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Chapter twenty-four
Piper stayed confined to bed for the next four weeks, and she felt restless. She hated being stuck in one room and, although Mark was constantly by her side and Paige and her father visited often, she still felt as if she was cut off from the rest of the world. She had regular visits from the doctor and Mark had been as good as his word and hired a nurse. Everything was going well and Dr Morgan was very pleased that she was now at 36 weeks and could safely have the baby delivered at any time. Because she had been so healthy and only had light occasional bleeding, he wanted to stretch the time out to give the baby the best possible start. Piper would have been quite happy to have it immediately because she felt like a whale.
Mark walked back into the bedroom while she was brooding and he sat down on the bed next to her and took her hand in his. "You okay, darlin'?"
She nodded and wrapped her fingers around his big hand. "I'm okay, I'm just bored with being so big."
Mark chuckled. "You're not big, you're just a little more rounded than you were," he said, reaching out and stroking his hand over her stomach. He rested his palm there for a minute and then grinned when the baby kicked. "He's gonna be a fighter."
"He might be a she," she pointed out, flushing with pleasure when he continued stroking the taut mound where their child lay.
"Then she'll be fighter, like her mother," he said immediately, and his eyes pinned hers. "The doctor seems to think everything's going well. He praised me for keeping you in bed at all times."
"I didn't need you to keep me here," she said and then had the grace to look ashamed. If Mark hadn't been so watchful she would have got up on numerous occasions even with the nurse in attendance. The past few weeks had certainly gotten rid of a lot of her inhibitions as she'd had company to and from the bathroom and she was always aware that either Mark or the nurse were standing outside the door. Now it seemed fairly normal. She gave Mark a small smile. "I need the bathroom," she said, and waited for him to lift her from the bed as he usually did. He was so careful when he did scoop her up that her smile got wider.
"Maybe I should just take this bed into the bathroom," Mark grumbled good-naturedly, shaking his head. "I swear, woman, you need to pee hundreds of times a day."
"I can't help it," she said as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "It's your huge child squashing my bladder, remember? I'd like to see you try and hold it in when it feels like an elephant is standing on your stomach!"
"Yeah, yeah, whatever," he said, rolling his eyes and making her laugh. He grinned as she giggled. It was such a lovely sound and one that he'd never thought he'd hear when they'd first been married, because of how he'd gone about it. But now things were so much better, and they improved every day.
When he took her inside the small en-suite bathroom, he put her on her feet and then left the room and closed the door. Piper smiled as she went and she sat down on the toilet. She knew he'd be standing right outside, leaning on the wall and waiting for her to either appear or call him. Her thoughts were interrupted when she felt a sudden flood of moisture and it made her freeze. Almost too scared to look, she lifted her gown and looked down to find the water in the toilet bright red and blood steadily leaking from her. "Mark!" she cried out, her voice sounding high pitched and terrified even to her own ears. The door instantly burst open and he rushed back in the room, his eyes taking in the situation straight away.
Although his face went almost as white as Piper's, he grabbed a thick towel off the nearby shelf and shoved it between her legs as he lifted her carefully off the toilet. "Hold that there darlin', that's it. Careful now," he said as he lifted her up and carried her back into the bedroom, calling for the nurse as he went. She had been downstairs having her lunch break, but she rushed up the stairs in seconds at the urgency in his voice.
Mark stood by looking panicked as she took over and it took him a few seconds to even think about calling for an ambulance. With shaking fingers he dialled 911 and afterwards made a call to Dr Morgan, who promised to be waiting when they arrived at the hospital. He sat down on the bed, gripping Piper's hand and stroking her hair back from her face as she lay looking terrified.
He murmured soothing words to her as his eyes flicked to the nurse, who was valiantly trying to stem the flow of blood. To Mark's alarmed eyes it looked like a hopeless attempt, because the towel was rapidly becoming soaked with the red liquid, as was the bed between her thighs. It was the hardest thing he'd ever done to not let the fear show on his face when he looked at Piper.
"Mark, am I losing it? Am I losing the baby?" she whispered, tears running freely down her chalky white face.
"No, darlin', no you're not losing it. Everything will be fine, you'll see," he said, trying to inject confidence in his tone. He heard the sirens wailing as they approached and he said a silent prayer of thanks that the ambulance had been quick. "The ambulance is here now and Dr Morgan is waiting for us. You'll do just fine and by the end of the day we'll be parents."
