Here is the next chapter, hope you enjoy!
Ceciliaa93: The song is "The Hardest Thing" by Tyler Ward!
Teenagehope07: Thank you so much! You're review was so sweet!
Zac and Vanessa were laying in Zac's old bedroom, watching a movie while cuddled up in bed. It had been a little over two weeks since the funeral, and life was slowly getting back to normal. Zac looked down at where his and V's entwined fingers lay resting on his abdomen.
"Hey babe?" Zac asked.
"Hmm?"
"I've got a question for you. What would you say to staying here with me until Thanksgiving next week? Greg and Gina and StellaBella can come up that morning and we can have Thanksgiving together like we used to." He waited anxiously for her response. She looked up at him and smiled.
"I'd love to. I'll talk to mom in the morning and make sure it's cool with her, but it should be. She's been dying to see Starla again."
Zac smiled wide. They went back to watching the movie. Dylan walked in a few minutes later.
"Bro, come watch the Lakers game on tv with me and dad."
Zac looked at him, "Dude, I'm a little busy here."
Vanessa pulled away from him. "Go ahead, it's fine. Have boy bonding time. This is just a chick flick anyways." She had been feeling a little under the weather today and felt like she was going to throw up, but she didn't want Zac to know.
Zac smiled and kissed her softly before getting up and going downstairs with Dylan. He plopped down on the couch beside David as Dylan brought in beer for each of them. The three Efron men all watched the intense game.
Starla walked into the living room. "Where is Vanessa?" she asked as she stood behind the sofa were Zac was sitting, placing a hand on his shoulder.
"Upstairs," he replied as he leaned his head back to look at his mom. "Dyl wanted man-bonding time."
Starla rolled her eyes. "Are Greg and Gina coming up for Thanksgiving in a few days?"
"Yeah, she talked to them the other day. They are excited."
"I can't wait!"
Starla walked into the kitchen and the boys continued watching the game.
An hour later, the game was ending as the men sat around, talking.
"I just ordered pizza, boys." Starla told them as she made her way up the stairs.
"Okay, mom!" Dylan called back.
Starla walked into Zac's bedroom to see an empty room. She saw the bathroom door half closed and quickly walked in when she heard Vanessa throwing up. "Sweetheart? Are you okay?" she asked softly as she rubbed her back.
Vanessa shook her head as tears started to fall. She flushed the toilet and sank to bathroom floor, her back against the shower door.
Starla sat beside her and wrapped her arms around her. "How long have you been sick?"
Vanessa wiped her tears as she tried to think. "I started feeling nauseous a few days ago, but I haven't throw up until today. It's been like two or three times today. And I feel so weak."
"Are those the only symptoms you've been feeling?" Starla said as she ran her fingers through Vanessa's hair.
"I've been having some dizzy spells today, but nothing too bad. The nausea is just overwhelming today. And I've felt the most exhausted I ever have before."
"Does Zac know? That you've been feeling sick?"
"No. Please don't tell him. I don't want him to worry. He has just gotten back to being himself."
"I won't. I have to ask…you're not pregnant are you?"
Vanessa's eyes widened. "Oh god," she gasped as she covered her mouth and tears began to fall rapidly.
"I…I'm late," she choked out, "but only by a few days. I've never been even a day late before, though."
"Don't freak out until you know for sure. You can take a test or I can go with you to the doctor, whichever you want to do."
Vanessa nodded and took a deep breath. "I will go to the doctor tomorrow. Will you go with me?"
"Of course, I will. But are you sure you'd rather have me go than Zac?"
Vanessa nodded quickly. "Please don't say anything to him about it. I need to know for sure. If I'm not, I wouldn't want him to have worried over nothing, but if I am I need to get the courage to tell him and give him a way out. I wouldn't want his career to go down the drain because of it."
"Sweetheart, if you are, I know he won't want a way out. He has already lost you once and I doubt he will let it happen again. And neither one of your careers will go down the drain. Just be careful, okay? I don't want to see either one of you hurt. And you may want to let him know you aren't feeling well. You are an amazing actress, but you know that he can read you like a book."
