“I know, babe. Let them do their job.”
Reluctantly, he steps aside. From the right side, a fireman appears just as another does on my left. I didn’t even notice the large truck my car was pinned against had been removed. Maybe that’s why Carter was keeping my attention? So that I wouldn’t see what was happening around me.
Once the fireman is finished clearing the way, a woman steps up next to me.
“Ma’am, my name is Sarah. We’re here to take good care of you. But first, I need you to hold still so we can assess your injuries before moving you.”
“Okay. Just… my baby.”
“We’ll be extra cautious.”
Before long, I have a fabric brace secured around my neck and my vitals are being taken. My oxygen level and blood pressure are normal, thankfully. I feel like I’ve answered a million questions about my health history, what hurts, and what I remember from the accident. I’ve been asked what time of day it is, what day of the week, my name and where I work. She cleans up the side of my head and lets me know that the bleeding has stopped and I am very lucky.
“Before I can move you from here, we need to make sure there is nothing extensive we haven’t identified, like a spinal cord injury. Now that your legs are free, how do they feel?”
“They hurt a little.”
“That’s understandable.” She places a hand down by my feet. “Can you tip your foot up and touch my hand?” I do as instructed and she nods in encouragement. “Good. Now can you push my hand down?” Again, I follow the instructions and do as she asks. “All right. That’s great, Ashley. One more time. Can you do both feet together? Both up and down.”
After passing those tests, she sits back on her heels. “Have you noticed any change with the baby? Have you noticed if you’re bleeding between your legs?”
I place a hand on my stomach and shake my head. “No. Nothing different. Right at first I had a bit of cramping but it’s gone away.”
“This is all excellent news, Ashley. We’re going to move you from the car, okay? If at any point, the pain increases and we need to stop, you tell us.”
“Okay.”
Together, two paramedics, Carter from earlier, and Sarah, move me out of the car and onto a bed that’s on the ground next to me. With extreme care, they lay me down flat and strap me onto the bed before raising it up.
“How are you doing, Ashley? Any new pain or discomfort?”
“I’m good.”
As they’re moving me to, I assume, the ambulance, Nik appears at my side, his face looming over top of me, looking beyond terrified. He doesn’t hide his emotions well at all.
“I’m here,” he says urgently.
I lick my lips and do my best to reassure him. “Everything is going to be okay.”
“Yeah. Yeah, I know.” Nik nods rapidly but he doesn’t seem convinced of his words.
“Babe? I promise, I’m fine. The paramedics checked me out. Bumps and bruises.”
He leans his forehead against mine, kisses me once, then pulls back. “Sorry. It’s just that I have never been more scared in my life. I really thought I’d lost you both,” he admits, his eyes wet with tears.
“Sir, we need to take her to the hospital to have them check her over. You’re welcome to follow us,” Carter tells Nik.
“I can’t ride with her?”
“I’m sorry, but no.”
He doesn’t look happy about it but he agrees. “I’ll be right behind you,” he assures me, as if I expected any differently.
Sarah climbs into the ambulance with me. Once the doors are closed, she gets to work, continuing to monitor me and checking me over.
“He’s very protective,” Sarah murmurs after looking out the back window.
“Yeah,” I agree, warmth spreading through my chest.
It’s not incredibly comforting to hear the sirens blaring as they transport me to the hospital. I know I don’t have life-threatening injuries, but the fact that they needed to turn on the sirens and lights makes me nervous. I tell myself it’s standard procedure for peace of mind.
Luckily, it doesn’t take us long to arrive at the hospital. The back doors open and Sarah jumps out of the door and immediately into action, telling the doctors and nurses what she learned about my injuries and accident, what they need to pay attention to and check out more closely.
“Thirty-three-year old female, involved in a three-car motor vehicle accident. She’s in her seventh month of pregnancy.”
“Page OB for emergency consult!” someone calls out and Sarah doesn’t miss a beat before continuing with her evaluation.
“She has lacerations on her left temple, a concussion, her left wrist appears to be possibly broken.” Huh? It does? Maybe it’s from the adrenaline pumping but I didn’t even notice it was in that much pain. Though, they were checking everything over and I do remember feeling a twinge of discomfort when they got to my left arm. I remember telling them it hurt but it certainly didn’t feel broken or anything. I must have shown some level of pain for her to consider the possibility of it being broken. “Does not appear to have other extensive injuries. Legs were trapped under the dash, but she has feeling in them. Airbags deployed. Vitals have remained normal while she’s been with us, breathing regular, though did increase just slightly on the trip here.”
“Got it. Thanks, Sarah,” the woman who I assume is a doctor says. Probably one of the benefits of working in a small town, the paramedics and ER doctors and nurses get to be on a first-name basis.
“Welcome.”
As they’re wheeling me into the emergency room through the ambulance bay, I see Nik running through the parking lot.
Sarah intercepts him, and I wonder how long it will take before he’s breaking down the doors to get to wherever they’re taking me.
Chapter Nineteen
Nikolas
“I’m sorry, sir, but you can’t go back there.”
“That’s bullshit and you know it. And don’t call me sir, Mia. We’ve known each other since the third grade.”
“Nik. I’m trying to do my job here. You have to let me do that.”
“Mia, she’s mine. I’m her emergency contact, right? That means I have every right to know what the fuck is going on! She’s also carrying my baby,” I growl, slamming a fist to my chest. “That counts for a helluva lot more than the bullshit family that claims her. Blood doesn’t mean shit.” That’s not necessarily true. Most of her family is great. But Grace? I can’t even think about what she asked Ashley right now. She’s not worth it. Not when the woman I’ve fallen in love with is lying on a hospital bed and Mia won’t let me get to her.
She gives me a funny look, her eyebrows scrunched. “I’m sorry, Nik, I didn’t realize you were her emergency contact for some reason. I must have overlooked it.” Mia looks behind her and back to me.
“Overlooked it? What the hell?”
She huffs. “I was sent out here to talk with you because they knew you were going to be difficult and that I knew you, okay? I know you’re her emergency contact — of course I do. I’m not a moron. But you’re not helping anyone by screaming and hollering at everyone.”