"I'm scared," she said, her voice getting duller and duller as shock started to show itself.
"I'm here with you sweetheart. Don't you close your eyes, baby, keep them open, look at me," he ordered her, seeing her eyelids flickering as she fought to stay conscious.
"I'm so tired," she whispered, moaning as a sudden pain ripped through her abdomen and made her jerk.
Mark looked up as the nurse showed the paramedics into the room. He hadn't even been aware of her rushing down the stairs to let them in. His whole attention had been focused on his wife. He was forced to step back from her as they set to work and less than three minutes later she was being carried out of the house and put into the ambulance with Mark close behind her.
He held her hand tightly all the way to the hospital, willing her to be okay. "Piper? Open your eyes, sweetheart," he said, trying to stop her from passing out.
She blearily blinked at him and gave a small pained smile. "I'm so sorry."
"Sorry? Why? What for?"
"Sorry couldn't give you a baby.....I tried, I know it's too late," she murmured, frowning and biting her lip as another pain went through her. Her eyes closed briefly and then opened to look at him again. "I love you so much, I wish you could have loved me."
Mark's breath caught at the wave of emotion that washed through him at her confession and he felt his eyes sting with unfamiliar tears. He knew why she was saying it, and it hurt him, making him grip her hand too tightly. "Piper, you'll be fine, you mustn't talk like that, everything will be fine."
"It won't," she said and he could barely hear her now. "Love you."
"I love you, Piper, do you hear me? I love you, too. Don't you say goodbye to me!" he said desperately, unaware that the tears had overflowed and were running down his face. He wasn't sure if Piper had even heard him, because she had lost consciousness.
The next few minutes were the longest of his life and he didn't know what to do with himself as they took her away from him in the hospital. He managed to swipe at his eyes and grab the doctor before he could escape. "Whatever happens, she's the important one, understand?" he said. "If it comes to a choice......you do everything you can to make sure Piper's okay."
"I hope it won't come to that, but I understand." Dr Morgan gave him a reassuring pat on the shoulder but then rushed off as they took her to the operating theatre. All Mark could do was sit and wait.
Half an hour crawled by and he paced anxiously around the small waiting room. He had struggled to think of things he had to do, and finally he'd managed to cut through the panic enough to call Piper's father and Glenn. He knew they were on their way here, and for once he really needed some human contact, someone to share the worry with him.
The door opened and his eyes jerked up, hoping it was the doctor. He didn't realise how hopeful he'd been until he saw Glenn and let his shoulders slump.
"Sorry, I guess you thought I was someone else," Glenn murmured as he came in the room with Paige just behind him. Mark was shocked when Paige took one look at his tormented expression and walked over to hug him. He started to protest, but it felt good to have someone to lean on and he hugged her back, closing his eyes as a deep sigh shuddered through his big body.
"She'll be okay," Paige said, patting his back.
"You didn't see....the blood, there was so much of it," he said shakily.
"She'll be fine," Paige repeated, drawing back from him and letting Glenn lead her to a chair. She sat down and watched as Mark slumped into another chair, holding his head in his hands and running his fingers through his hair. Glenn sat next to him and patted his shoulder, making Mark glance up at him again. Seeing the pain on his face, Glenn looked over at Paige and smiled. "How about you go get us some coffee, sweetheart?"
"Sure," she replied, recognising the need for Mark to unburden himself with someone he was comfortable with.
As soon as she left the room, Mark spoke. "She's my world Glenn, if she dies.....God, if anything happens..."
"You can't think that way, man. It'll drive you mad. These doctors know what they're doing."
Just as he spoke, the door opened again and Dr Morgan walked in with a smile on his face. Mark stood up immediately, waiting for him to speak. Even though the man was smiling, Mark still felt as if his heart was lodged firmly in his throat. "Mr Calloway, it's my pleasure to inform you that you're the father of a healthy baby boy."
Mark tried to smile and failed. "And Piper? How's my wife?"
"She's still out, but she did fine. She'll be awake soon and you can see her. Apart from the blood loss, it was much smoother than I'd even hoped."
The relief was so great that Mark's knees buckled and he had to sit down again, his breath shooting out of him as he did so. "Oh thank God. Doctor, I'll never be able to thank you enough."
