Sydney rushes into the bathroom, her face pale. “Nadine, what’s happening?” she asks, with a trembling voice.
I point to the bloodstain on my pants. “I don’t know, Syd. I thought it was just normal cramps, but now… I don’t know.”
“Oh my gosh, Nadine, this doesn’t look good. We need to get to the hospital now,” she says urgently. She hurried back to my room, grabbing the dress I had taken off.
She hands it to me. “Okay, Nadine, put this on,” she instructs.
“Okay, thanks,” I reply, trying to get dressed despite my shaky hands. Panic grips me, something I never anticipated with my pregnancy. All my antenatal visits had been reassuring, but now, with everything seeming off, I wonder why.
I’ve been feeling cramps in my lower abdomen, but I didn’t expect them to result in blood. I had dismissed it, thinking it was just the baby growing and adjusting.
All I can do is hope that this is just a scare and that my baby is still safe. I need to believe that. I have to.
“Hurry!” Sydney’s voice jolts me from my thoughts as I struggle to pull the gown down.
Sydney rushes to my side, helping me up from the toilet seat. With her support, I managed to walk out of the bathroom, each step more painful than the last. We move slowly down the hall and carefully descend the stairs. I’m terrified of what might happen, but I force myself to stay focused on getting through this.
By the time we got outside, the guy from earlier was gone.
Maybe that’s why Sydney had heard me scream-thankfully, she’d been able to come to my aid right away.
Sydney hurries to her car, quickly opening the door before rushing back to help me inside.
“Stay with me, Nadine. Are you in a lot of pain?” she asks, with a trembling voice.
I shake my head, unable to speak as a headache starts to creep in, worsening my discomfort.
As we drive, Sydney glances back at me frequently, asking if I’m okay. I can only nod in response, the pain growing unbearable.
Every bump in the road feels like a jolt, and I grip the seat, trying to steady my breathing.
In no time, we arrived at the hospital. Sydney dashes out of the car and calls out to a nearby nurse, her voice urgent and desperate.
The nurse quickly comes over, and Sydney helps me out of the car, supporting me as we make our way to the emergency entrance.
“Please, she needs help,” Sydney says urgently.
The nurse springs into action, guiding us through the doors and into the waiting area.
“Can you tell me what’s happening?” the nurse asks as she leads us to an examination room.
I struggle to speak through the pain but manage to say, “I’ve been having cramps and noticed bleeding.”
The nurse nods and helps me onto the examination table. Sydney stays by my side, gripping my hand tightly.
As the nurse calls for a doctor, I close my eyes, focusing on my breathing. I hope everything will be alright, despite the overwhelming fear that something might be seriously wrong.
***
Sydney’s POV
Seeing Nadine in this state makes my heart ache. I can’t imagine her losing the baby; I’ve always seen the joy on her face whenever she talks about him.
Nadine has come to mean a lot to me. She reminds me so much of my cousin Isabelle, which made me want to get to know her better.
Isabelle disappeared without a trace, and despite our efforts, we haven’t found her. I had hoped that finding Nadine was like finding Isabelle, but now, learning that her name isn’t Isabelle, my shock is overwhelming.
Once we reach the examination room, the nurses carefully place her on the bed. I stay by her side, holding her hand and trying to be there for her. Nadine’s face is pale.
A doctor enters, quickly assessing the situation and asking questions about her symptoms. I answer as best as I can.
I sit in the waiting room, feeling anxiety creeping in. Nadine has been through so much already; losing her baby is simply not an option. I shake my head, trying to dispel the fear.
It occurs to me that I need to call Ethan. I pull out my phone and dial his number.
“Sydney Blake, how are you?” Ethan’s voice is casual and kind of laid back.
“Ethan, how fast can you get to the hospital?” I ask, cutting straight to the point.
His tone immediately sharpens. “Hospital? Is Nadine alright?” he asks, in panic.
I roll my eyes, though he can’t see me. “Nadine is being rushed to the hospital. She’s having complications with her pregnancy.”
“Oh my gosh!” Ethan’s scream is so loud that I pull my phone away from my ear to avoid the piercing sound.
“I’m coming right away. Give me the address,” he says urgently.
I provide him with the address and hang up, then return to my seat in the waiting room. My gaze is fixed on the door.
I rest my head in my hands when I hear someone burst into the waiting room. I look up to see Ethan, his disheveled appearance suggesting he was pulled from sleep.
“Ethan, you look like shit,” I say, trying to lighten the tense mood.
“Oh please, Syd. How is she? What happened? Is she going to be alright?” Ethan’s words tumble out in a rush.
“Slow down, Ethan. She’s in the ER being attended to. It’s a good thing we got here on time to manage the situation.”
Ethan lets out a sigh of relief as he slowly sits down, his eyes locked on the door. I can see the worry etched on his face.
I stood up and walked to the window, gazing out at the street. I wished everything with Nadine and Isabelle could just be less complicated.
Turning back to Ethan, I saw the deep lines of worry on his face. I rested my hand on his shoulder and gave it a reassuring squeeze. “Nadine is strong. She’ll come out of this stronger,” I said softly.
He took my hand, looked up at me, and nodded. “Thank you, Sydney,” he said, his voice filled with emotion.
We sit in silence, each of us lost in our thoughts. The minutes endlessly as we wait for any news about Nadine.
“Do you think they’ll be long?” he asks, with a strained voice.
“I hope not,” trying to offer some reassurance. “It’s hard to say how long it might take. They need to make sure everything’s okay.”
Ethan nods, rubbing his face as he tries to control his nerves.
After what felt like an eternity, the door to the ER burst open. The doctor emerged, and both of us rushed to him.