Chapter 54

SPOV

My abdomen feels like it is on fire. It hurts so bad. I want to bend myself in half and protect my babies. To wrap my arms around them to keep them safe. Tears streamed down my face as fear gripped me. I'm afraid I'm going to lose them. I started sobbing again.

Nina said I was spotting. Spotting during the second trimester is not a good sign. I felt Luke's fingers comb through my hair. His gentle hands were calming me. "Everything will be okay my love," he whispered.

I reached up to wipe the tears from his face. "We'll try again if…" Lucas placed his finger on my lip to silence me.

"You don't know if you're losing our children. Whatever happens, we'll deal with it together. I love you Steph," Lucas said as he touched his forehead to mine. He brushed his fingers down my face then settled his warm hand on my abdomen. His warm hand touching our babies gave me hope they would be okay.

The ambulance pulled into the bay and parked. Interns and an emergency doctor met us at the automatic doors. They listened as Nina provided my stats. Instead of taking me to one of the pods, they wheeled me directly into an examination room. I recognized the sonogram equipment. In the far corner was a crash cart.

"We'll take good care of your wife," one of the interns told Lucas.

"I love you Lucas," I said before he left the room.

"I love you too Steph," he managed to say as the intern led him from the room.

Dr McNall entered the room as I was giving an intern my medical history. "How are you feeling?"

"My abdomen isn't hurting as much. It felt like it was on fire earlier. Now it feels like mild cramps," I answered.

"What happened?"

"I was at my sister's house helping our friends unpack for her and my new brother in law. My youngest niece Lisa was upstairs and ran towards the stairs. I was around halfway down when she took a tumble. She fell until I caught her. But her head slammed into my abdomen. We fell backwards down the stairs. I held her tight to my body. She kept bumping into my abdomen as I fell," I explained.

"Did you hit your abdomen on the stairs or railing?" she asked.

"No. My shoulders, back and bottom hit the stairs."

"Any spotting or gush-like sensation?"

"Nina, the EMT said I was spotting a bit. No gushing or peeing sensation," I answered as much as I can.

"Did you have constant pain or did it ebb?"

"Excruciating pain at first, then it tapered off," I replied. She used her stethoscope and placed it on the top of my bump. Natalie listened for a few seconds before moving it around to the bottom. She smiled before wrapping the stethoscope back around her neck.

"Can you change into the gown so I can examine you? The nurse will help you," she stated. As she turned towards the door, she tapped my leg, "Take deep breaths Steph. Their heartbeats are strong. We'll take an ultrasound to make sure everything's okay."

"Thank you doctor," I cried as she left the room.

Nurse Kara helped me change into the gown. She thoughtfully wrapped a second one around me to cover my ass. "We can't have all those men see your sexy ass, now can we?"

"All of which men?" I asked.

"The ten men in black waiting with your husband in the waiting room. I have to tell you, the tall man with spiky blond hair is H O T."

I started laughing. "That would be Lester. He's a bit of a… um…"

"A player? I'm okay with that. One night in his bed is all I need," she said with a wink.

"Don't let him hear you say that. He just may take you up on your offer," I joked.

"You're all set Steph. I'll let Dr McNall know you're ready."

"Thanks Kara."

She returned a few minutes later with my doctor hot on her heels. "You know the routine. Pull up the gown and use the blanket to cover from your pelvic down," she ordered. I quickly complied as she put the cold lubricant gel on my abdomen.

Natalie moved the ultrasound wand around my abdomen to check the babies. After several minutes and tons of clicks, she showed me the monitor. "Here's your son. His heartbeat is strong. No sign of a placental rupture. You're daughter down here," she moved lower on my abdomen. "Also has a strong heartbeat. Everything looks really good. Both babies are healthy. I'm concerned about the spotting." She printed off the sonogram images with the labels.

Kara grabbed them and tucked them into her pocket for safe keeping. "Scoot your butt down until to hit my hand," Kara directed. "Now place your feet in the stirrups and relax your knees."

