I rest. There haven’t been any cramps, so far.” She looked at Jenna and Elizabeth and tried to smile. “I got to see the ultrasound of the baby. I saw his heart beating.”
“There you go. You concentrate on that. The baby is going to be just fine.”
“I hope so. I couldn’t bear to lose my baby. Would one of you stay with me for a while today?”
Sam knew she didn’t have anyone and Cameron couldn’t be counted on. They’d already called him this morning and told him to meet them at the hospital. He had no idea Marti was hurt. He hadn’t taken the time to find out before going to Shelly. “One of us will stay with you for as long as you need us.”
“Thank you, Sam. I hate to be a baby about it, but I don’t want to be alone. Too much time to think.”
“I know what you mean. Thinking is overrated. It’s too bad they can’t just knock you out.”
“The medication they gave me doesn’t work, and it’s the best they have without risking the baby’s health.”
“You must be in terrible pain,” Elizabeth said. She and Jenna had been through a lot. They’d at least had the benefit of good drugs.
“It only hurts when I breathe or move.” She smiled and cringed at the same time.
“Believe it or not, it’s hard to keep still. Isn’t it?” Sam knew just what she was going through. He’d been shot in the back. His bulletproof vest had saved him, but his muscles had gone into spasm. Even the slightest twitch twisted the muscles into massive pain.
“Yes. Every little shift sends shockwaves of pain through me.”
They all sat with her for a while and talked amongst themselves when she quieted.
“You need to check on Emma and make sure she’s all right.”
“Don’t worry, Marti, we’ll do everything possible to make sure she’s taken care of and Shelly gets what she deserves. We’ll set Cameron straight,” Sam promised.
“Give it up. He went too far when he left me on the stairs.”
“You don’t mean that,” Jenna said.
“I can’t do it anymore. How many times does he have to prove he intends to marry her, no matter what.”
“What about the baby?” Elizabeth asked. “Now that he knows you’re pregnant, he’ll change his mind.”
“He hasn’t yet. I don’t think he ever will. Not after yesterday.”
CAMERON EXITED THE elevator on a tear. Sam called and told him to meet him at Marti’s hospital room. He gave him the room number and nothing else. He hadn’t even said how bad she was hurt. Jimmy arrived in Marti’s car just as he was leaving the house. Without a word, and giving him the silent treatment all the way, he’d switched cars and drove him to the hospital.
Worse than anything, Cameron felt worse than guilty he didn’t even know she was hurt in the first place.
Steps away from the door, he overheard the doctor outside her room saying, “. . . she lost it.” Those words tore his heart to shreds.
Marti lost the baby. His baby.
He’d spent the night consoling Shelly, lying in bed with her. She was completely traumatized by Marti’s attack.
Now, to find out Marti hurt herself in the fall and lost his baby because of her jealousy over Shelly. It was too much to bear.
He may have just found out about the baby, but he’d wanted it more than anything because it was a piece of Marti too and their love.
Consumed with anger and hurt, he burst into her room. Jack, Sam, Elizabeth, and Jenna sat around Marti’s bed.
Pale, completely still, her leg hung suspended by a sling encased in a brace. A brace strapped around her middle held her arm across her chest.
“Nice of you to show up. A day late if you ask me, but I’m glad you finally made it to see the woman you supposedly love.” Sam couldn’t take it any longer. Watching Marti fight the pain for the last half hour had taken its toll on him and everyone else.
Cameron came over to the bed and glared down at Marti. She looked terrible, and he thought she deserved it for killing his baby.
“You just couldn’t leave it alone. You had to go after Shelly. You were so jealous, you tried to throw her down the stairs and instead you fell and killed my baby with you. I’ll never forgive you for this.”
Stunned, she couldn’t respond. She’d expected him to think she’d tried to hurt Shelly, but why would he think she’d