Chapter Ten

"The stress was too much for her," Doctor Jeffries told Oscar. "She needs to see her husband – to know that he's alright – but unfortunately he's still unconscious. And I don't want her moved. Not right now."

"Is she in labor?" Oscar asked.

"She's had some contractions, but they seem to have lessened. I've got her on IV meds that should stop them entirely. Hopefully, we've avoided full-on labor, but we'll know more by morning."

Just down the hall, Rudy was tending to the other hospitalized Austin. Steve had two separate IV lines running into his left arm and an oxygen mask over his face. When he began moving around, showing signs of coming to, he started reaching for the mask (to pull it off) before he'd even opened his eyes. Once Rudy saw that Steve was fully awake, he removed it for him. "Hi there," he told his patient. "Welcome back."

"Don't...tell....Jaime..." were the first words out of Steve's mouth.

Rudy wasn't exactly sure how to answer that. "She knows, Steve," he said gently. "She was in my office when Oscar called."

"Oh, no....she's gonna...kill me."

"I wouldn't worry about that."

"Where...is she?" Steve wondered.

"You really should try and rest now," Rudy stalled. "You had a pretty close call and your lung took a beating. We can talk in the morning."

Steve seemed to accept this. He really was awfully tired and soon had drifted off to sleep.

---

In the morning, Steve was not so easily appeased. Before his breakfast tray had even arrived, the nurses caught him trying to get out of bed, tubes and all, and had quickly summoned Rudy. "I've been shot before, Doc," he insisted, ignoring the pain in his desire to just get on with it. "I'll heal better at home....really...."

"Not so fast," Rudy insisted. "Do the words 'punctured lung' mean anything to you? You nearly died less than 24 hours ago – now, get back in bed!"

Steve sighed and obediently sat back down – on top of the covers. After a hard, raised-eyebrow stare from Rudy he got back under the blanket...and reached for the phone. "Gotta call Jaime....let her know..." Steve winced as he reached too far for comfort...."that...I'm okay."

Rudy took the receiver from Steve's hand and hung it up. "Jaime's here," he said quietly. He had no choice but to tell Steve what had happened.

---

Jaime woke up calling softly for her husband. Instead, she found Oscar on one side of her bed and Doctor Jeffries on the other. She felt that now-familiar thump to her ribcage, telling her the baby had survived the night and she rubbed her stomach and looked expectantly at the doctor. "Are we...okay?" she asked.

"You did experience some contractions, but we've managed to hold off labor for now," Jeffries told her. "You'll need to stay here for a few days so we can be sure you don't reject the fetus or deliver prematurely."

Jaime nodded solemnly. "And Steve? Is he alright?"

"Why don't you ask him yourself?" Rudy called out from the doorway, pushing Steve's wheelchair into the room. Rudy shrugged at Jeffries. "I couldn't keep him in bed any longer without bringing him here first."

Steve, under firm orders to stay in the chair, could only take his wife's hand, but both Jaime's and his own eyes glistened with tears of relief at seeing each other. The doctors and Oscar quietly slipped out of the room to give them a bit of privacy.

"Sweetheart, I'm so sorry," Steve whispered.

"It's not your fault," Jaime told him. She laid his hand across her belly – and they only had to wait a few moments. "We're okay," Jaime said, echoing what 'Edgar' had already told them with his little thump.

---

Four days later, both Austins were ready to leave the hospital. Steve stubbornly insisted on walking out the door, while Jaime remained in a wheelchair. "Remember," Rudy reminded them, "you are both to take it easy. Police each other if you have to. Steve, at least a week of doing as little as possible. And Jaime...you are off of your feet for the duration, Young Lady. Peggy and Lynda will be bringing your meals until I give Steve the okay to start doing more. They'll help you for as long as you need them, so don't push yourselves. Understood?"

"Got it, Doc," Steve answered for both of them. He grinned and adopted his best Southern drawl. "I'll keep the little lady in line – don't ya'll worry 'bout a thing!"

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