"Okay Steph," Natalie started, "I need to check inside." She carefully examined me. I flinched when she hit a tender spot. "I know how much you hate hospitals, but I would like to keep you overnight for observation. Kara is my nurse at the hospital. She'll keep an eye on you. If you stop spotting by the morning, I'll send you home."

"Thanks Dr McNall. Can I see my husband now?" I practically begged.

"Just Lucas for now. Your friends need to wait until you're in a room on the maternity floor," she answered before giving Kara instructions for my care.

"Hey lover," I said when Lucas entered the room.

"Hey Steph. Are you going to be okay?" he asked.

"I'm okay. Our son and daughter are okay too," I answered wondering how long it would take for him to realize what I just told him.

"We're having a boy and a girl?" he asked. Kara pulled the sonograms from her pocket and passed them to Lucas. She quietly left the room to make arrangements for my transfer.

Tears streamed down his face as he looked at his babies. "Luke, our babies are fine. I have to stay here for observation… to make sure our babies stay safe. They're moving me to the maternity ward soon," I quietly told him.

"I was so scared Steph," he said as he leaned his forehead against mine. "Ranger needs to see you."

"Okay. Get him," I whispered.

Kara returned to the room with a very frantic Ranger following behind her. "I'm sorry Steph. He was insistent," she told me.

"It's alright Kara. I just asked Lucas to bring him to me."

"Babe," Ranger cried as he gently pulled me into his arms.

"I have to spend the night. My son and daughter are strong. They're going to be okay. Ranger, I'm okay. You're not going to lose me or your niece and nephew. Okay?" I asked

"Okay Babe. Please stay at Rangeman until you have the babies," he begged. I caught my husband's eyes. When I saw his eyes warm to the idea, I promised Ranger I'd live at Rangeman.

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LPOV

My wonderful, amazing, gorgeous, kind, loving and considerate wife agreed to Ranger's request. I was willing her to agree to whatever our boss wanted. If anything happens to Stephanie or our babies, it would destroy Ranger. All the progress he made to heal from losing Emily would be undone.

Stephanie recognized the haunted look in Ranger's eyes when he entered the room. She would do anything to put our friends at ease. In a way, I was relieved when she said we'll live at Rangeman. Bobby would be close in case anything happened. I have a feeling Dr McNall will put Stephanie on restrictions for the next new weeks. Whatever she tells us to do, we'll do. Em and Los mean so much to me already. I love my children almost as much as I love my wife.

"Carlos," Steph said as she touched his face. "I have something important to ask you. Luke and I were thinking about naming our daughter Emily and our son Carlos. Would it be alright with you?"

He raised his face from Steph's shoulder to look into her eyes. "You're naming your children after me and your sister?" he asked to be sure. Ranger looked at me and raised an eyebrow.

"If it would be too much for you, we can choose other names," I suggested.

"We kind of have our hearts set on the names Carlos, but…" Stephanie paused, hoping he would agree.

Ranger gently placed his hand on Stephanie's baby bump. "Which one is Emily?" he asked.

Stephanie moved his hand to the bottom of her stomach. "This one is Em and this one up here, is Los," she said as she moved his hand to the top. "We want you to be Carlos' godfather."

"It would be my honour." Ranger left to tell the men Stephanie and the babies were fine, but need to stay the night for observation. We knew he was also organizing guards to stand outside her room. The orderly arrived to move Stephanie to her room.

Hector slid inside the room behind the orderly. He exchanged a few quiet words with Stephanie before grabbing her hand. After a quick shrug, the orderly unlocked the bed wheels and maneuvered the bed from the room.

Stephanie giggled when she saw our friends lined up near the elevator. Jonah, the orderly, smiled and pressed the 'up' button. "I'm taking your queen to the fifth floor," he announced when the door opened. "She'll be in room 5138... maternity ward."