"Not a problem," Dr Morgan said, smiling again and leaving the room after informing them a nurse would come and show him to Piper's room once she was settled.
"She's okay," Mark murmured, rubbing one big hand over his face wearily.
Glenn grinned. "Not only that, you've got a son!"
"I've got a son," Mark repeated slowly, looking shocked. All he'd really taken notice of was that Piper would be okay.....but he had a child now. A nurse came into the room and smiled at him, asking if he'd like to come and see his baby. Mark nodded dumbly and let her lead him up to the neonatal floor, where she pointed out a tiny little thing inside a glass incubator.
"My God," he murmured, staring at it. "Why....why is he in that thing? Is he okay?"
"He's fine," the nurse said. "He's a little early so we're just taking precautions, but he's breathing fine and appears to be healthy. He should be out of there tomorrow. Would you like to hold him?"
"Hold him? But....won't I hurt him if I take him out of there?"
"Not at all. Come with me and we'll put a gown on you."
Minutes later he was sitting in a chair while the nurse picked the tiny infant up and deposited him in Mark's arms, her smile widening at the look of awe on this large man's face. It was something she didn't think she'd ever get used to.
Mark looked down at the small face that already looked so much like his own and smiled at the cap of black hair that covered the small head. The child blindly turned it's head towards the warmth holding it, it's mouth moving as it automatically looked for something to suck. He stroked a finger down the soft skin of the tiny face, a smile tilting his lips as the head immediately turned to see if it could suck on his fingertip. Mark glanced up at the nurse. "Is he hungry?"
"He probably is. You can feed him if you like?"
"I'd like to.....but I want to see my wife more," he said, reluctantly passing the tiny bundle back to the nurse.
"That's fine," she said, putting the baby back in the incubator and then gesturing for him to follow her again. After taking his robe she led him down in the elevator to the next floor, where she opened the door to the private room Piper was in. She left him with a few words and a smile, saying the doctor would be along shortly.
Mark walked inside slowly and seated himself next to the bed before taking her hand and stroking gently over her limp fingers. She still looked so incredibly pale to his eyes and he noted the fact she had not only a drip attached to her arm, but also a bag of blood. Obviously she had needed a transfusion and he wondered how differently this might have turned out had the paramedics taken longer to arrive. She gave a small moan and Mark watched her, waiting for her eyes to open. It took a long time, and he said her name softly as he stroked her face, hoping to bring her back quicker. Eventually his patience was rewarded when she frowned and then her eyelids flickered slightly, the gleam of her eyes just barely visible as she started to wake up from the anaesthetic they'd administered. She caught sight of Mark and stared at him blankly for a few seconds while her brain tried to work.
"Mark?" she whispered, frowning again at the effort it took just to speak. "The baby?"
Mark smiled and squeezed her hand. "It's a boy. We have a son, sweetheart and he's beautiful."
"He's okay?" she whispered, amazed. She had felt for sure that it would have died inside her before they could save it.
"He's just fine. He's in an incubator at the moment, but he's gonna be okay." He reached out and brushed his fingertips over her face. "He looks like us both. You did good."
"I didn't do anything," she corrected him and then found herself fighting to keep her eyes open. "I'm so tired."
"You've lost a lot of blood," he said, lifting her hand and kissing her knuckles. "Go to sleep, baby. I'll be right here when you wake up."
"But I want to see him," she murmured.
"And you will, just as soon as you're rested. You have to get well again, darlin', so you can start proving to me how much you love me."
His words made Piper's eyes open again. "I thought ....I thought it was a dream."
Mark shook his head and smiled again. "Not a chance. You told me you loved me. Do you remember what I said in return?"
"I do....but....you..." she broke off and just stared at him, blinking sleepily. "Did you mean it?"
"Did you?" he countered, raising one eyebrow and grinning now.
"Oh yes, I meant it," she said sincerely.
"So did I. I love you with my whole heart Piper, with every fibre of my being," he said, leaning forward to kiss her mouth gently. "And when you wake up, I have some things to tell you. Go to sleep, sweetheart."
Piper gave him a dazed smile and obediently closed her eyes, drifting off to sleep only seconds later. Mark sat back in the chair with a sigh, hoping that she'd be okay with what he had to tell her.
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****Hope it was okay. Aw....a baby! I should be updating again soon, and there's not long to go on this one. Hmm, maybe just one more chapter!****