Vanessa nodded and sighed. "I know. He always has been able to. Honestly, I'm surprised he hasn't picked up on the fact I'm not feeling well."
"Well I won't say a word unless I feel it is absolute necessary."
Vanessa nodded and smiled softly. "Thanks, Mom." She stood up when Starla did.
"The pizza for dinner should be here in a minute. I'm going to head down and get the table ready."
"I'm just going to brush my teeth and I will be down."
Starla smiled and kissed her forehead before walking downstairs.
Vanessa splashed her face with cold water and brushed her teeth. She pulled her dark brown curls out of the ponytail, hoping it would make her headache go away. She rubbed her temples, wishing the throbbing aches to go away. She bent down to pick up the hairbrush she dropped on the floor.
The room began to spin as she stood back up. She grabbed onto the counter, trying to regain a clear head as a sharp pain pierced her lower abdomen. "Zac?" she called out. She realized she didn't have the energy to scream his name. She grabbed onto the doorframe as she left the bathroom, trying to make her way to the stairs.
She shook her head softly as everything began to get blurry and more pains stabbed throughout her stomach. She grabbed the top of the banister at the top of the stairs, beginning to make her way down the top step as her legs began to buckle underneath her. She tried to get enough strength to call out. "Z-Zac!" she said as loud as she could with little energy as everything went dark.
Zac jumped up, followed by the other Efrons as a loud bang was heard at the steps. He ran to the steps. "NESSA!" he screamed as he saw her tumbling down the steps. He grabbed her head, keeping it from hitting anything. "Call 911!" he screamed as he lifted her body, laying her flat on the hardwood floor at the base of the stairs.
"Nessa, baby, wake up." he said as he slapped her cheek slightly.
Dylan grabbed the phone, dialing 911.
"911, what's your emergency?"
"Help! My sister in law has just fallen down the stairs. She is unconscious!"
"is she breathing?"
Dylan looked at Zac for confirmation. "Yeah, she is. But her pulse is getting weaker and speeding up"
"An ambulance is on it's way."
Dylan stayed on the line as the ambulance was heading towards the house.
Starla took a deep breath. "Zac, when I went upstairs earlier, Vanessa was throwing up. I promised I wouldn't say anything because she wanted to be sure, but she thinks she may be pregnant. She said she had been a little dizzy today, but has been extremely nauseous."
Zac looked at Starla with wide eyes. He swallowed the lump in his throat and looked down at Vanessa. He squeezed his eyes shut tight before slowly opening them again. "Her health is my main concern. We can worry about the rest later."
Starla nodded and opened the door as the ambulance arrived. The paramedics came in and worked around Zac as he refused to let go of her hand.
"What's her name?" one of the paramedics asked as the other began to check her vitals.
"Vanessa Hudgens." Zac replied to his questions as he began writing them down on a chart.
"How old is she?"
"24"
"Date of birth?"
"12-14-88"
"Is she allergic to anything?"
"No."
"Does she have any diseases or medical conditions?"
"No."
"Is she pregnant?"
"Um….possibly. We aren't sure."
Zac sighed as they placed a neck brace on Vanessa as a precaution due to the fall. They carefully placed her on a stretcher. David walked into the foyer where they all were after returning from grabbing his keys and wallet, along with Zac's phone and wallet.
They all walked outside as Vanessa was lifted into the ambulance.
"Go with her, son. We will follow," David told him as he squeezed his shoulder. Zac nodded and climbed into the ambulance as it sped away.
David, Starla, and Dylan climbed into the car, quickly following the ambulance as best they could.
David looked over at Starla before quickly putting his eyes back on the road. "So, we might be grandparents?"
Starla shrugged her shoulders. "It's a possibility. But if she is pregnant, I doubt she would be after that fall. I just hope she doesn't have any serious injuries."
Dylan sat in the back seat. "Why does shit always have to happen to them? They just got back to being happy."
"I know," David agreed. "Should we call Gina and Greg?"
Starla shook her head. "Let's wait until we know for sure. I wouldn't want them to drive up here if it's nothing serious."
When they arrived at the hospital, they walked into the emergency room waiting area to see it empty except for Zac sitting in a chair, crying with his head in his hands.
