Let me just start off by saying...thank you guys so much! I knew that it was a bit pricey, asking for 85 reviews, but you did it! You have no idea how big the smile on my face was when I logged onto my email and saw the amount of unread messages I had. And then it only grew when I saw how many of them were reviews. Wow...thank you so much!
I know that you guys are anxious to see Chad's reaction, so I'll let you go to that now. But there is a very important Author's Note at the end of this chapter, so be sure to check that out, alright?
Also, I want to thank everyone who said Horseback Riding wedding, because it does come into play in this chapter, although very slightly. Look out for it!
Disclaimer - I do not own SWAC
Chapter 10
H is for Hospital
The look on Chad's face was just priceless.
"You're…you're what?" he stuttered, his eyes widening. The food in front of him lay forgotten, although his fork was still poised in the air. He couldn't seem to remember to put it down, or maybe he just couldn't move from the shock. Either way, it hung there, the light reflecting off of the shiny silver.
My smiled faltered. This wasn't what I had been expecting at all. I had thought that he would pick me up and spin me around, peppering my face with kisses as he told me how excited he was. Then, after I was back on the ground, he would tenderly touch my stomach, marvelling at the new life that was contained in my body. But maybe I was watching too many romantic comedies, because all my fiancé could do was stare at me open mouthed, his eyes bugging like a fish out of water.
"Pregnant," I repeated, putting my own fork down gently in my plate. I gave his hand a little squeeze. "Chad, are you ok?" When he didn't answer, I held my head in my hands and let my hair fall over my face. My eyes were brimming with tears, and I didn't want Chad to see me like this. "Oh my God, I should have known. You don't want the baby; but why am I so surprised? What young Hollywood star wants a baby at such a young age? How could I fool myself into thinking that you would be ok with this? What is wrong wi –" I was cut off when I felt a hand close over my own, and I looked up into Chad's cerulean eyes. They were sparkling with something that I couldn't exactly place, but it was too difficult for me to see, so I hung my head again.
Chad tugged gently on my hair, causing me to tilt my head back involuntarily. Without a word, he kissed me full on the mouth, both of his hands entwining between the strands of my hair. I kissed him back with everything that I had in me, knowing that even if he didn't want our baby, he would be the only man that I ever loved. Even if I had to move away and raise our child on my own, I would never be able to find a man that I loved as much as I loved Chad.
With all of this in mind, I pulled away, bringing my hands up against Chad's chest. He looked down at me, the unusual sparkle still in his eyes. "What's wrong?" he asked, his voice husky.
I bit my lip and realized that the tears had overflowed, leaving trails of saltwater on my cheeks. I broke away from him and frantically scrubbed the back of my hand over my face, trying to eliminate all traces of my tears. "I'm sorry," I managed to croak out. I pushed back in my chair and stood up, ready to flee the room. The banana splits on the table in front of us were melting, the blood red cherries beginning to sink into the liquid whipped cream.
"Sonny, wait," Chad said, catching my arm in his hand and refusing to let go. He drew me closer to him so that I was standing in between his legs and loped his arms around my waist. "Where are you going? Why are you crying? And what are you talking about? Why are you sorry?"
I looked at him in confusion, but he seemed to be just as puzzled as I was. "I thought that you didn't want the baby," I said slowly, clasping my hands over his own. This way, no matter what he said next, I had control. If I wanted to leave, all I had to do was unlace his fingers and escape. But if I wanted to stay, then I could venture deeper into his hold and bury my head in the crook of his neck. "I thought that you weren't happy that I was pregnant."
"Why?" He didn't seem mad that I had thought such things. He just seemed confused, as if he couldn't ever come up with a good reason for me to feel that way. Underneath my hands, his grip tightened and I took one step closer to him.
"Because you seemed so upset, and you didn't say anything, and I don't know, I guess that I just took your silence as the worst possible reaction and I didn't know what to think, and I was all excited about telling you but now I feel like I ruined our dinner and I'm sorry," I said all in one breath, the tears coming fast and furious down my face. "I'm sorry."
Chad lifted his hands from my waist and cradled my face in his hands. He kissed away my tears one by one, and I stood stock still, wholly shocked by his actions. It was true that Chad had gotten sweeter and slightly less egotistical since I had met him, and he did do incredibly sweet things for me a lot of the time (especially if today was any indication). But I have never seen him act so gentle and loving before. It was as if this was yet another side of Chad that he kept hidden from the public eye.
