3 hours earlier
Phoebe's POV
I'm in my bedroom waiting for Trevor to join me. I told him I wasn't feeling well so that he and Dovis would bring me back to the apartment. I feel guilty for worrying him, and for having him miss out on some other things we could be doing in New York City, but this was the only way to afford us time in the apartment while Dad and Teddy are out.
I had quickly changed into the lingerie that I had purchased just for this occasion so that I can surprise him when he walks in. He is taking a lot longer than I thought he would. I hope everything's okay. I start to worry that my plan won't work after all. My heart is in my throat, and then I become nervous when I hear his footsteps. Calm down, Phoebe. You are ready for this.
He opens the door, and any confidence that I thought I had leaves my body. I start to feel nervous and I don't know what to do with myself. My fingers start to knot together. I look at his face and I can tell he is surprised. Well, that's what I was going for, right? He turns his head away from me and closes the door, and he locks it. He then takes his time to place a glass on the dresser before he turns and looks at me again. If I didn't know any better, I'd say he's nervous too.
"Um, if you're not feeling well, you should probably change into some warm pajamas."
"I'm feeling fine, Trevor" I confess. My voice sounds more confident then I feel.
"What?"
"I'm fine" I repeat myself. "I'm sorry, I told a fib to get you to bring me back here."
"Why?"
Does he really not understand what's happening here? Ava's right, men can be so dense sometimes. I take a few steps forward so that I'm closer to him. "I brought you some ginger ale" he says to me.
"I don't need ginger ale" I say to him as I continue to step closer. "I meant what I said, I'm fine. In fact, I've been fine for a while."
"You're really full of yourself now, aren't you?" he jokes. But I ignore him. I'm on a mission and I can't let him derail me.
I reach for my necklace that I'm wearing and show him the ring that is looped through it. "You gave this to me. A promise. To wait for me. You've been so patient, and caring, and attentive. You were there for me when I needed you during the shooting, and after. You helped me get over my fears with driving. You listened to me when I said such awful things about your cousin…."
"Phoebe" he tries to stop me.
"No, please I need to say this. Trevor, you've helped me grow up a lot this year. Before the road trip, I was terrified to be away from my parents. But you made it okay for me. You didn't give up on me after I left you in California. And you didn't give up on me when I wasn't ready for sex. You made it okay to wait."
"It is still okay to wait" he assures me, but he doesn't have to. I shake my head.
"I don't want to wait anymore."
I take his hand and place it on my chest over my heart and the ring. He looks into my eyes and stares as though he is searching for something. We are both breathing heavily now and we haven't done anything other than touch.
"Are you sure, Phoebe?" he asks me softly. I respond with a nod and bite my lip. We continue to stare into each other's eyes. But then he breaks that contact and shakes his head. "I didn't….. I didn't bring any protection."
I see the disappointment in his eyes, and all I want to do is take that away. But first I lean in and kiss his lips. He responds and I can feel his need in his kiss. I start to feel guilty for making him wait this long. I break away from the kiss first and walk over to the bedside table to retrieve some contraception. Even though I have a prescription for the pill, I need to wait until after my next period to start taking it. I hold up the foil packets and watch as he lets out a nervous chuckle and smiles at me. "I can't believe you. I…. I love you."
I walk back over to him and he takes me in his arms. "I love you too Trevor Lansing." We kiss again, and this time our connection is much more relaxed and gentle. "Make love to me" I say to him softly. I thought I would sound so cliché saying that since we hear that line in moves and on TV all the time. But right now, it feels right. It doesn't feel fake or forced. It doesn't feel like I'm acting. I'm in the moment and I want this connection with my boyfriend. The next thing I know, I am cradled in his arms and he is carrying me. He gently places me on the bed and starts to kiss me. My lips, my chin, my neck, my collarbone…Oh my…"
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3 hours later
Teddy's POV
Rebecca and I return to the apartment and we can hear my father's voice from the elevator. We quickly make our way into the apartment and I run toward the source, but I have to back up as Sawyer and Dovis force Dad into the living area of the apartment. He is fuming. "Dad, what's going on?" He doesn't answer me. Instead he continues to yell at his security and starts to charge toward the bedrooms again. They stop him again, and I also intervene. "Dad!" I try to get him to notice me by stepping in front of him. He still doesn't answer me. He looks up over my shoulder and I can tell someone is walking toward us. I turn to see that it is Brooke, Sawyer's fiancée.