I followed the bed into the elevator with Jonah and Hector. "We're having a boy and a girl, hermano," Stephanie said as she handed him the sonogram images. She pointed them out and said the names we selected.

"Beautiful names hermana," he replied.

"Will you be Em's godfather?" she asked.

"Si, I will be her godfather and protector," he replied.

"They aren't really related, are they?" Jonah asked.

"No, but they are like siblings," I answered.

When we arrived in Stephanie's room, the men were gathered to one side waiting for Steph to arrive. "These are my Merry Men," Steph said with a giggle. "My chosen family."

Jonah situated the bed and locked the wheels. "If you need anything, page me and I'll grab anything you need," Jonah said before jotting his phone number on a small pad of paper.

"Thanks Jonah," Stephanie said while grabbing the number.

"You make friends wherever you go," Dr McNall joked as she entered the room. "I'll let you guys stay for fifteen minutes. Stephanie and the twins need to rest."

She pulled me to the side, Bobby followed us. "Bobby's the Rangeman medic. Whatever you have to say regarding Stephanie's care, he needs to hear," I informed her.

"No sex for the next month. Avoid stairs and I would like her to be on bed rest for the next few weeks," she stated.

"Steph is not going to be happy," Bobby replied. "She hates being on bed rest almost as much as she hates hospitals."

I knew Stephanie would be fine for a few weeks, but she'll get very antsy if it lasts too long. When the doctor left, Stephanie scooted over in her bed and patted the space she created. I removed my boots and carefully climbed into the bed beside her.

"I'm not going to break Lucas," she joked.

"True, but I don't want to hurt you or the babies. Are you going to tell them?" I asked.

"We should, but I want to wait until we get back to Rangeman. Mal and I were going to make our announcements together," she answered.

"Then we'll wait until she has her appointment," I suggested.

"Works for me," Steph said with a smile.

"So, Beautiful, do we know what you're having?" Lester asked, his curiosity getting the better of him as usual.

"We do, but I really want Mallory to find out what she's having first. Then we could tell everyone together," she answered.

"Steph, you don't need to wait for us. Please tell them because I really want to know," Mallory begged.

Stephanie smiled at Ranger and gave him a small nod. "Babe and Rodriguez are having the million dollar family," he announced.

"We're having a boy and girl?" Bobby asked. Stephanie nodded.

"Damn… who won the pool?" he asked.

Binkie pulled a small book from his pocket and read the answers. He groaned before saying, "Rodriguez."

Kara entered the room with a tray of food. "Your mother sent this food for you," she said as she placed the tray on the rolling table.

"Helen was here?" Stephanie asked. "I don't want her anywhere near me or my babies."

"So Ella isn't your mom? She asked me to bring this to her hija," Kara explained.

"No, but she's more of a mother to me than Helen," Stephanie added.

"I'll need a list of acceptable visitors," she stated.

"Not necessary," I said. "Two of these men will be standing guard outside the doors."

"Who drew the short straw?" Kara joked.

"Me," Bobby and Lester replied. Kara smiled as though she hit the jackpot. I couldn't help notice Lester was really liking what he saw.

"Our time is up men," Ranger announced. He approached the bed and kissed Stephanie's forehead. "Take care of my godson." Ranger touched her baby bump before letting the next man have a turn.

Each man kissed her cheek or forehead. I heard them tell Steph they loved her and their niece and nephew. She gave them permission to touch her abdomen, knowing they needed to make sure they were truly safe.

"What's on your mind?" I asked.

"Not much. I didn't realize how much these babies meant to our friends," she confessed while eating.

"Most of the men will never marry or have children. You're giving them hope and children to raise," I explained. "As they say, it takes a village."

"Or a group of badass mercenaries," she joked.

She ate less than half of the food. I willingly ate the rest. With a content sigh, she lowered the bed to place her head on my shoulder. Stephanie fell asleep within minutes.