"Sonny, I'm sorry," he said quietly, brushing his thumb against my cheek. I didn't even have a chance to ask him what he was apologizing for, because he kissed me again. When we broke apart he continued, "I didn't mean to make it seem like I didn't want the baby. I was just shocked, that's all. Trust me, Sonny…I'm really excited about this baby." He smiled at me and let go of my face, moving his hands so that they hovered over my stomach. He looked at me uncertainly and I smiled and nodded, the fear in my heart finally evaporating. Chad did want our baby, and I felt as if I was dancing on air.
He gingerly laid his hands flat on my stomach and I shivered, overcome with emotion. I was having a baby; there was a baby growing inside of me. A whole living, breathing baby…a real person. I felt so in awe, so in wonder of the little being that I had to take of now. Everything else aside, I was a mother first and foremost.
I threw my arms around his neck. "Do you really mean it?"
He laughed and picked me up, spinning me around like I had imagined. My hair fanned out behind me and I bent my legs up into the air, squealing with delight. After he landed me on the ground, he kissed me again, a soft brush that made my cheeks turn pink. "Of course I really mean it. I love you both."
My eyes filled with tears again, but this time they were due to my happiness. "We love you too," I whispered, my vision blurring.
Chad chuckled softly and held me close to him, one arm wrapped around my waist. His free hand was holding the back of my head tenderly and he pressed a kiss onto my temple, laughing even as he did so. One of my hands unwound itself from around Chad's neck and rested against my stomach, almost as if by reflex.
The sound of someone clearing their throat made us pull away from each other slightly and we turned out heads towards the doorway in tandem. There stood Frank, looking awkward as he realized that he had interrupted a very private moment between the two of us. His half eaten chocolate bar hung from his fingers as he readjusted his glasses, his eyes shifting between the two of us.
"Sorry," he said quickly once he saw that he had our attention. "I just wanted to tell Sonny thanks again for the chocolate before I left. So thanks Sonny. And sorry. Again. For interrupting, I mean."
The corner of Chad's mouth tilted up into a small smile as he looked down at me. Then he turned back to Frank and shook his head slightly, his hair swinging into his eyes. The tone of his voice made it clear that he was joking, and I giggled at his words. "Wow Frank. You really do have the worst timing ever, don't you?"
I dabbed on some lip gloss and used my baby finger to smear it over my lips. To make sure that it was applied properly, I then pursed my lips to smooth out the shine, taking painstaking care to wipe off any of the gloss that had exceeded the curve of my lips. After brushing on some eye shadow and applying a touch of mascara, I straightened my hair and stood up, admiring my reflection in the mirror.
Today was the day that I broke the news to my cast, and I had chosen a special outfit for the occasion: a bright green dress and a cute leather jacket. I was wearing ballet flats again today, because I didn't trust myself with heels; I was known to be rather clumsy at times, there was no getting around that. Multiple necklaces were adorning my neck, and they collided with each other with every movement that I took.
Of course, before I could tell my cast mates, I had to call my mom. I checked my watch and picked my cell phone up off of the vanity table. I had decided that after I was ready for work I inform my mother about her impending grandparent status, because I knew that once we started chatting, it would take a long while for us to stop. This way, I wouldn't have to rush and get ready to head out when we were finished talking.
I punched in my mom's number and waited patiently as I heard her phone ring on the other side. After about a minute, she picked up, sounding breathless. "Hello?" There was a beat of silence and then, "Sonny! How are you sweetie? What's wrong?"
I laughed. "Mom, nothing's wrong! Can't a daughter just call her mom to talk?"
She laughed too, but stopped abruptly to answer my question. "Well, a daughter can honey, but you never do. So what's going on?"
The constant sound of water running shut off, and I knew that Chad had finished bathing. After he got dressed and was ready to head out to Condor Studios, we had to leave, which meant that I had to tell my mom now. She was already making impatient noises on the other end of the line, and I could picture her blowing her hair out of her eyes, her mouth set as she waited for me to speak. "Mom?"
"Yes Sonny?"
"Umm…I'm pregnant?" It came out sounding more like a question than an actual statement, due to my voice getting squeakier with each passing word. I waited nervously for her reaction, but nothing came. I didn't doubt that my mother would be excited to become a grandparent, but I wasn't sure if her enthusiasm would be an immediate thing, or if she would have to ease herself into it. I also had the sneaking suspicion that she thought that twenty was too young to have children, even if you had the right man in your life.