"Mr Grey, I need you to calm down" she says with authority.
"Calm down? Are you fucking kidding me right now?" he shouts.
"Dad, what is going on?" I try again. Sawyer, Dovis and Brooke are able to handle Dad and get him to sit on the sofa. I sit on the sofa next to him and Rebecca stands somewhere off to the side.
"Mr Grey" Brooke tries again. "This isn't good for anybody. You were in the bedroom, and you saw the blood. You are only going to make things worse if you don't calm down." Wow, I've only ever seen Grandma handle Dad like this. She said something about blood. This is serious.
"Brooke, what happened?" I ask her. She looks at me and then at my father again.
"We don't have a lot of time right now. Phoebe is bleeding. Her heart rate is up and her blood pressure is low. We need to keep her calm, otherwise she could go into shock. Do you understand what I'm saying, Mr Grey?" My father runs both hands through his hair again and nods. "Teddy, same goes for you. Nobody is to shout or point fingers or do anything that's going to upset Phoebe. We can deal with all of that later. Right now we need to keep her calm and get her to the hospital."
"Has anyone called an ambulance?" I ask. My sister is hurt and I need to do something. I can't just sit here. I stand the same time my father and Brooke stand.
"Ambulance is on the way" Sawyer responds. He has the phone in his hand and he seems to be tracking the ambulance's movements.
"Remember what I said" Brooke says again. "You are only to be present to hold her hand, keep her calm and reassure her. Otherwise I will throw you out."
"Let's go" I tell my father and grab his arm to get him to follow me. We rush into Phoebe's bedroom and we're met with blood stained sheets and towels, yet a calm Phoebe and Trevor. They both tense when they see Dad though. Trevor is seated on the bed between Phoebe's legs which is where the blood seems to be coming from. Now I understand why Dad was so angry. I need to fight the urge to throw Trevor across the room and demand to know what he's done to my sister. But Brooke is right, that won't do Phoebe any good. Trevor moves to Phoebe's side so that Brooke can tend to her. I rush to the side of the bed where Trevor is and take Phoebe's hand. "Hey Phoebs. Everything's alright" I tell her gently and offer a smile. She nods and looks at Dad again. I look over at him and motion for him to take the other side of the bed. He does and he takes Phoebe's other hand.
"Hey…. Peanut. I'm sorry about the yelling, okay? I'm sorry."
"Dad, I'm really scared" she says as she starts to cry.
"Shhhhh, don't be scared" he coos. "Everything's going to be fine. Dr Sullivan is going to make sure of that."
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/
Trevor's POV
Holy Shit, I am so screwed. I can't seem to form full sentences at the moment. Teddy, Dovis and Brooke each tried to talk to me about what had happened, but I just stuttered through my answers to their intrusive questions. Mr Grey hasn't said a word after his shouty threats and name calling. I know I'm on some kind of hit list now. Will they even hear me out when things calm down?
I'm sitting in the waiting area with Dovis and Sawyer at the moment. They have been pacing since the moment we got here. Brooke is consulting with the doctors while Teddy and Mr Grey are somewhere around where they had taken Phoebe. I want to know what is happening. I want to go and be with them, but Dovis and Sawyer were given orders to keep me here.
I look up and I see Brooke, Mr Grey and a female Detective in the door way. I gulp so loud I swear the entire floor could hear it. They tell me to come with them. I nervously stand and follow Brooke until we reach another room. It's cold in here. I guess they make this room uncomfortable on purpose. I already know this is going to be an uncomfortable conversation.
I am directed to sit at the table next to Brooke. Mr Grey and the Detective take seats across from us so that they are facing me.
"Is Phoebe okay?" I ask the question to anyone that will answer?
"The doctors are looking after her" Brooke says to me gently after looking across the table at Mr Grey.
"Mr Lansing, I'm Detective Blaire Redding. Are you up to answering some questions?"
"Of course" I say to her. I'm surprised she even asked rather than tell me that I have to answer her questions. I guess that's a good sign.
"I understand that Phoebe Grey is your girlfriend" she starts with a statement.
"That she is."
"And from what I've gathered from her father and her brother, you have respectively been abstaining from sex."
"We have" I agree with her.
"Can you tell me what happened today?"
