"Take it easy, Dixie," Jake said. He had gotten his hands on an oxygen mask
and held it gently to her face. She was still breathing heavily. "Try to
take deep breaths, OK. Try." Dixie tried to catch her breath, but still
couldn't. She had tears in her eyes. Jake took her hand. "Look at me,
Dixie." Dixie looked into his eyes. "Does it hurt anywhere?" Dixie nodded
and lifted her hand to her chest, leading the hand that Jake held to her
belly. "Both places?" Dixie cringed. "OK, OK." Jake tried to help her to
her feet and over to a wheelchair.
"What... what's wrong?" Dixie said.
"I think it's your heart." Jake admitted.
"God, I feel like I'm going to die."
"You're not going to die, Dixie. I will bring you down, we'll take some tests, we'll get to the bottom of this, alright?"
"What about the baby? I can't lose the baby."
"You're not going to lose the baby." Jake tried to calm her. The truth was, he didn't know whether or not the baby would live. He could only pray. "I need for you t stay calm for me though, OK?" Dixie nodded, still trying to steady her breath.
She leaned her head back in pain. "Tad..." she said. "I want Tad." "We'll bring him in to see you, OK? After the tests."
"No. Please, Jake... I need to see him... in case..."
"Nothing is going to happen," Jake said. "you're going to be fine."" He pushed her into a room and helped her into bed.
"God it hurts so much," Dixie leaned back and shut her eyes.
Jake looked back at a doctor who had walked in behind him. "She needs to get an ultrasound. She needs to get this baby checked, she needs her heart checked, and that needs to be done right now." Jake looked at Dixie. "Try to relax. We're going to help you." He leaned down and kissed her forehead. She was as cold as ice. "I'll be right back."
Jake turned and left the room, pausing briefly. Her temperature had him concerned. He just knew by touching her skin that this had to do with her heart. There would be no other reason for Dixie to be that cold. After a moment, Jake walked back into Tad's room.
"Is she OK?" JR jumped to his feet.
Jake nodded. He didn't want to upset him. "She's having some tests done now," he said. "I don't think you should worry. She's going to be OK." Jake could see that Tad knew something was wrong.
"JR," Tad said. "Let me talk to Jake for a minute?"
"Yeah... sure," JR said.
"Just a minute." JR stood and left the room. "What's wrong with her?" Jake was silent. "You never could keep a secret, Jake. What's wrong with my wife?"
"We're not sure yet. They're running some tests on her now."
"Do you have any ideas?" Jake didn't answer. "Don't lie to me, please."
"Her heart, Tad."
Tad took a deep breath. "Can I see her?"
"As soon as the test results come back I could bring you over there."
"Dr. Martin?" the room door opened.
"I'll be back," he said to Tad and left the room.
"Jake," the doctor said. "We ran the scans on you sister-in-law."
"Well?" Jake took the charts and looked them over. He took a deep breath and rubbed his eyes. "Is she awake now?"
"Not completely."
Jake walked into Dixie's room. "Dixie?" he said. "How are you feeling? Any better?" Dixie's eyes were heavy as she let out a soft moan. "We have you results..." he paused. "Dixie, we need to take the baby."
"No," Dixie managed to say.
"Listen to me," Jake said. "Your heart can't take this anymore." Dixie shook her head. "If we don't take the baby now, Dixie... you might die."
"And if you take the baby..." she said. "What are it's chances." Jake didn't answer. "I can't let my baby die."
"Dixie..."
"How can you ask me..... to do that?" Dixie shut her eyes. "You said 'might'.... but I might be fine too, right? We could both be fine."
"It's a very small chance, Dixie."
Dixie began to breath heavily again. "Then I need to take that chance..." Jake opened his mouth to speak. "Unless... unless you can guarantee me... 100%... without a doubt that if you deliver... the baby now... it'll be OK... Unless you can do that... I can't let you take this baby, Jake. I won't let you." she paused. "This is my decision."
"Of course it is," Jake said. "But..."
"Then I've decided. I don't want you to take this baby." Dixie shut her eyes again. Jake put his hand down and touched her face. It was still frozen.
He went over and grabbed another blanket, draping it over her. "You need your rest," Jake said. "I'll bring Tad in to see you in a little while OK?" Dixie nodded weakly. "Try to get some rest." Jake walked back, out of Dixie's room and paused outside the door. He walked up to the nurse's station. "I need somebody to call Palmer Cortlandt," he said.