She surprised me. After the few moments of complete silence (which had scared me half to death) she let out a scream so loud that I jerked the phone away from my ear. "Oh my God, really Sonny? A baby? You're going to have a baby? This is so exciting! A grandma…I'm going to be a grandma! A baby? Wow…gosh, a baby!"
I laughed again, all of my previous anxiety draining away as my listened to my mother's guffaws. "Yes mom, a real baby. Congratulations, grandma!"
"So when did you find out that you were pregnant, sweetie? I better not be the last to know," she mocked scolded. Even though she was kidding, I could hear a hint of truth in her words. If there was one thing that my mom didn't like, it was being out of the loop.
"Actually, I found out yesterday. Other than Tawni and Chad, you're the first person to know. And obviously I had to tell Chad before you, and Tawni was the one who made me take the pregnancy test, so she was there when the results appeared," I explained. "In fact, she was the one who checked the test for me, because I was scared to."
Just then, Chad poked his head into my bedroom and gestured for me to get off of the phone. I nodded at him and turned back to my mother, just in time to hear her say, "– well sweetie, I should get going now. I need to cover the early bird shift today, because Sarah is visiting her mother in Colorado and couldn't be here today."
"Me too," I said, getting to my feet. I grabbed my purse off of the hook on the wall and closed my bedroom door behind me, my cell tucked between my shoulder and ear. A waterfall of hair cascaded down my shoulders and tickled my cheek, and I scratched at the itch once before continuing down the hall. I could see Chad waiting for me next to the front door, and I smiled at him, holding my hand for him to grasp. "I need to get to the studios, so I'll talk to you later, ok mom? Love you. Bye!"
As Chad and I walked down to his car, our hands swinging between us, Chad randomly turned to look at me and just stared, a hint of a smile on his face. He looked at me for so long that I started to feel uncomfortable, so I crossed my eyes at him, hoping that he'd start to laugh and continue on with his life. Luckily he did, but not without squeezing my hand a little.
He took a deep breath and I looked at him, waiting for him to say something. I knew him well enough by now that he was trying to break something to me gently, so I just waited for him to let it out. The silence stretched on, the only sound our footsteps hitting the ground. Just when I thought that he was going to give up trying to tell me whatever was bothering him, he took another deep breath and stopped walking, pulling me to a stop beside him.
"Today I'm going out for lunch with Ferguson and Skyler," he blurted out, turning to face me again. "It's this bonding thing that our director wants us to do, so I won't be able to meet you for lunch like we had planned."
My face fell slightly. We hadn't had lunch together yesterday, because Chad hadn't been at the studios. I had been looking forward to having lunch with Chad today, but what was I going to do, tell him to disobey his director? I nodded my head and bit my lip. "All right, no problem. Rain check then? Tomorrow? For definite?"
He breathed a sigh and ran a hand through his hair, looking more relaxed than I had seen him all morning. "So you're not mad then? Because I know that this isn't the first time that I've broken our dates on such a late notice."
I shook my head. "Not mad. A little disappointed, I guess, because I was looking forward to it, but not mad. I understand that sometimes, you just need to do something for work, so it's not that big a deal." I stretched up on my tiptoes and swiftly pecked his lips, moving so quickly that I was already back in my original position before he even had a chance to react. "Come on, we'll be late for work."
When we arrived at the studios, I practically skipped to the Prop House, Chad hot on my heels. We had decided that I would be the one to break the news, but obviously Chad had to be there. And then after we told my cast, we would tackle his. That time, however, we would have a role reversal. Not that it mattered much, because we all got along now, for the most part. But we were both more comfortable with this arrangement, so that was how we were going to do it.
On the car ride over, I had quickly sent all of my cast mates texts, telling them that I had some important news to share with them all. Apparently they had gotten these messages, because they were all lounging around the room when we came in. Zora appeared to be cleaning her sarcophagus, Tawni was balanced on the edge of the couch, filing her nails and texting on her cell phone – probably Joe – and Nico and Grady were sitting at the table in the back, examining each kernel in what seemed to be a sea of popcorn.
"Hey guys!" I chirped, swinging my hand in a half wave.
Zora got to her feet and tossed her used rag on the ground, wiping her hands on the legs of her jeans. "Hey Sonny, Chad. We got your text messages, Sonny. What's up?"