I shift in my chair, but I can't find a comfortable position. I take a few seconds to gather my thoughts so that I can avoid being the stuttering mess that I was earlier. "We had sex. Today was the first time."
The Detective nods her head. "Was it consensual?"
"Yes, of course it was. I would never force myself on anyone." I'm appalled by this line of questioning, but I know I need to calm down. I take a breath and wait for her next question.
"I understand that Miss Grey was a virgin."
"Phoebe was a virgin. We've been together for nine months but she wasn't ready for sex, and she often felt guilty because she thought I was unhappy with waiting. We had several talks about it, and I assured her that I was happy. I cared about her and I told her that we weren't going to have sex until she was ready. Today, she told me she wasn't feeling well. And I believed her. I was worried about her. Dovis and I took her back to the apartment so that she could rest."
There is silence for a few seconds as she takes some notes in her notepad. "What happened after that?"
"I brought her some ginger ale. I had expected her to be wearing heavy pajamas and resting in bed, but when I opened the door…."
I don't want to keep going with Mr Grey here. He shouldn't have to hear this about his daughter. But I don't have a choice.
"What happened?" she asks again.
"Phoebe was waiting for me. She was wearing lingerie and she looked so beautiful. She took me by surprise. Here I thought she was sick and I needed to take care of her, but then I walked in and saw her like that….. she told me that she told a fib to get us back to the apartment so that we would be alone."
"You're not seriously blaming my daughter for this?" Mr Grey spits out. The Detective firmly places her hand on his arm but shows no other reaction to his outburst. I, on the other hand, am a bit paralyzed at the moment.
"Continue, please" the Detective says as she takes more notes.
I let out a gulp again before I continue. "I…. I reminded her that I was okay with waiting, but she said that she was ready. She said she didn't want to wait. So…. we did it. I swear, I made sure she was okay with everything we were doing, I kept…. I kept asking her if I was hurting her… she kept insisting she was okay."
"Did you use any implements?"
"Implements?" I ask confused.
She looks straight into my eyes in a "no nonsense" manner. "Did you stick anything inside of her? Other than your fingers or your penis?"
Oh, this is so awkward. "No, no I didn't. I promise I didn't. We….. we did it twice, and then we took a nap, I'd say it was an hour. We woke up and saw the blood…. we thought it was the effects of her being a virgin. I've heard that….. that women could bleed after their first time. So we didn't think anything of it, other than the fact that we couldn't hide what we did. But then…. the blood didn't stop. So I started to get worried. And then I got Brooke to come in and check on her."
"You did the right thing by coming to get me" Brooke says. She places a supporting hand on my shoulder and it somewhat calms me.
"Is she going to be alright?" I ask her. "Do you know why she was bleeding like that?"
"The doctors are working on her. They'll be able to determine the cause and then they can treat her."
"She's lost a lot of blood, hasn't she?" I look down and shake my head as I ask the question. I start to feel more worried about my girl. What is happening to her right now? Is she awake? Is she asleep? Does she know what's happening? Is she scared?
Brooke rubs her hand on my shoulder and then my back. "She did have to have a transfusion, she might have to have another but we're waiting to see."
"Mr Grey…." I don't know where this is coming from but I feel the need to say something to him. "… I promise I would never do anything to hurt your daughter. I love her. I would never want any harm to come to her. Please, she has to be okay." I start to lose it. I'm shaking and I can feel the tears springing out of my eyes. I'm crying. I never cry. Brooke tries to comfort me again and I can feel Mr Grey's presence in the seat next to mine. As soon as I gain some level of composure I look over at him.
"You should get something to eat. Teddy and Dovis will accompany you."
"Thanks Mr Grey, but I don't think I can."
"Well, you need to. Phoebe would want you to take care of yourself. I'll go and sit with her and send Teddy to collect you."
"Can I see her?" I ask him. God, I hope he says yes. I need to see her to make sure she is okay.
"You need to eat and take care of yourself first. I'll talk to the doctors and see what they say."
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Christian's POV
I don't know what's gotten into me. I've wanted to rip this kid apart since the moment I saw the blood on Phoebe. I don't know what's happened to cause her to bleed like that, but naturally I had blamed him. He had sex with her and now she's bleeding. What the fuck am I supposed to think?
