CPOV
I knew the second Taylor entered my office that something was wrong. It takes a lot to make him flustered, but he was more than that, he was pissed.
Hearing Ana's name had me moving, leaving Ros behind from where we had been speaking after our meeting. Hearing Kate's name too, I wanted to hit something, god I wanted to hit her.
I have never lifted a finger to a woman before in my life, but she could bring me close.
As we drove in the opposite direction of where the Fairmont was I knew this was bad. Ana would only be taken to the hospital if she or the children were at risk.
I tried to ring my mum en-route, Mia too but none of them was picking up. Taylor had spoken to Sawyer before but now even he was not answering my calls.
"Will someone pick up," I said, dialling my mother again.
"Sir, they might not have a good signal in there," he told me, trying to calm me down. It didn't work, I needed to be by Ana's side and I needed to be there now.
"Tell me again what happened."
"They were just putting their coats on, getting ready to leave when Miss Kavanagh and Miss Williams appeared at the door to the restaurant. They were refused entry because they didn't have a reservation, Miss Kavanagh, just turning up and trying to use the Grey name no doubt. Upon seeing Miss Steele, your mother and sister, she started to shout abuse at them or more Miss Steele. As Luke was dealing with Miss Kavanagh, removing her from the room, Miss Williams started to shout at her too. Miss Steele became unwell after they had both been removed from the restaurant."
"What was that," I asked, not making out his mumbled words at the end.
"Miss Grey took it upon herself to remove Miss Kavanagh after slapping Miss Williams on the way. She dragged her outside by the hair, throwing her to the floor in full view of the waiting press who had heard that Miss Steele was there. Miss Kavanagh tried to hit Miss Grey who then promptly received a punch to the nose from her. The police were called and after hearing that Miss Kavanagh was in breach of her restraining order, they arrested her and took her away."
"Mia punched her, is she ok."
"I believe so sir. I'm probably missing some of the details as Luke was speaking very quickly and there was a lot of noise about. He was more concerned with getting Miss Steele to the hospital."
"Ok, Taylor, put your foot down."
"It already is sir," he told me as I watched the city streets fly by.
I didn't say a word when he stopped outside of the hospital. Leaving him and the car behind, I quickly ran inside. Rushing to the desk, I was almost there when I noticed Owen waiting for me.
"Miss Steele was taken straight to the maternity department."
"What," I asked. "The babies."
"I'm unsure of any details sir. Because of how pregnant she is, they took her straight there."
We rushed through corridor after corridor, most seeming miles long. I think we had explored the bowels of the hospital before we finally saw the signs for the maternity department.
We burst through the door, startling the woman on reception who practically jumped in her seat.
"Anastasia Steele," I said, as she started to quickly type away.
Sawyer was here, Prescott too but all they could tell me was that Ana had been taken through the doors at the end of the corridor, my mum and sister by her side.
"A midwife is on her way out," she said, as I turned to the corridor, waiting for a door to open.
A midwife did appear, although Mia was by her side. As the other women stayed by the door, Mia came up to me and hugged me tightly.
"Ana" was all I could say.
"The doctor is with her at the moment, mum too."
I looked down at her hand, not asking at the moment as I know how the bruises had gotten there. She smiled at me before we both stepped through the door and into yet another corridor. This one had doors on both sides and other corridors leading off this one too, a maze this hospital is becoming. I didn't wander, I followed Mia towards a door near to the nurse's station before following my sister inside.
The lights were off, the blinds were closed to keep out the harsh light. I quickly shut the door behind me to stop the light coming into the room before stepping closer to Ana.
"Christian" Ana whispered, tears cascading down her face.
I was by her side in seconds, wrapping my arms around her as best I could. I let Ana cry and I know I shed a few tears too.
"Mr Grey," the doctor said, before repeating my name for the second time. "My name is Dr Anders, I was just speaking to Anastasia about her blood pressure and how we need to keep it down."