Over on the couch, Tawni let out an excited squeak, but quickly covered her mouth with her hand when everyone looked at her and instead focused on cell phone, her fingers flying expertly over the keys. Tawni, I knew, couldn't keep a secret, so she looked almost as if she was in actual physical pain from having to keep her mouth shut.
I decided to put her out of her misery, so I clapped my hands together once and smiled at all of my friends around me. "Well," I said, my cheeks aching from the force of my smile. It wasn't as if I could help it though. I mean, I was just so excited and happy to be able to tell everyone this news. To even actually have news to tell. "The thing is you guys….I'm pregnant."
Each one of my friends had a different reaction.
Tawni jumped up from her place on the couch and did a little happy dance, her hair bouncing with the jerky movements. "Oh my God, you have no idea how hard it was not to tell any of them!" she cried, throwing her hands up in the air gaily. Her bangles slid down her arm and hit against each other, coming to stop when they came to the middle of her forearm. "I was so excited that I just wanted to shout it out, but then I was like, no, Sonny has to tell them first."
Zora's mouth dropped open and she stared at me and Chad, her eyes widening by the second. "Pregnant?" she echoed, her voice hoarse. She was completely still and silent for a moment, and then she launched herself onto me and Chad, one arm around each of us. "Congratulations! Wow you guys, this is great!"
Grady had leaped up from the stool that he had been sitting on and gone into his own version of a happy dance, complete with the steamroller and fist pumps. His eyes looked bright and clear as he jumped around, murmuring his own little chant that sounded like, "Yes….a baby!...baby..baby…baby! Sonny and Chad are having a baby! A little bitty baby waby baby!"
I had been expecting everyone to act like this when I told them the news, and I was not disappointed. The only person who took me by surprise was Nico, who slowly and silently stood up and walked up to me and Chad in the front, his arms crossed over his chest. He sidestepped Grady and ducked underneath Tawni's flailing limbs and just stared at Chad, his dark eyes flashing. I had been prepared for a show like the one Grady was putting on, so I was utterly floored, and looked cautiously at the exchange between these two.
"So…a baby," Nico said quietly, his eyes never once wavering from my fiancé's face.
Chad, for his part, just stared right back, his expression just as stoic. Although his blue eyes seemed hard, I could see both the wariness and confusion that lay underneath and I gripped his hand reassuringly. Since I had never dreamed that Nico would become so protective of me, there wasn't much else that I could do, and I was at a complete loss for words.
All of a sudden, a huge grin broke out across Nico's face and he did one of those bro-handshakes with Chad, his excitement almost tangible. He lurched forward to clap Chad on the back one more time and his hat tilted dangerously to the side, coming this close to falling off his head. "Congrats, you guys!" His expression darkened slightly and he glared at Chad again. "But ever hurt Sonny or that baby, and I'll come for you, you hear me, Chip?"
To my surprise, Chad actually laughed. He clapped one hand on Nico's shoulder and used his other to squeeze my fingers gently. "I have no intention of hurting either of them, Rainy," he replied, his eyes twinkling mischievously. "Really, I don't. I love Sonny way too much to ever hurt her."
I gave him a slight peck on the lips while Nico gagged behind me. "See what I was talking about the other day, Sonny?" he asked, straightening his hat. "You guys are too lovey-dovey-couply. Ugh, no wonder you're pregnant!"
My mouth dropped open and I smack him –hard – across the chest with my free hand. Behind Nico, Tawni had stopped dancing and was covering her mouth with her hand, trying to hide her giggles. His remark had been so close to what she had told me the day before that I knew that was what she was thinking about, and I levelled her with an icy glare. This made her shut up, and she turned her attention back to her nail. Every now and then, though, a smirk would cross her face, and I knew that she was having flashbacks.
Chad glanced down at his watch and let go of my hand. When I turned back to look at him questioningly, he was swiping at his bangs and flattening his tie at the same time, posed to take a step backward. When he saw my expression he hastened to explain, "My director would skin me alive if I was late today; we're starting shooting for the new season. How about after lunch, we'll tackle my cast, alright?"
I nodded and kissed him good-bye, waving as he walked out of the Prop House door and down the hallway. When I turned back to my cast mates, they were all staring at me, knowing smiles on their faces. Reflexively, I took a step backwards and narrowed my eyes at them, trying to figure out what was going on. "Guys?"