I sat in the conference room and listened as the Detective questioned my daughter's boyfriend. I had insisted that the police get involved in case the fucker did in fact hurt my daughter. But after seeing him break down the way he did, I started to doubt my accusations. I didn't like this kid for taking my daughter on the road trip. But Ana had convinced me to make my peace with their relationship, otherwise I would lose Phoebe. I certainly didn't want that. I had allowed him to stay with Phoebe in her room…. in her bed might I add, because she was unable to be on her own after the school shooting. I had started to warm up to their relationship. And now, this? I feel slightly betrayed because I liked him for not sleeping with my daughter. And now that he has…. I really don't know. I need to book a few sessions with Flynn when I get home so that he can help me figure this out.
I have to decide if I want this kid to visit with Phoebe. At the moment I'm not sure it's a good idea. Phoebe needs her family around, so at the moment it's only been me and Teddy by her bedside as the doctors work on her to figure out why she is bleeding. They've run some tests but they haven't determined the cause yet. I've made some calls to my mother and to Welch to see if they can recommend any specialists that I can fly out here to look at my daughter. Welch is checking into it, but my mother suggested I let the doctors here handle it. It's been a few hours and they still haven't determined the cause. That's a few hours too many. I check my phone to see if Welch has an update for me. Nothing. Fuck!
I quickly make my way back to Emergency so that I can sit with Phoebe again. I walk in and see Teddy holding her hand and talking to her. She looks calm, until she sees me, that is. I tell Teddy to go and have something to eat with Trevor and Dovis. He's hesitant to leave me alone with his sister. Why? What does he think I'm going to do? Lose my fucking mind over what's happening with my daughter? Oh yeah, I did that already. But no more of that. I need to put that aside and be here for Phoebe.
"Go Teddy, it will be fine" I say to him calmly. He nods and tells Phoebe that he'll be back soon. I take the seat that he's vacated and take her hand into mine.
"I guess this means you haven't killed by boyfriend" she says sullenly. Her voice is raspy and she sounds tired.
"I can't say the thought hadn't crossed my mind" I say to her, but then I think better of it.
"Dad! Please he didn't do anything wrong."
"Okay, okay. Shhhh" I try to soothe her. "I'm sorry. I can assure you that your boyfriend is in one piece. I didn't do anything to him."
"And you're not going to, right?"
I let out an agitated sigh. "No. No harm will come to your boyfriend." I watch her as she starts to relax.
"Where is he? Why hasn't he come to see me?"
"Right now they are only allowing family to see you" I explain to her. "Especially since they are still trying to find the cause of your bleeding."
"Are you mad?"
I have so much rage inside of me right now because of what is happening to her, but I'm trying my best to hide it. I have to look away from her for a moment to collect myself.
"Dad?" she tries again when I don't answer. I look at her face. She looks so worried, worried that she's disappointed me? In a way she has. She's not my little girl anymore, and even more so now. But to be fair, she hasn't been my little girl for some time. She's eighteen now. She's an adult. I can't hold her back from doing adult things. Can I?
"No, Peanut" I finally answer her. "I'm not mad. I'm ah….. unprepared for this." Ana should be here. She would know what to say to Phoebe to make her feel better. Fuck, she would know what to say to me to make me feel better.
"You once told me that….. you weren't going to tell me to wait until I'm a certain age" she tells me. She sounds like she's running out of energy. She probably shouldn't be talking this much.
"Phoebe, we can talk about this later. You should rest."
"No, Dad. I need to say this. Do you remember….. you told me to make sure I was with the right person?"
"Yes, I remember." I did tell her this, and I meant it. I knew that I couldn't forbid her from having sex. It was more important to Ana and me that Phoebe was raised to understand that she should be respected and cared for by whoever she chooses to be with, and that she should only be with someone because she wanted to be. We also insisted that we meet any and all of her dates and boyfriends. "Is it too late to take it back?"
"Yes" she says to me in no uncertain terms. But then she is able to lightly smile. Oh boy, here it comes. "I love him" she says. Her voice is still raspy. She starts to get upset so I try to get her to stop talking again.
"Shhhh, Peanut. You should rest."
"No, please. Please listen to me."
"Okay" I say to her softly.