I could hear his words, the hidden ones too as I saw the worry on his face.
"Are you ok, the babies?" I asked Ana but it was the doctor who answered.
"We're monitoring Anastasia and the babies," he said, nodding to the machine that was printing out a record of their heartbeats and logging every movement they made too. Ana had two belts across her stomach, a monitor attached to each. I had been so focused on her that I hadn't paid them any attention until now. Now that the doctor had turned the volume up and we heard our babies, the tears started again.
"Christian, Ana, I'm just going to take Mia out to sort those fingers out," Mum said, as she and Mia headed to the door.
The doctor looked at the printout once more before letting us know that he will be back shortly and then he left the room too.
I looked at Ana who was watching the printout, her head lay on the pillow. Her hands cradled her stomach as best she could and my own soon covered hers.
"They say my blood pressure is too high," she said quietly. "I tried to keep it down, tried to ignore their words but it didn't help."
"I'm sorry you ever had to see her Ana, the other one too."
"I didn't believe a word she said, she obviously doesn't know you," Ana said, closing her eyes.
"You tired baby."
"Mmm, I was woken early by the conversation between our children and their father. I went back to sleep though, although I feel so tired now. My head hurts really bad."
"Have they given you something for it?" I asked, getting ready to shout the doctor back.
"Yes, when I came in" she mumbled.
"Try and sleep then, I'm not going anywhere," I told her, kissing her forehead.
My hands still covered Ana's when sleep finally took her, although my attention was soon taken by the doctor who came back through the door.
"Mr Grey could I please have a word," he said, looking at Ana.
I kissed her forehead before going over to join him by the door.
"What is it," I asked, "I can see the worry on your face."
"I have just spoken to Dr Scott about Anastasia and especially her history of high blood pressure. High blood pressure in anyone can be a concern, add a pregnancy on top of that and complications can arise."
"What are you talking about," I asked, hoping that I would be able to have Ana checked out and then be on our way home. From what he was saying, we weren't going anywhere.
"Christian" mum said, popping her head around the door. She could see the distress on my face, hear it in my voice and thankfully she was soon explaining what the doctor had just said in words I could understand.
"Could she have this… this Preeclampsia" I asked.
"We did find protein in her urine sample and she was complaining of a headache when she was admitted, all symptoms of Preeclampsia. Although a headache as severe as the one she has told us about is of great concern, lowering her blood pressure is our primary focus at the moment."
"What is the end result, if Ana's blood pressure doesn't go down, if these headaches continue, if she does have this preeclampsia, how do I help her."
"Christian," my mum said, grabbing hold of my hand.
"No mum, I need to know."
"Delivery, the safest way for mother and baby or babies in this case, if she does have preeclampsia is to deliver the babies."
"This early, she has seven weeks to go," I said, pleading with them both to give me more options.
"The longer preeclampsia continues, the more danger to mother and baby there is. We're not at that stage yet, but things can develop quickly. I took bloods from Anastasia when she arrived, those results should be back shortly."
"Christian" I heard behind me before I made my way over to Ana.
"I'm here Ana," I told her as she opened her eyes to me.
"My mum."
"What about her, do you want me to call her."
"I want her here. She's supposed to be here when the babies come," she told me, brushing a tear away
Ana looked into my eyes, imploring me to get her mother here. She knew, she knew there was a chance that the babies would come sooner than we planned. I just hoped the babies stayed put so we could get Carla here in time.
…
Ray was on his way and Carla was too. It would take too long to send my jet to Florida and bring her back, so we chartered a jet there to bring her straight here.
Carla wanted her daughter, needed to speak to her but Ana was sleeping again. Hearing that, she told me that she would be here as soon as she could and for me to look after our girl. I'm trying, I really am but with this, I'm at a loss of what I can do.
"Christian" I heard, turning to the door to see Ray stood there later that evening. The look on his face, mirrored just how I felt.
"Ray," I said, my voice breaking as I stood from the chair.
