible brother. I held her against my chest as my phone vibrated in my pocket. I pulled it out, saw Harlow’s name on the screen and tossed it aside. I wasn’t in the mood to talk to Harlow. She was part of what tormented Nan. I didn’t have anything to say to her at the moment.
I rocked her in my arms gently. This was Kiro’s fault. He’d pay for this. If something happened to her he’d pay for this. “I have you Nan. I won’t leave you but you can’t leave me,” I whispered as we waited for help.
It felt like forever before I heard feet pounding down the hall and the doorman say, “In here.”
Three paramedics came rushing into the room and I handed Nan over to them. They began checking her vitals as I stood there and watched helplessly. I heard my phone ring from where I’d tossed it on the floor. I should get it.
“She’s taken something. Do you know what it is?” one of the men asked me.
“No, I just got here,” I replied, numb. She’d overdosed. Holy shit. I ran to the bathroom and found two empty prescription bottles in the sink. Too many pain killers. “FUCK!” I roared. A paramedic was beside me taking the bottles from me.
“We need to get her stomach pumped. Are you family?” he asked.