They all tackled me at once, knocking me down onto the arm chair next to the couch. Even Tawni, who spent more time primping than bonding with us, took part in this impromptu group hug, her curls suffocating me as she held on tight. Grady gave me a little squeeze and Nico patted my back proudly, and Zora was the only one who just hugged me normally, her hands clasping together behind my back.
"Whoa guys, back up!" I said jokingly, taking a step back and out of their embraces. I held up my hands in front of my chest and pursed my lips tightly, my eyebrows raised. "I need to breathe for two now, remember?"
Tawni clapped her hand excitedly and bounced on the heels of her shoes, her hair flying all over the place. "Wow, having a pregnant friend is so cool!"
I laughed and nudged her side, my brows waggling. "Well, let's hope that you still feel that way when I have morning sickness, weird cravings and mood swings."
Her expression dimmed slightly, but then it brightened again when she cried out, "But an adorable baby to show for it! Oooh, having a pregnant friend is so cool!"
At that exact moment, Marshall walked through the door, a rolled up script gripped in one hand. He smoothed the other over his balding head and glanced nervously around the room, his expression frozen. "Who's your pregnant friend, Tawni? What are you kids talking about?"
We all exchanged glances and I folded my hands over my stomach guiltily. As I watched Marshall's expression morph from confused to understanding to shock, Grady smiled slightly and said in a low drawl, "Oooh, Marshall, are you out of the loop or what?"
I popped the last chunk of steak into my mouth and smiled as I chewed, the rich flavour of the beef bouncing around in my mouth. Brenda had started to serve me the same food that she gave to the Mackenzie Falls cast, but only, she was always quick to tell me, because I made Chad Dylan Cooper happy. Other than the fact that I was his fiancé, she didn't really give a hoot about me or what I was eating.
I balanced the fork and knife across the plate, creating a bridge from one end to the other, and took a swig from my water bottle. I was just screwing the cap back on when Tawni burst in the room, her eyes wide and frantic. She looked so different than she had this morning that I instantly felt a knot curl up in my stomach, and my palms started to sweat. I'd seen Tawni look this way before many times – usually when her favourite store had a sale at the mall – but never had her expression held this amount of urgency. Honestly, she was scaring me a bit.
When she caught sight of me sitting down, my empty dishes scattered in front of me, she rushed over to my table and collapsed in a chair. Upon closer inspection, I could see that her eyes were rimmed with a slight reddish tinge, and her nail polish was chipped, almost as if she had been nervously biting on her fingers.
"Tawni, what's going on?" I asked, looking at her with concern. "What's wrong?"
"Sonny." The sound of her voice, hoarse and cracked, made the knot in my stomach intensify, twisting around itself until I thought that it would just give away. When she saw the look on my face, her own crumpled and she took my hand in her own, her eyes sad and pitying. Before I could even process what was happening, she opened her mouth to speak again, uttering the very words that I had hoped never to hear in my whole life. "Sonny…Chad is in the hospital. He was in an….there was an accident. Someone was speeding and ran a red light, and she ended up crashing into Chad's car. Ferguson and Skyler were right behind him, so they saw the whole thing and called for help. Portlyn just told us, and we couldn't find you anywhere. Sonny…he's…well, he's in the hospital," she repeated, seemingly at a loss for words.
I felt as though someone had dunked my whole body in ice water. All of my hair stood on end, and my field of vision narrowed until all I could see was Tawni. She had the strangest look in her eyes, like even though she felt sorry for me, she was glad that she wasn't in my place. I buried my head in my hands and shook my head, refusing to believe that something so horrible could happen to me, to Chad. To us.
Just this morning, we had been so happy, telling everyone about the baby. He had been laughing and talking and joking and getting along with everyone. He had been smiling and so full of life, so sure of himself. How did someone like that end up in the hospital, through no fault of their own? It wasn't fair, it wasn't right…it shouldn't have even been possible.
"Sonny?" Tawni's voice was hesitant, and she tentatively placed a hand on my shoulder. The contact was totally unwelcome right now, and I shrugged out of her touch, trying to shrink into myself so that I wouldn't have to face anyone. I didn't want to face anyone. But after a few more minutes of silence, I decided that not only was this silly, but I needed to go to the hospital. I needed to see Chad, no matter how bandaged and bruised he might be.
