“Of course, Mr. Christensen. That’s why I’m here. Perhaps we can speak privately in my office.”
“I trust your staff will comply with the medical privacy act?” Ryan stressed.
“Yes, of course. However we are only governed to keeping her medical condition and records private. I will instruct the staff on proper conduct,”
Mr. Krause said.
“I’ll be contacting my Publicist to release a formal statement to the media. No other statements are to be made by any member of this hospital without consulting with me first. Is that clear?” Ryan’s authoritative tone made me grin.
“Yes. I understand. Would you like to take a few moments to come to my office?”
“Thank you but no, not at this time. Mike?” Ryan called out.
Mike, Ryan’s bodyguard, came into my room.
“Mr. Krause, was it? This is my security manager, Mike Murphy. He will be handling all security matters.” The two men shook hands.
“I don’t want any reporters or photographers on this floor. There will be a security team posted outside her door at all times. We can have a discussion later or you can speak to Mr. Murphy directly for any security matters. Right now my priority is her.” Ryan rubbed his hand across my head.
“Very well. We can talk later. If there’s anything else you need, please don’t hesitate to ask.”
Mr. Krause seemed a bit perturbed with the way Ryan just handled him. I didn’t care. I loved Ryan’s “no bullshit” take charge attitude. It was one of the qualities that I loved the most about him.
Ryan barely nodded at Mr. Krause. He was stroking my hair, totally focused on me. The nurses were still waiting inside my room - for what, I didn’t know.
“We’re just going to check the fetal heartbeat again,” one of the nurses informed.
She rolled up my hospital gown and pressed the microphone thing into my bruised stomach. Soon we were able to hear the whoosh-whoosh noise of our baby’s heartbeat again.
Ryan smiled gloriously and kissed my forehead tenderly.
“That’s our baby in there!” he whispered his happiness privately in my ear. “I love you so much.”
I was elated that he was fine with me being pregnant; he was actually beyond fine with it. I was able to relax and not worry; it made all the pain seem worthwhile. I smiled back at him with pure joy and love in my heart. He was going to be a father; I was going to be a mother. His blue-eyed baby was growing inside me.
I felt the nurse wiggle the microphone when the whooshing noise ceased; my attention immediately turned to her. The two nurses were looking at each other; neither of them looked happy. One of the nurses quickly darted out of the room.
My smile faded and a sharp pain stabbed me in the bellybutton. I felt wetness gush between my legs. Pain rocketed into my chest from my bruised ribs when I tried to sit up. I panted in and out hoping that shallow breaths would help me manage the pain.
“Something’s wrong. I feel like something just popped,” I breathed out at the nurse. I wanted to know what was wet between my legs. I tried to grab the top of the bed sheet so I could get my hand underneath it, but the stupid IV sticking out of my hand caught the bedrail. I felt the tube that was stuck in my vein poke me. “Ow!” I squeezed my eyes from the discomfort.
Just then another sharp pain stabbed me again; this one so intense that it caused me to cry out in agony. The nurse pulled the bed sheet down past my feet, allowing me a split second to feel between my legs with my hand. Crimson red blood was all over my fingertips.
The other nurse wheeled the large ultrasound machine back into my room.
Doctor Willsten came running. I was hooked up to a blood pressure machine in no time. As soon as the doctor saw the amount of blood, he quietly instructed the nurse to call for an O.R. suite. I was wise enough to know that meant surgery.
The doctor was performing the ultrasound of my stomach while the one nurse monitored my blood pressure. Ryan stayed at the head of my bed;
he was frozen in place. We were all listening intently to the whoosh-whoosh sound of our baby’s heartbeat. Gradually it slowed in tempo until it just abruptly stopped. There was nothing but silence. I felt faint.
In an instant, four people were in my room, lifting me up by the bed sheet to relocate me on a gurney. I was wheeled out of my room in a hurry.
“Where are you taking her?” Ryan cried out.
I reached my hand out to him but a nurse was blocking Ryan from following me. The nurse stayed with Ryan when they wheeled me out of my room.
Next thing I remember I was being rolled into a room with bright lights. People were hustling all around me. I was so confused and now completely sedated that I couldn’t even speak if I wanted to. A nurse took each of my weak legs and propped them up in stirrups. A plastic mask was placed over my mouth and nose. In an instant, everything was black again.