I was moving out of the way so he could get closer to Ana, with the other side of the bed filled with machines. Instead of passing me, he hugged me first before going to his daughter's side.
"Ray, I'm just," I said, nodding to the door, knowing if I just stepped out for a moment, she was in safe hands.
I wanted to know Carla's whereabouts and just as importantly, I wanted to know hers.
"Son" dad said as soon as I stepped into the waiting room.
"Where is she," I asked.
"Still in custody. She has said enough about Ana that has been well documented by the press to know that she's a threat to Ana and those children. I will be in court in the morning watching Sky make sure she isn't granted bail."
"She needs to stay away permanently, Leila too."
"She will, she can't cry or lie her way out of this. She breached a court order and I'm already in the process of having one of those restraining orders written up for Miss Williams too."
"Carla, do you know when the jets due to land," I asked Taylor.
"Ninety minutes sir. Reynolds has gone to pick her up and I have arranged for hotel accommodation should it be needed. I know she's due to stay with you but with no one being there at the moment, I wasn't sure if Mrs Adams would want to be there alone."
"Carla will be right by Ana's side. I don't expect she will move from that room until Ana does" Ray said, stepping into the waiting room. "Ana's awake, she's asking for you."
"Thank you," I told him before making my way back to Ana's room.
…
Carla's arrival was emotional even for me. She was straight to Ana's side, holding her daughter as best she could as they both cried together. I had my first introduction in the shape of a hug and I learnt a lot about them together in those first few minutes. I had heard Ray speak about the bond between mother and daughter and it was there for everyone to see.
I don't know what time it was when everyone finally got some sleep. It felt like I'd slept for five minutes though before the sun had come up and a day of monitoring and tests was soon to begin.
Ana's blood pressure was still up, her headache despite taking more medication just wouldn't go away. Her ankles had swelled adding to her discomfort and having a doctor shining his torch into her eyes, nearly had it and him being thrown by my girl from the room. So not the best start to the day.
"I'm late," Ana said, to Dr Scott who entered the room.
"I thought I would do a house call, although I never expected for it to be here."
"They won't let me go home," she told him, holding her mother's hand.
"Can you tell me honestly, that you feel fit enough to walk out of the room. Well enough not to shout bright light like a gremlin if I opened the blinds."
"No" she chuckled, smiling for what must be the first time since she came in here. "What happens now."
The room was silent as we waited for his words. We all knew what he was going to say, although those words hit us hard.
"I think it's time for you to be a mum. I think it's time for you and Christian to meet those babies that you lovingly created, albeit with a bit of help. Those babies that you love and have cared for so much."
"It's too soon" she whispered, her tears falling again.
"We will do everything we can, give you steroids to help mature their lungs. I'm not saying it has to be today Ana, but I am saying soon."
"How can her pregnancy change so quickly," I asked. "Three days ago, we went sailing and Ana loved being out there. We had an amazing time spending the night out on the water but now this."
"Ana has had high blood pressure since she was a child. Add that on top of her cancer and if she wasn't such a fighter, as strong as she is, there is a chance she wouldn't have survived. I have read your notes and preeclampsia has been confirmed. I know you're fed up of fighting Ana, sick and tired of it I would bet but you need to continue fighting, to get you and these two babies through it."
"How soon," Ana asked.
"I think the morning will do. We will get you what you need to build their lungs up as much as we can. I want the babies monitored constantly though and Dr Anders has agreed. I would've preferred we waited, even if it was a day or two more but I think you all, you especially Ana will feel better once they're delivered."
"Will you be here?" she asked him.
"Yes, I actually work here a couple of days a week. I don't think they would object to me taking over my patients care."
Ana nodded before turning to her mum. Carla was speaking quietly to her, so I took a moment to step away and speak to Dr Scott.
"The babies, after they're delivered, where will they go."
"They will both be transferred to Neonatal intensive care. Tomorrow Ana will be thirty-three weeks and 2 days. There is no doubt the babies will be small, and they will have a lot of growing to do, but."