I raised my head up and looked over at my best friend, who was regarding me with the same expression that she had worn earlier. I noticed now that it wasn't what I had thought before. She wasn't glad that she wasn't in my place; she was feeling sorry for me, yes, but she also felt horrible that she couldn't do anything to lessen the blow. Without a word, she enveloped me in her arms and held me tightly, the familiar smell of her perfume comforting. Everything was changing now, and although I wasn't sure if it were for the better or for the worse, I just needed a constant. Something concrete that I could focus on. Someone like Tawni.
I sniffled and pulled away, bringing one hand up to scrub across my eyes. People around the commissary were starting to look at us now, since we were being so quiet and intense, and I knew that once I started to cry, I wouldn't be able to stop. That wasn't something that I wanted an audience for, so I tried as hard as I could to keep the tears at bay, at least for a little while.
"D…do you know how he is?" I asked, my voice cracking. "Is he ok?"
Tawni shook her head ruefully. Her curls, which had been so bouncy and full of life this morning, hung limp around her face, and for the first time I realized just how much Chad meant to all of us. It was true that he was my fiancé, and this news was probably the biggest blow to me, since I loved him in a different way, but that didn't mean that all of my cast mates didn't love him too. He was their friend as much as they were mine, and I could see that Tawni was hurting too. I squeezed her hand and she squeezed back, our fingers tightening around each other like our lives depended on it.
"Actually, we don't have any idea," she said softly, one tear dripping off of her eyelashes and running down her cheek. "We couldn't get any information at all, but the others said that I should tell you. None of them wanted to be the one to break the bad news."
By now we were heading to Tawni's car, our steps quick and purposeful. People in the hallways were staring at us as we passed, although I couldn't be sure if it was because they heard about Chad's accident, or if they were just unaccustomed to seeing Sonny Munroe and Tawni Hart looking so serious. Either way, we ignored them, keeping our focus on the matter at hand: getting to the hospital to see Chad. Nothing else mattered right now; nothing else was important.
My mind was blank as we raced to the hospital, my hands cradling my flat stomach. The last thing in the world that I wanted was to have to explain to my child why she (or he…but I was really hoping for a she) didn't have a daddy. Just the thought made me choke up, and I let out a strangled sob.
Tawni glanced at me out of the corner of her eye, and I swear I felt the car pick up speed. She wasn't as sad anymore, I noticed when I studied her profile a few seconds later. The tears had all left her eyes, leaving behind a fierce determination that I had never seen in Tawni before. Her eyes were sharp on the road in front of her as she deftly snaked through the cars around us, trying to reach the hospital.
"Thank you," I said quietly, staring straight ahead as the scenery flew by my window. I could see the hospital in the distance, a clean looking white building that stood proud against the darkening sky. The day had started out bright and sunny, birds singing and the heat blazing. But now, storm clouds seemed to be rolling in, taking the warmth away and replacing it with a cool breeze that raised goose bumps on my arms. Funny how the weather always seemed to reflect your emotions, wasn't it? I took a deep breath and said it one more time, trying to still my hammering heart. "Thank you."
She glanced at me again, but didn't say anything.
Within seconds, Tawni had slid the car into a visitor parking space and we were both pounding the concrete, running around the cars and through the slight drizzle, trying to get inside. The automatic doors swooshed open, bringing back a reminder of the grocery wedding that we had had a couple days ago. When my main concern had been how to tell Chad about my pregnancy, not how to possibly raise a child alone.
Without me even noticing, my face crumpled and I started to cry, big baby sobs that left my throat feeling raw and me gasping for breath. Tawni pulled me against her and rubbed my back comfortingly while I let my tears roll down my face. They felt as though they were never ending, but finally, they stopped. I stepped back and wiped my face, my fingers lingering underneath my eyes as they caught a few more drops of saltwater. I wiped my tears off on the skirt of my dress and walked up to the reception desk, trying to be as inconspicuous as possible.
The nurse behind the desk glanced up at me, seemingly unconcerned that I had been crying. This made sense I supposed, since she did work in a hospital. At any given point on any day, someone could be found crying at a hospital; she was probably used to it by now. Her name tag read Petunia, and I smiled shakily at her. "Hi, umm…I was wondering if you could tell me what room Chad Dylan Cooper was in?"
Her steel coloured eyes flashed. "I'm sorry," she said, not sounding very sorry at all. "But we can only give that information out to his family members. Maybe you should go home, because I'm not going to let you in to see him."
