Chapter 9: A Shocking Turn of Events

Things only seemed to get better after Mark and I got together. Not only did he and I sit down and talk about what to name the baby, but he asked me how I would feel if he helped raise him or her. That was definitely music to my ears since I knew I would need help and I already wanted a future with him. When I was eight months pregnant, he hired a new manager for his gym so he could be at home with me more often. Walking around the house became very difficult to do by myself so he wanted to be there for me as much as he could. He also made enough money to open a brand new gym that was closer to home and a little bigger than the first one.

"Hey pup? Do you want anything of here before I come in there?" He asked one night. I was resting on the couch waiting on him to come back with the popcorn. We had started up our annual movie nights and I couldn't wait to let him hold me in his arms.

"Just some water please," I answered.

While he was still in the kitchen the house phone started ringing. "Can you get that for me pup?"

I smiled and got up to answer the phone. "Hello?"

At first there was no answer, "Hello?" I asked again.

"Hello Serena…." Said this deep male voice.

"Who is this?" I asked, recognizing the voice.

He laughed, "Awe come on baby, don't act like you don't know who this is…"

I heard Mark coming into the living room and I turned and looked at him. "How did you get this number?"

Mark looked at me with a worried expression. "Who is that pup?"

"Pup? So it's true. You are staying with him,"

"It's way better than staying with you!" I yelled. "Now tell me how you got this number?"

He didn't answer me, instead he simply hug up the phone without a word. I slowly turned and placed the phone back on the receiver and then looked back at Mark.

"Who was that?" he asked as he sat the popcorn down on the table.

Without warning I began to cry, "It was…it was, Eric. He found me Mark."

Mark sighed and then pulled me close to his body. I sobbed into his chest while he rubbed my back.

"I'm so scared Mark. I don't want him anywhere near this baby."

"I know baby I know, I'll protect you." He told me.

I looked up at him, "How?"

He smiled down at me, "You forget that Eric was my little bitch when we were in high school. Your brother and I never let that dick over run us."

I giggled into his chest thinking about all the times that Steve and Mark would smack Eric in the back of the head anytime he simply spoke. I always thought they were bullies but now I see that they were only marking their territory.

"Ah…there's my smile." He said before kissing me softly. "Don't worry baby, everything will be fine. Let's just focus on our relationship and bringing that beautiful child into the world ok?"

I nodded and then we got comfortable on the couch. As we watched the movie, I couldn't help but think that Eric was somewhere nearby watching my every move. I hated it so much that I had to hear his voice again. It completely ruined my mood. Of course Mark knew how to put a smile on my face every time I was feeling that way. I loved him so much and I wouldn't let Eric get in between that.

The next few days seemed to be going by really fast. I started to feel like I was trapped in a dream that I couldn't wake up from. Things only got stranger one day when I heard Mark and my brother talking on the phone and Mark kept saying that he wished that I would wake up soon. Odd…wake up? What in the world was he talking about?

That night I ended up having a strange nightmare. I was laying in a hospital bed completely surrounded by darkness. I kept hearing Steve yelling faintly at the doctors saying, "What do you mean she hasn't woke up yet? She's been like this for a month!"

Then I heard the doctor reply, "Sir, it was your choice to keep her on the breathing tube. She has slipped into a coma and we aren't sure when she will be awake."

Suddenly I heard Mark's voice whispering close to my ear. "Hey pup, I don't know if you can hear me…but we need you to pull through this…please. I don't know what I would do if I lost you right now."

I felt a tear slip through my eyelid as I whispered, "I do hear you…what is going on here?"

"Pup? Can you hear me?" He asked, "If you can please say something else." He said.

I opened my mouth and found that my voice was very hoarse. "M-M-Markey….M-Markey,"

"Doctor! She's waking up!" Mark yelled.

"What in the hell is going on here" I thought to myself. "Am I dreaming?"

I heard footsteps and then felt the doctor grab my hand. "Serena, if you can hear me squeeze my hand."

I did as he said, feeling myself beginning to gain some strength. My body felt so weak and full of pain. Did I have the baby?

I then decided to open my eyes to see if this was a dream…or if I had just woken up from one. A bright light on the ceiling hit my eyes when I opened them. It stung so bad. I felt like I had been sleeping for three months.

"Serena? Are you ok?" the doctor asked. I looked around and seen Mark, Steve, and a doctor standing around me. There was a breathing tube in my mouth and it was giving me too much oxygen. I lifted my arm and pulled it off of my face and in doing so I realized that my belly was gone.

"Pup, are you alright?" Mark asked. He looked like he hadn't gotten any sleep at all.

I looked at the room and seen flowers, balloons and other gifts from other people. Feeling like I was missing something, I asked the doctor, "What is going on here?"

He looked at Mark and Steve and then back at me. "You don't remember anything do you?"

"Not exactly…Mark…what happened to me?"

He sighed a little, "Listen pup, you collapsed in my house while trying to get some drinks. On our way to the hospital you just…passed out."

I thought back to that moment. I did remember collapsing in pain but I couldn't figure out when I passed out. I swore I was still awake.

"Miss Shannon, did you know that you were pregnant?" the doctor asked.

I looked at him in disbelief, "That's weird…I just had dream about it but I didn't think I really was…how far along am I?"

The doctor looked away for a moment and I knew that wasn't a good sign. Mark took my hand and squeezed it before the doctor gave me the news.

"Miss Shannon…you were about two months along."

"What do you mean by that?" I asked, feeling tears beginning to fill my eyes. "What happened to my child?"

The doctor sighed, "Well I regret to inform you that you had a miscarriage. The pain that you were feeling was your body giving up on holding the child. We tried to save the baby but you had slipped into a coma and we lost it…I'm sorry."

I started crying hysterically wishing that I could go back to my dream where everything was perfect. I couldn't believe that this was happening to me. Mark pulled me close to his body and let me cry in his chest. Steve walked to the other side of my bed and rubbed my back. "It's alright sis, everything will be ok I promise."

I wanted to believe him but there was now a hole in my heart...one that I wasn't sure I would be able to fill. I was so hurt and confused by everything that I just wanted to lay there and die.