"But what," I asked.
"Your daughter, she may need the most care of them all."
….
I didn't sleep that night, I don't think any of us did apart from Ana. José had been here as soon as the sun came up, stating it was day, so he was here to see Ana. He made her smile, although you could tell how exhausted she was. Elliot and Mia were here as well, and they were soon joined by Sky. She had been in court with my dad yesterday morning, fighting to keep that bitch behind bars. She had been denied bail and taken away to god knows where, for now though I didn't care.
"How was her night," Sky asked.
"Up and down," I told her. "Ana is happy when she feels them move. As soon as they're still, she panics sending her blood pressure up again. The monitor has been giving out the constant heart beats all night as it's the only thing that will help her sleep."
"You haven't slept" Elliot stated, not asked.
"Have you?" I asked, knowing he had spent the night in the waiting room with my mum and sister as they refused to go home.
"No, like you I have a lot on my mind" he sighed.
"If you're in anyway going to apologise for her actions, I will do to you what Mia did to her."
That made him smile. Who knew our sister could break Kate's nose with her little fist. One of the joys of growing up was to annoy our sister and have her chase you from her room. Knowing how much damage she could do, might have made me go easier on her back then.
"Sky, I thought you would be at work," Ana said, opening her eyes.
She was squinting against the little light that was there, so I knew there was no point even asking, "How's your head."
"I'm taking a sickie, shh don't tell anyone."
"I don't doubt that the press is outside, so I think your secret is out," Ana said, struggling to keep her eyes open.
"I will grovel then," she said, making Ana chuckled, probably knowing Sky doesn't grovel to anyone. "How are you girl, still cooking those babies."
"I was trying to but my oven's not working properly, the story of my life," Ana said, brushing her tears away.
I wanted to hold her, but it was Sky who held her now. She wouldn't be the only one who would want to hold Ana today. The waiting room would be full of all our family, hoping and praying that everything turned out ok.
….
"Can you feel anything?" Carla asked Ana quietly as we waited for her C-section to start.
Administering the epidural into Ana so she could be awake was our first mountain to climb of the day as she needed to sit up and keep still. Try keeping still when you have no energy in your body and you just want to flop back on the bed. It was in eventually and thankfully for Ana, quickly started to work.
"Below my breasts no," she said, trying to look around the room.
There were so many people in here, all ready to do their job whether with Ana or the babies. I was glad they didn't object to Ana having two of us in the room with her instead of just one. That wouldn't have ended well at all.
"Ana can you feel my touch" Dr Scott asked.
I could just see the top of his head from where I was sat on the stool beside Ana, a screen between us and them.
"No."
"And now," he asked.
"No."
"Ok, relax and concentrate on your breathing and keeping that blood pressure low."
I concentrated on Ana, my eyes focused on hers although my ears were on what was happening on the other side of the screen.
Brushing my fingers through her hair, I whispered for her to keep looking at me.
"Look at me, our babies will be here soon."
"Tired."
"I know, I love you."
"Love you too."
We both turned towards the screen when a cry filled the room.
"Baby A is a boy," someone said, and our son was lifted over the screen for us to see for a second before he was taken away.
"I want to touch him," Ana said, reaching out for our boy.
"They will bring him back in a moment," a nurse said, who was watching the monitor. "They're just checking him out."
Just as she said, the midwife came over with our son wrapped in a blanket. She passed him to me and although she said he felt like a good weight, to me he felt like he weighed nothing. He was awake, not impressed to be taken away from the warm place inside his mother and from the few cries and grunts he gave, was putting up a protest too. I placed a kiss to his forehead, before moving him closer to Ana so she could see him. She moved her head closer, kissing his forehead too.
"It's lovely to meet you Elliot, your daddy and I love you."
Hearing his mother's words, her voice he had heard for the past seven months, his tears and protests quietened as he settled down to sleep in my arms.