I recoiled as if I had been slapped. Didn't she recognize me? And even if she didn't, why did she have to be so rude about it? I took a deep breath and tried again, fighting to control the shaking in my hands. "Actually, Petunia, I don't think that you understand. I'm his fiancé, Sonny Munroe?" When her face remained unchanged, I took another shot. "So…aren't you going to let me in now?"
She rolled her eyes and tucked a stray lock of black hair behind her ear. The wily curl refused to sit still though, and sprung out as soon as she moved her hand. "Am I supposed to believe that? Look, why don't you take a seat with all of his other girlfriends and fiancés, alright?"
I followed her gaze to where a gaggle of teen girls sat, crying their eyes out. Obviously, they had heard about the accident and were just as scared as I was. Although, I had to admit, in a more superficial way. The only difference between me and these girls was that they looked to be about sixteen, and I was twenty, pregnant and actually Chad's fiancé.
I gave Petunia a thin lipped smile and stomped over to where Tawni and the rest of my cast sat, their faces forlorn. I was a little surprised to see them here, but more grateful than shocked, and I smiled at them in thanks. They all reached out to me, patting my back and giving me hugs, and I felt a little bit of the tension float away. The only thing that could make me feel fully better, though, was knowing that Chad was ok. And I couldn't do that, because Petunia wouldn't let me in.
"Did you find anything out?" Nico asked quietly. His hat was bunched up in his hands, all curled and twisted. It reminded me of how my heart was feeling, and I brought a hand up to my chest. "Sonny?"
I shook my head. "She doesn't believe that I'm his fiancé."
All of a sudden, a flash of colour caught my attention and I lurched to my feet. My cast looked at me, confusion clear across their faces, but I ignored them, all of my attention trained on the magazine that I now held in my hands. With my head held high, I stalked back up to the reception desk and shoved the magazine in Petunia's face, a smug smile gracing my lips.
"Look at this picture," I demanded, pushing the cover of the magazine closer to her face. "As you can clearly see, that is a photo of Chad Dylan Cooper and myself on a date, leaving a restaurant. And later that night, he sat with me on the couch in the Prop House and proposed." I held up my left hand next to the magazine, my engagement ring catching the light and sending a burst of colour across Petunia's face. "Because I am Sonny Munroe, his fiancé. Now please, can you tell me what room he is in?"
Her lip curled up, but she and I both knew that she couldn't fight with my evidence. She shuffled some papers around on her desk, her mouth still twisted, but I waited as patiently as I could. Inside, my stomach was churning and my blood was boiling, but I fought to keep my cool as she checked her records list, her finger trailing down the names at a snail's pace. Finally, she straightened up and narrowed her eyes at me. "Room 267."
I thanked her and dashed over to the room, trying my best to follow the plastic arrows that were stuck to the walls. After barely any trouble at all, I found my destination and poked my head in, fearing the worst. A doctor was at Chad's bedside, flipping through a chart, and I quietly entered the room, biting my lip.
As soon as I saw Chad, my heart soared. He wasn't dead; he was the farthest thing from dead. In fact, he was very much alive. He had bandages on his temple and arm, and some scrapes and bruises decorating his face. One of his feet was propped up and bandaged tightly, but other than that, he looked no worse for wear. I breathed a sigh of relief and stepped up beside the doctor, feeling so much better.
"Ah, Miss Munroe," the doctor said, closing the chart and slipping it into a basket at the foot of Chad's bed. "You're the fiancé, am I correct?"
I nodded my head. "Yes, you are. So, how is he? What exactly happened?"
The doctor ran a hand through his sandy blonde hair and adjusted the stethoscope that hung around his neck. "As I'm sure that your friends have told you, a young woman was speeding and broke the red light. Her car collided with Mr. Cooper's, but luckily, it crashed into the passenger side of the car. He was far enough away from the impact to be alive, and he escaped with a few cuts and bruises. He had to get stitches on his temple and his arm, and those will be a little sore when he wakes up. His ankle also got caught at an unnatural angle at the time of impact, which resulted in a break. We've finished operating on it, and he can wear a walkable cast, so there should be no problems in that regard."
Although all of this sounded horrifying, I couldn't stop the grin that stretched across my face. He was fine, and he had never been in any life threatening danger at all. The surge of relief that flowed through my body was so powerful that it almost hurt, and I collapsed into the chair at the side of Chad's bed.
The doctor left the room, giving me a two fingered wave over his shoulder, which I returned. I couldn't tear my eyes away from Chad though, and leaned over onto the bed. I gently brushed his hair off of his forehead with my fingertips, and shock rippled through me when he stirred.