She takes a few breaths and calms before she continues. "I know I made the right choice. I waited….. and I waited for the right person. I don't know why this is happening to me….. but I don't want you to blame Trevor. He didn't do anything wrong. He was just as scared as I was when he saw the blood. He tried to hide his fear… but I could still see it. He…. he was strong for me just like you are being strong for me now." She stops and smiles at me. I am scared out of my mind of what is happening to her, and up until now I've been able to hide that fear. But seeing her smile like that brings it out. The tears are coming and I'm having a hard time suppressing them. I need to look away from her again. "Dad, it's okay" I hear her say softly.
I sniffle and work hard to control my emotions. "I'm sorry. It's hard to see you like this."
"I know. You're doing great, Dad."
I look up at her with a quizzical expression. "I'm supposed to be the one assuring you, not the other way around." She manages to giggle.
The doctor and nurse interrupt us to check Phoebe again for her bleeding. I stand to give them privacy, but I am halted by Phoebe gripping my hand tighter. "Dad?"
"Yes Phoebe?"
She brings her other hand to her chest and gently runs her fingers over her skin. "My necklace. Where is it?"
"The doctors had to remove your jewelry. Don't worry, Brooke is holding onto it for you." She still looks troubled and she's still gripping my hand. "What's wrong, Baby?" I sit in the seat again next to her bed, and I'm oblivious to the doctor starting to examine her.
"Trevor….. he gave me a ring." She must see my eyes grow wide because she decides to elaborate. "A promise ring." I immediately shake my head and change my facial expression. "Could you make sure she has it?"
"Of course. I'll just step outside and call her. I'll be back." I stand and kiss her forehead before I leave the emergency area. We aren't supposed to use cell phones so I need to go to an area where I can make a call. A promise ring? How long has she had that? Why did she feel the need to keep that from me? Did she think I would be unhappy about it? A boy making a promise to my little girl to be committed to her and only her? Who am I kidding? Of course I wouldn't be happy about it. In a perfect world I would be the only guy in her life and she wouldn't date until she is thirty.
I make the call to Brooke and she answers right away. She thinks I'm calling because something's happened to Phoebe.
"She's okay. The doctor is checking her again. I'm calling about her jewelry. Could you bring it up after you and Sawyer have eaten?"
She agrees and tells me that they are nearly finished. When I return to emergency I notice that the doctor is still examining Phoebe, so I stay back to let him finish. I think about calling Ana. I haven't told her about Phoebe yet. I want to wait and see what the doctors say before I get her worried. My security has been able to keep the press away from this. Thank fuck for that. The doctors and nurses working on and around Phoebe also understand that they cannot announce our presence here. Brooke doesn't have any privileges at this hospital, but she does know a few of the doctors from conferences and she's been able to talk to one of them about keeping things quiet.
Speaking of Brooke, she and Sawyer return from having dinner and she hands over the bag with Phoebe's jewelry. I go through it and find the promise ring. It is looped into a necklace. I hold it up and stare at it for a few minutes while Sawyer and Brooke look on. I start to feel guilty that Phoebe kept this from me and Ana. She should have been able to share this news with us, but she was afraid of my reaction.
"Is that what I think it is?" Brooke asks me.
"It's a promise ring" I answer her. "She was asking about it."
"Has the doctor said anything?"
"No" I say before running my hand through my hair. I'm starting to feel tired, but I need to stay awake and alert. "Sawyer, could you get me some coffee please?" I ask him. I have this sudden urge to be polite. Sawyer looks surprised. He goes to get the coffee without a word.
"You should eat something, Mr Grey."
"I'm fine" I bark at her, but I really don't mean to. I don't like being told what to do.
"Please, for Phoebe. She needs you at your best right now. Sawyer and I can get something for you."
Before I can respond, Sawyer returns with the coffee. "Thank you Sawyer." I take the coffee and pace for a bit. "Don't worry, I will eat something. Thank you for your concern." What the…. Thank you for your concern? What is happening to me?
"You're welcome, Sir" he says. I look up at him and I must look so confused. He raises both eyebrows at me and then takes the seat next to Brooke. We sit in silence for a few minutes until I see one of Phoebe's doctors. I stand and approach her so that she stops and talks with me.
"Doctor, how is she?"
"Miss Grey? Doctor Richards is in with her now. He should be able to speak with you shortly."
I look behind the doctor and see Teddy, Dovis and Trevor walking toward us. The doctor starts to walk away but I stop her. "Doctor, my daughter's boyfriend would like to have a visit with her."