As I held Elliot, I was waiting for a sign that Emily had been born. It was quiet, too quiet over there as they worked diligently to deliver my girl.
"B.P's dropping" the nurse who had been watching the monitor said aloud.
I immediately looked at Ana who now had Elliot's hand in hers, rubbing her finger gently over the top. She looked at me then and although I could see love in her eyes, I could also see fear.
"Baby B is a girl" I heard but the voices were drowned out by the loud beeping of the machine that was indicating that I was losing Ana.
"Don't you dare" Carla said as Ana's hand dropped from Elliot's. "Don't you dare leave us, those babies need you, Christian needs you, I need you" Carla cried, before being pulled away from Ana.
"You need to leave," a nurse said as the screen was dropped and they started to work on Ana.
"ANA" I screamed, trying to get closer to her but Carla and I were being pushed towards the door.
I don't know when Elliot had been taken from me, I just felt a tugging from my arms. I didn't hear Emily cry, did she, is she even alive.
I was back in a long corridor again, wanting nothing more than to barge back through those doors. My whole body was routed to the spot, I couldn't even reach Carla who had collapsed in tears on the floor. Her little girl was fighting for her life in there and so was mine.
We heard voices and hurried footsteps heading our way as my legs finally gave out and I landed by Carla's side. I pulled her to me, wrapping my arms around her as we cried together.
It was our family who approached, Owen, having alerted them as he had stood guard outside of the door. Ray wanted to go in there to see what had happened as neither of us could speak. Only my dad standing between him and the door and Carla's cry of no did he stop.
"Christian, sweetheart what happened," my mother asked, kneeling before me.
"They delivered my son first and everything was fine. As they were starting to deliver my daughter, Ana's blood pressure started to drop too quickly. They said my baby girl was out but then the alarms started going off. I don't even know if she's alive, if she was even breathing, I don't know how Ana is."
"Oh, sweetheart," she said before I was wrapped in her arms, the tears free flowing from all of us now.
I don't know how long we spent in that corridor before the doors were opened, it could've been minutes, hours although it felt like days. I sat there refusing to move to the waiting room, hoping and praying that some news would come soon.
The first time the door opened, two midwives emerged pushing an incubator. That had us all on our feet now, hoping they would tell us something.
I approached them, as they stopped, letting me know that my son was inside. They were moving him to the NICU and his sister would be following shortly.
That was the first thing I had heard about Emily apart from being told she was born. When the second incubator appeared a few moments later, the contrast to the first one was clear. Monitors beeping away, oxygen cylinders attached, and I just wanted to crumble again.
"She just needs a little help" was all they could tell us before she was taken away too.
I was torn. I wanted to go with them, but I needed to be here with Ana.
"Mum," I said turning to her.
"Yes, sweetheart."
"Go with them, please. Tell them I will be with them as soon as I can, and I love them."
She kissed my cheek before leaving with dad to follow my children. I know Mum will look after them, even if she has to take over their care herself. She is head of paediatrics here after all.
The waiting game started again now as we waited for news on Ana. Taylor informed me that he had spoken to the hospital administrator who was allowing security to be placed around the area's that Ana and my children would be. They had to blend in, so Uncle Taylor had gone up to the NICU to be my children's guard.
When the door opened, and Dr Scott finally appeared we were all on our feet. My whole body ached from being on the floor, but I doubt it would in any way resemble what Ana was feeling now.
"She's stable and is being moved to intensive care. Her blood pressure was being monitored throughout, but I don't think anyone of us expected for it to drop the way it did."
"Is she going to be alright?" Carla asked.
"Ana's blood pressure before pregnancy was always a little on the high side and I don't expect it to suddenly right itself now. There are medications available that could help but I think the trauma of the caesarean was what caused it to suddenly drop now. She will need to be monitored regularly for the foreseeable future and although stress can sometimes raise her blood pressure, with her history I don't see any more drops like this. I cannot give you a complete guarantee but knowing Ana as long as I have and her history, it's not something I can see."