"Don't touch the hair," he managed to say, sounding groggy and disoriented.
After fearing that he was dead, having him act so Chad-like was the most welcome thing in the world to me. I couldn't help it; I laughed. I laughed until my stomach ached, tears were streamed down my face and my cheeks hurt. Through all of this, Chad looked at me, trying to focus. He seemed to recognize my laugh though, because a lazy smile spread across his face.
"Sonny?"
"Chad Dylan Cooper, don't you ever scare me like that again, do you hear me?" I said, the seriousness of my words not translating through between my giggles. I finally stopped and took his hand in mine, gently running my finger along the palm.
Chad suddenly jerked, and I glanced at him sharply. "Chad, are you ok?"
He nodded his head and gestured to his cell phone, which was on the table beside him. There wasn't even a scratch on that thing, which just made me feel better. If his puny cell phone could escape unscathed, then he wasn't in too much danger to begin with. "Sonny, can you do me a huge favour and text Frank for me, please?"
I did as he asked, my fingers flying over the keys until I realized that I had no idea what he wanted me to say. I paused and looked up at him, my eyebrows furrowed. "What exactly do I put?"
He answered without any hesitation at all. "The purple rhino charges towards the broken tree branch."
I froze. "What? What does that even mean, Chad?"
"Don't worry, Frank will know what it means."
I sent the message and then set the phone down again, picking up Chad's hand once more. I traced circles in his palm and avoided his eyes, feeling my throat constrict as I remembered how worried I had been. "Chad…you really scared me." My voice broke on the last word, and a couple tears made their way down my cheeks.
He reached one hand over to me and wiped away my tears. He looked as if he wanted to say something, but Frank beat him to it, bursting through the door with his trusty Holy Bible in hand. He took one look at us and grimaced, his glasses sliding down his nose. "My timing again, huh? Sorry you guys."
I looked at him in confusion. "What are you doing here?"
"Chad texted me, sent me the code phrase. Meant that you guys were going to have a wedding now. Didn't he tell you?"
I swung my glare over to Chad. "A wedding? Now? Why?"
Chad shrugged. A brief look of pain crossed his face, but it passes quickly and he continued with what he was going to say. "Because Sonny, what I had planned for had originally been horseback riding. But, with my broken ankle and you being pregnant, we can't really go through with that plan, now can we? So, at the last minute, I'm changing it so that H is for Hospital. Now come up here –" he patted the space next to him on the bed. "– and let Frank do his job, ok?"
Reluctantly, I perched on the edge of the bed, one knee crossed over the other. I wasn't exactly happy with getting married in a hospital, but what Chad had just said made sense. And honestly, it was his choice whether or not we got married here; it was his part of the bet.
Frank opened the Bible and got to work, reading the vows as he usually did. Finally, we got to my favourite part and I smiled.
"Do you, Sonny Munroe, take Chad Dylan Cooper to be your lawfully wedded husband?"
"I do," I responded, squeezing Chad's hand.
"And do you, Chad Dylan Cooper, take Sonny Munroe to be your lawfully wedded wife?"
"I do."
Frank beamed at us and closed his Bible, holding it close to his body. "Then I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride."
I turned my head so that I was facing Chad, and was met with his lips claiming my own. "I love you, Sonny," he murmured into the kiss, his free hand moving to wrap around my body and cradle the back of my head.
I broke away from him for a second and smiled. "I love you too."
So...I have some important news for you guys. On Friday, I am leaving to go on a three week vacation with my family (I am so excited :] ) and won't be able to write anything. I also won't be able to post what has already been written out, because my grandmother has no Internet. So basically, for the next three weeks, I will not be here haha. I just wanted to let you guys know, just in case you wonder why I've stopped updating, even though I've been doing pretty well lately, haven't I?
Anyways, I know that this is even taller than the last order, but I think that it would be just amazing to get 100 reviews by the time I come back. Not like, get 100, but get enough to reach 100. It's always been a dream of mine to get 10 reviews a chapter, which, I know, seems pretty lame, but it's just the way I am. If you guys could get me to 100 while I'm gone, I would be forever grateful! And I believe in you guys...I know you can do it! :)
K people...K and N and O - those are up next on the idea docket :)
Thanks so much...and see you when I get back! And I hope you enjoyed the chapter haha. It was pretty long this time too!
XOXO
mspink93