Dylan rushed over to his side, concerned for his brother. "Where is she, bro?'
Zac looked up as he wiped his eyes. "Upstairs for x-rays and stuff."
Starla sat on the other side of him and rubbed his back, soothingly.
"She's going to be okay, bro. She is a fighter." Dylan told him.
Zac squeezed the bridge of his nose with his index finger and thumb. "I can't lose her, Dyl. I can't."
"You're not going to. She'll wake up and be fine. I promise."
Zac's ran his fingers through his hair in frustration and leaned his head back against the wall, clenching his eyes shut.
Please let her be okay, God. I need her to be okay. I can't lose her again. His thoughts were interrupted as a doctor walked up to them.
"Mr. Efron?"
Zac stood up to shake the doctors hand. "How is she?" Zac asked.
"She is awake and talking, Mr. Efron. The x-rays showed no broken bones and the CAT scan showed no internal bleeding or brain damage."
"So she is going to be okay?" Zac asked confused.
The doctor looked at Zac with a solemn look on his face. "After doing some blood work, we confirmed that Ms. Hudgens is indeed pregnant."
Zac took in a deep breath as he sat down, rubbing his hand over his face. He looked back up at the doctor. "But?" Zac asked.
"We did an ultrasound and found out that it is an ectopic pregnancy."
Starla gasped silently and covered her mouth.
"What does that mean?" Zac asked the doctor.
"It means the fertilized egg did not implant in the uterus, instead it implanted in the fallopian tube. It is extremely dangerous for the mother and without immediate surgery and removal of the embryo the mother will not survive. This pregnancy is general is what caused her nausea, but the extremeness of it, the dizziness, and abdominal pain is because of the ectopic pregnancy."
"So, she needs surgery? Immediately?"
The doctor nodded. "We will do a salpingostomy. The ectopic growth is removed through a small, lengthwise cut in the fallopian tube. The cut is left to close by itself or is stitched closed and the hospital stay is only overnight. Since it is early in the pregnancy, it shouldn't have caused damage to her fallopian tube yet."
"So, it won't affect fertility or getting pregnant later on?"
Starla realized now, looking at her son talking with the doctor just how much he has grown up and matured. He was scared to death of losing the love of his life and was already thinking about having children later on in life with the girl she thought of as a daughter. She knew they would overcome this situation and come out of it stronger, but she knew it would be tough at first.
"No, since there won't be damage done yet, chances of a normal pregnancy down the road are very, very good."
Zac nodded and sighed as he took in all of this information. "Can I see her?"
The doctor nodded and Zac followed him to her room. He took a deep breath and stepped into the room as the doctor went to prep for surgery. He gently closed the door and smiled softly as she opened her eyes to look at him.
"Hey, beautiful" he said softly as he kissed her forehead and grabbed her hand. "How ya feeling?"
She smiled as she looked into his blue eyes that were full of concern. "I've been better. But I'm glad you are here. I'm scared, Zac."
"I know, baby. I am too. We can talk about it all later, I am just concerned about your health first and foremost. We'll get through this though, okay?"
She nodded and smiled softly as he leaned down and gently kissed her lips. "I wish I could be in there with you." He said as he tucked a curl behind her ear.
"Me too. I just want to get it over with. It hurts so bad, it feels like someone is stabbing me."
"I'm sorry, I should have been more careful."
"Zac, it's not your fault. When I had that cold last week, the doctor said the medicine I took interfered with my birth control, making it not work. We had no way of knowing this would happen."
Zac nodded, still feeling slightly guilty. "I wish I could take the pain away from you."
"I'm glad you can't. That would be scary if you were pregnant. Although, we could make millions."
Zac laughed and shook his head. "You're silly, Hudgens."
The anesthesiologist walked in. "You ready to take a nap Vanessa?" he asked jokingly.
Vanessa nodded slightly and looked up to Zac. His heart hurt as he saw the fear in her eyes. He cupped her cheeks softly and looked into her eyes. "It will be okay, baby. If this means keeping you in my life, so be it. We will get past this. If after this, you want a baby, dammit I will try my hardest to give it to you, but I need you to be strong for me and get through this okay? I need you in my life."