"We tried when his niece was admitted, doctor, we couldn't..."
"I don't care what you have to do," Jake said. "Find him and get him down here."
"What... what's wrong?" Dixie said.
"I think it's your heart." Jake admitted.
"God, I feel like I'm going to die."
"You're not going to die, Dixie. I will bring you down, we'll take some tests, we'll get to the bottom of this, alright?"
"What about the baby? I can't lose the baby."
"You're not going to lose the baby." Jake tried to calm her. The truth was, he didn't know whether or not the baby would live. He could only pray. "I need for you t stay calm for me though, OK?" Dixie nodded, still trying to steady her breath.
She leaned her head back in pain. "Tad..." she said. "I want Tad." "We'll bring him in to see you, OK? After the tests."
"No. Please, Jake... I need to see him... in case..."
"Nothing is going to happen," Jake said. "you're going to be fine."" He pushed her into a room and helped her into bed.
"God it hurts so much," Dixie leaned back and shut her eyes.
Jake looked back at a doctor who had walked in behind him. "She needs to get an ultrasound. She needs to get this baby checked, she needs her heart checked, and that needs to be done right now." Jake looked at Dixie. "Try to relax. We're going to help you." He leaned down and kissed her forehead. She was as cold as ice. "I'll be right back."
Jake turned and left the room, pausing briefly. Her temperature had him concerned. He just knew by touching her skin that this had to do with her heart. There would be no other reason for Dixie to be that cold. After a moment, Jake walked back into Tad's room.
"Is she OK?" JR jumped to his feet.
Jake nodded. He didn't want to upset him. "She's having some tests done now," he said. "I don't think you should worry. She's going to be OK." Jake could see that Tad knew something was wrong.
"JR," Tad said. "Let me talk to Jake for a minute?"
"Yeah... sure," JR said.
"Just a minute." JR stood and left the room. "What's wrong with her?" Jake was silent. "You never could keep a secret, Jake. What's wrong with my wife?"
"We're not sure yet. They're running some tests on her now."
"Do you have any ideas?" Jake didn't answer. "Don't lie to me, please."
"Her heart, Tad."
Tad took a deep breath. "Can I see her?"
"As soon as the test results come back I could bring you over there."
"Dr. Martin?" the room door opened.
"I'll be back," he said to Tad and left the room.
"Jake," the doctor said. "We ran the scans on you sister-in-law."
"Well?" Jake took the charts and looked them over. He took a deep breath and rubbed his eyes. "Is she awake now?"
"Not completely."
Jake walked into Dixie's room. "Dixie?" he said. "How are you feeling? Any better?" Dixie's eyes were heavy as she let out a soft moan. "We have you results..." he paused. "Dixie, we need to take the baby."
"No," Dixie managed to say.
"Listen to me," Jake said. "Your heart can't take this anymore." Dixie shook her head. "If we don't take the baby now, Dixie... you might die."
"And if you take the baby..." she said. "What are it's chances." Jake didn't answer. "I can't let my baby die."
"Dixie..."
"How can you ask me..... to do that?" Dixie shut her eyes. "You said 'might'.... but I might be fine too, right? We could both be fine."
"It's a very small chance, Dixie."
Dixie began to breath heavily again. "Then I need to take that chance..." Jake opened his mouth to speak. "Unless... unless you can guarantee me... 100%... without a doubt that if you deliver... the baby now... it'll be OK... Unless you can do that... I can't let you take this baby, Jake. I won't let you." she paused. "This is my decision."
"Of course it is," Jake said. "But..."
"Then I've decided. I don't want you to take this baby." Dixie shut her eyes again. Jake put his hand down and touched her face. It was still frozen.
He went over and grabbed another blanket, draping it over her. "You need your rest," Jake said. "I'll bring Tad in to see you in a little while OK?" Dixie nodded weakly. "Try to get some rest." Jake walked back, out of Dixie's room and paused outside the door. He walked up to the nurse's station. "I need somebody to call Palmer Cortlandt," he said.
"We tried when his niece was admitted, doctor, we couldn't..."
"I don't care what you have to do," Jake said. "Find him and get him down here."