"We prefer only family members visit, but if you are okay with it he could sit with her, but just for a few minutes."
"Really, I can see her?" Trevor asks as he joins the conversation. I walk past the doctor, put my hand on his shoulder and have him walk with me toward Emergency.
"She was asking about this" I tell him as I show him the ring. His eyes widen. He probably thinks I'm going rip his head off. But I'm not going to. Instead, I keep my voice calm and light. I'm doing this for Phoebe. "She's in there hooked up to machines, dealing with bleeding, oxygen masks, IVs, blood transfusions, doctors coming in and out to examine her, and I just want to put her mind at ease. She asked for you and she asked for the ring. You should go in there and show her that you have it, and that you're keeping it safe for her."
He tentatively takes the necklace and ring from me. "Thank you, Mr Grey."
I watch as he slowly makes his way to the other side of the curtain where my daughter is, and I feel a sudden sadness come over me. I thought helping my daughter would feel differently. What the fuck is wrong with me?
Before I walk away Dr Richards approaches me. Finally, they need to start making some fucking progress or I'll start making phone calls again about getting specialists flown in to help my daughter. "What's happening with my daughter?" I demand to know. Brooke, Sawyer, Dovis and Teddy are by my side instantly.
"Mr Grey, your daughter is bleeding from her hymen, which is normal after having sexual intercourse for the first time." I cringe at his choice of words and my daughter in the same sentence, but I listen as he continues. "Hers just happens to be an active continuous drip. I've applied silver nitrate and I'm going to check her again in a few minutes to see if it's stopped the bleeding."
"And if it doesn't?"
"Then we keep working on her, Mr Grey. Excuse me." He walks away and my glaring eyes follow. How dare he? My daughter should be his top priority. Where the fuck does he think he's going?
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Phoebe's POV
When Dad leaves I start to feel scared again. The doctor examines me again but this time he puts something that he calls a speculum inside of me and applies something using a long Q-tip. The nurse is here too and she tries to keep me calm. The doctor then tells me to try and relax before he leaves again. The nurse stays behind, but she doesn't have much to say. The silence and the waiting are going to drive me mad. What is happening to me? Why am I bleeding like this? At least when Dad and Teddy are here they are able to distract me from the needles in my hand and arm. I hate needles, and I hate not knowing what's happening to me. I have so many questions right now, some probably not very appropriate to ask at the moment.
I can't tell you how many doctors have come in to examine me between my legs. I feel so exposed. Hopefully the next doctor can figure out the cause of my bleeding before the whole freaking hospital sees my private areas.
I start to think about Trevor. I hope he's okay. I really wish I could see him and talk to him. He was so calm at the apartment. He held my hand and kept me calm, that is until Dad and Teddy showed up. Good thing Sawyer and Dovis were there to keep Dad in line. But what if this is it? What if he dumps me over this? We finally have sex and this happens? What if he decides he doesn't need these complications in his life? Tears start to roll down my face, but I do nothing to stop them. It's over, I just know it. That's why he hasn't come to see me.
I let the tears flow to the point where I can no longer see. My body starts to shake from my sobbing, and that's how he finds me. I don't see him right away because of my tears, but I know it's him when he is by my side taking me in his arms.
"Shhhhhh. It's okay. It's okay, Sweetheart." I don't know if he's really here or if my head is playing tricks on me. I have lost a lot of blood today and my temperature has gone up and down. I could be hallucinating. "Honey, I want to show you something, but I need you to calm down first, okay?" He's holding me from the side of my bed and rubbing his hand up and down my arm. It makes me feel warm and cared for. I'm able to stop crying after a few minutes of him comforting me. I haven't noticed until now that the nurse had left to give us some privacy.
"You're here" I say to him tearfully.
"Of course I am. Where else would I be?" I sniffle and do my best to wipe my tears, but then I see the needle in my hand again and it freaks me out. He must notice because he moves my hand away and gently turns my head to face him so that I am not looking at my hand. He gently wipes my tears with his thumbs. "I'm sorry I couldn't be here sooner. They only allow family members in the ER."
"It's okay. I'm…. I'm really glad you're here now."
"Me too. He plants a kiss on my other hand and holds it with both off his. "Why were you crying just now? Did something happen?"
I shake my head and let out a tearful chuckle. "I don't wanna say."