No guarantees just a wish and fingers crossed. If that's the case I will cross everything I have for Ana to be ok.
…
Stepping inside the ICU, I just needed to see her for myself. See that Ana was here with me, see that she was breathing before I go and see my children.
I had been in constant contact with my dad as he sent messages of how my children were. It had only been a couple of hours since they were born, and although I felt a tremendous amount of guilt that I was not with them, I needed to tell them their mother would be ok, just like I would come back and tell Ana how our twins were doing too.
I walked closer to Ana, Carla's hand clasped in mine. They would only let two of us in at a time, so Ray said he would wait outside until I went to see my babies.
"Oh, baby girl, look at you," Carla said, brushing the hair from Ana's face. She would've looked like she was sleeping if she wasn't so pale. I watched mother kiss daughter, longing for Ana to do that to Emily too.
"No deadlines, no worries Ana, you just need to get well and then wake up. Emily and Elliot are waiting to meet their Mommy."
"Emily and Elliot" Carla repeated as I nodded my head.
"Elliot Raymond and Emily Rose."
"You kept the Rose, that was her birth-fathers mother's name. She was a lovely woman, that's why Ana was named after her and now my granddaughter will share the name too."
"Ana never said, when I put the name Rose or Rosie onto the table."
"She didn't know her. Rose passed not long after Franklin did, and he was the one who asked for his mother's name to be included. I'm glad it's there whoever suggested it, I think your brother will be happy with the name too."
"I hope so," I said, leaning down to kiss Ana's lips before burying my face in her hair.
I needed her scent, hell I needed her strength as I stood up from the chair.
"Go and see my grandchildren, we aren't going anywhere. I can guarantee that as soon as she's awake, Ana's going to want to know how they're doing."
"I will hopefully have some information and pictures to share with her then. Sleep baby, I will be back soon" I said, kissing Ana's forehead again before I made my way to the door, praying that when I returned she was the same, if not better than she was now.
...
These corridors are going to give me nightmares as I walked them again. My destination this time was the NICU and thankfully I wasn't alone as I had Elliot by my side.
I gave our names at the reception, informing them of who we'd come to see. We were informed to remove any outer clothing, so Elliot's jacket was shed as we followed the instructions of where my babies would be.
I spotted Taylor first who was stood like a sentry outside of the door, guarding my children inside. Before we had taken one step inside the room we were informed to wash and sanitise our hands before approaching the incubators.
My mum was sat next to one of them, my dad by the other. Mum was speaking quietly to a nurse as we approached. I could see Elliot, not happy at all as he screamed and I wanted to calm his fears. Emily though, she was so tiny that only when I was stood by the side of the incubator, could I really see her. She had wires, tubes everywhere and unlike her brother, she wasn't making a sound. The only way I knew she was alive was looking at the constant machines that surrounded her bed.
Unlike her brother who the steroids worked perfectly on, they hadn't helped Emily much. That pretty much summed up Ana's whole pregnancy with our girl, Elliot was getting everything but for some reason, Emily was missing out.
"Her lungs are underdeveloped, son but she's getting the best help that she can. I have no doubt that she will be a fighter just like her mum."
I had to believe and trust what my mum said to be true. There was no other option, no other outcome that I could think about.
"Do they have names?" the nurse asked who was filling in an information sheet on Emily at the moment as I held Elliot's tiny hand. Emily, I wanted to hold her keep her safe and although I have touched her hand too, at the moment that was all I can do.
"Yes," I said, looking to my baby girl. "Emily Rose Grey."
"And this little guy."
I looked to my brother, willing myself not to crumble again when I said his name aloud for only the second time today. He was named after the strongest man I know, his strength I needed now.
"My son's name is Elliot Raymond Grey."
Thank you for reading.
I have started on the next chapter but it is nowhere near finished. With a busy few days ahead, I am aiming for Wednesday but if it's finished before then, I will put it straight up.
Until next time, take care.
Caroline.