She nodded softly as a tear escaped her eye. He wiped it away with his thumb and smiled. "Everything happens for a reason, baby. I love you and I'm not going anywhere. I'll be waiting on you when you come out, okay? I love you, Vanessa."
She smiled, "I love you too, Zac. So much. See you soon," she whispered as the anesthesia took over.
"See you soon," he said as they rolled her away and down the hall.
He ran his hand through his hair and made his way out to the waiting room. "Is she in surgery?" Dylan asked.
Zac nodded. "Yeah. She just went back." He said softly. He pulled out his phone and began going through the contacts. He took a deep breath as he hit the call button on his phone.
"Hello?"
"Gina? It's Zac."
"Zac! Sweetheart, how are you?"
Zac took a deep breath as he felt his mom squeeze his knee. She knew how hard this call would be. Zac hadn't talked to Greg or Gina since they had gotten back together, and she knew how scared Zac was going to be to tell Greg and Gina what happened.
"Gina, it's Vanessa."
"Vanessa? Zachary, what's going on? Is my baby okay?"
"She is going to be okay. I don't want you to freak out, but we are at the hospital. Vanessa fainted down the stairs earlier and wasn't responding so we called an ambulance."
"I have had a sick feeling in my stomach all day. Is she hurt? Did they say what caused her to faint?"
"Gina, I don't know how to tell you this…..Vanessa was pregnant."
"Was? What do you mean?"
A few tears fell down his cheeks as Starla wrapped her arms around him, pulling him into a hug.
"It was an ectopic pregnancy. She is in surgery right now to remove it. Otherwise….otherwise it would have k-k-killed her."
"Oh my! Are you okay, Zac?"
Zac thought about the question before responding. "As long as she is okay, so am I."
"We will head up there now, if we need to."
"No, it's okay. She will have to stay overnight, but she will be able to go home tomorrow. Plus, you guys are coming up here tomorrow night anyways for Thanksgiving. If she needs you, I will call you immediately."
"Okay, please keep me updated and we will see you tomorrow. Thank you for calling, sweetheart."
"You're welcome, bye Gina."
Zac hung up the phone and continued to cry softly into his mother's shoulder. David rubbed his back softly.
"I know what you are thinking, son. It's not your fault. It's not anyone's fault. It just wasn't meant to be. But when the time is right, you will know it. As for the surgery, she will be just fine. She is a strong woman and you will get through it together."
Zac nodded and pulled away from Starla, wiping his eyes. Zac's phone started to ring and he answered it when he saw "Big Sister" flash across the screen.
"Hospital?! Surgery?! Zachary Efron how dare you text me that and not elaborate! What is going on?"
Zac felt the lump in his throat as he realized he had to explain the story again.
"Ash…."
Ashley softened immediately as she heard the seriousness and vulnerability in his voice.
"Zac, what's going on? Is Vanessa okay?"
"She's in surgery, Ash." Zac went on to explain the story to Ashley, managing to hold in his tears this time.
"Oh my god, but is she going to be okay?"
"Yeah, Ash. I think so."
He heard a sigh of relief on the other side of the phone. Then, she went back to big sister mode.
"What have I told you about safe sex, Zachary David?!"
He chuckled and scratched the back of his neck. "It wasn't my fault, Ash. It was the medication she took a few weeks ago when she had that cold. It messed with her birth control."
"Oh. I was about to drive up to SLO and kick your butt, Efron. You just got back together. Although, a baby Zanessa would totally be the cutest damn thing in the world and I could be an aunt again!"
"Slow down, Ash."
"I know, I know, both of you want to work on your careers more before you think about babies, but all I'm saying is that it wouldn't have been the end of the world."
"I know."
"Well call me if you need anything, Zac. I'm serious. I'll be up there in a heartbeat."
"I know, and I will. Thanks, Ash. Love you."
"Love you too. Give Nessa a hug for me."
"Will do. Bye." He hung up the phone and texted his and Vanessa's managers to let them know what was going on and to try to make sure the paparazzi didn't find out.
The doctor walked out and took of his scrub cap. "Mr. Efron, Vanessa is out of surgery and is recovering. Everything went great. You can go back and see her and I will be in to check on her in a little while."
Zac shook the doctor's hand. "Thanks so much, Doc."
Zac and his family quickly made their way to Vanessa's room. Zac kissed her forehead as she slept and sat down in the chair beside her bed, taking her small hand in his larger one.
Starla sat in the other chair against the wall. Zac kissed her hand and looked at her face, mesmerized by her beauty. Even though she had just gotten out of surgery, she looked more beautiful than ever to Zac. The way her long eyelashes splayed out perfectly against her cheekbones. The way her slightly pink lips were resting in a peaceful, straight line. She looked perfect.
"Zac, sweetie, we are going to head home. It's almost 1 am. Are you going to stay here?" Starla asked.
Zac nodded. "Yeah, I'm not leaving her. The doctor said she should be able to be discharged a little after lunch time. I will call you when I know for sure."
Starla nodded and hugged him before kissing Vanessa's forehead softly. "Bye Sweetie." David and Dylan said bye before the three of them left. Zac turned off the lights, except for the dim lamp resting on the nightstand beside the hospital bed. He kissed her lips gently before sitting back in the chair and resting his head on the side of the bed. "Goodnight baby, I love you," he whispered before he fell asleep.
Vanessa's eyes fluttered open and she looked around, trying to figure out her surroundings. She smiled softly and gently ran her fingers through Zac's hair as he slept. His eyes fluttered open and he lifted his head. "Hey baby," he said quietly. She opened her mouth to respond, but winced in pain at her dry, scratchy throat.
He got up and got her a cup of water and sat back down, handing it to her. "Hey," she smiled. "You're still here."
"Of course I am. I promised I would be, plus they would have to carry me out of here, kicking and screaming before I left your side."
She smiled softly. "Can I have a kiss?"
He smiled and got up, carefully leaning over her before connecting their lips in a sweet, loving kiss. She pulled back and raised her hand, running it through his hair. She winced in discomfort as she slid over and patted the bed beside her.
"You sure?" he asked as he pushed the chair away.
She nodded. "I just want to be in your arms. And I don't think I can sleep without you next to me. Plus, it won't be the first time we've shared a hospital bed."
Zac smiled as he took off his shoes and thought back to when he had emergency surgery to remove his appendix and Vanessa slept in his hospital bed for two nights because she refused to leave his side.
He lay on his side, wrapping both arms around her carefully as he kissed her temple. She snuggled up to him and sighed contently.
"I called your mom and told her what was going on. She told me to tell you she loved you. And Ashley says to give you a hug, which I'm effectively doing now. And Jason and Matt (their managers) send their well wishes. And my parents and Dyl said to tell you they loved you too."
Vanessa smiled softly. "Thank you for calling everyone. I'm sorry you had to go through this."
Zac shook his head. "Don't apologize. We will talk about it when we get home. Just get some rest for now, babe."
She nodded and fell asleep almost immediately.
Zac woke up for the fourth time that night as the nurse once again came in to check on Vanessa. Zac forgot how hard it was to try to sleep in a hospital. He was thankful Vanessa had slept through the night, though.
Zac walked into the house holding Vanessa's hand as they walked into the house. Dylan rushed to her and hugged her tightly.
She giggled softly as he hugged her.
"Careful, Dyl." Zac warned as he kicked off his shoes.
"Don't scare me like that, Nessa! I was freaked out!"
"Sorry, Dyl. I promise I will try to make sure it doesn't happen again," she joked. Starla walked in a hugged her, kissing her forehead. "How are you feeling?"
"A lot better. A little sore, but nothing I can't handle. I'm just glad to be out of the hospital."
David smiled and hugged her gently. They looked over to see Zac already asleep on the couch. Dylan went outside for a swim with David as Starla walked into the kitchen. Vanessa kissed Zac's lips softly, hoping to wake him up. She smiled in victory when she felt him start to kiss back. She pulled away and he smiled.
"Let's go upstairs, baby. I want to nap, too." She suggested.
He nodded and got up, walking up the stairs behind her as they made their way to his room. They both changed into comfortable clothes and climbed into bed, falling into a much needed, peaceful slumber.