"Phoebe, tell me. Please?"
I sniffle again and look into his eyes. He cares so much for me, and I can tell from just the way he looks at me. I start to feel guilty about my thoughts of abandonment. "I…. um….. I thought that…. you wouldn't still want to be with me after all of this."
He looks away from me for a moment, but then he plants another kiss on the back of my hand. "This isn't your fault, Phoebe. You know that, right?"
I shake my head. "It's not your fault either. You didn't do anything wrong."
He stands and sits on the side of my bed. "I have something for you." He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a necklace. My necklace, with his promise ring. I cover my mouth and a sob escapes again. "Your father was keeping this safe for you, and he gave it to me to keep safe until you can wear it again.
"He did?" I can't help the tears as they start to fall again.
"He did" he confirms. "And… that meant a lot to me. I know he wanted to rip me apart for having sex with you, and I wouldn't have blamed him. But this gesture just tells me that despite what is happening now, he still gives us his blessing."
I nod because I don't know what to say. I am just so overwhelmed right now. Trevor is not leaving me, and Dad isn't going to kill him. I watch as Trevor puts my necklace on himself, and I can't help but giggle.
"I'm going to wear this for now. And before you know it, I'll be putting it back on you" he tells me. I feel my smile grow wider. I love him so much.
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Phoebe's POV
I wake up to Dad, Teddy and the Doctor talking about my condition. Dad is sitting closest to me and notices that my eyes are open. He gently places his hand on my head and gently rubs it with this fingers. "Hey Peanut" he greets me with a warm smile, that smile he's reserved for all of the times I was ill and he was taking care of me. I grimace when I realize that I'm still in the hospital. But my surroundings are different.
"Where am I?"
"You're still in the hospital. They've moved you up to a room."
Oh no "How long do I have to stay here?"
Dad doesn't answer. He turns and looks as the doctor walks around to the other side of the bed. "Hi Phoebe, I'm Dr Kerry" she says to me. She takes a seat and Dad holds my hand.
"Am I still bleeding?"
"No" she says. "We were able to get it to stop."
I let out a long breath I didn't know I was holding. That's a relief. "So, what happened, why was I bleeding like that?"
"We ran some tests, and we've discovered that your blood is missing the component that helps blood clot. Once we determined what we were facing, we were able to get it to stop using cryoprecipitate."
Dad is gently rubbing my knuckles as he listens to the doctor. I look over at him and he nods in understanding. "So, what happens now?" he asks her.
"We'd like to keep her overnight for observation. As long as our diagnosis is correct, she should be fine without any treatment."
"Could I bleed like that again?" I ask. "I mean…." I don't feel comfortable asking these questions with Dad and Teddy present. I suppose I could ask Brooke later on, but now all eyes are on me, waiting for me to ask my question.
Dad clears his throat. "Dr Kerry, this started after my daughter and her boyfriend had sex. Will that be a problem for her going forward?" I cannot believe my Dad just asked that. But I'm a little relieved because I didn't have to.
She looks at me to answer the questions. "You should wait at least four weeks before engaging in any sexual activity. Your body needs to heal. But you shouldn't bleed like this again. If you do, you need to visit your local hospital. And you should make an appointment with your doctor in a few weeks."
"What about kids?" I ask. I'm not sure what made me ask about kids. I'm only eighteen. But I know that someday I'd like to have them.
She smiles at me. "Patients with this blood disorder have had kids. But you need to consult with your doctor and make sure he or she is aware of your history so that you are prepared in case there is any excessive bleeding."
We ask a few more questions before the doctor excuses herself. I am left alone with Dad and Teddy. They look exhausted. I feel bad that they had to be here all day with me. I look at the door and Trevor is there with a Teddy bear. He walks into the room and puts it in my arms. "I thought this would make you smile."
"Thank you"
He sits in the seat that the doctor had just vacated. "How are you feeling?"
I take a breath in and let it out. "I'm tired. You guys look like you can do with some sleep."
"I'm staying" Dad says in his 'no argument' tone. "We can meet up with these guys in the morning."
"We need to talk about the next couple of days" Teddy says as he walks over to stand next to Dad.
"What do you mean?"
"The doctor said you can't fly for a few days" Dad says sadly. "So you are going to stay with Teddy and Rebecca in Cambridge and fly back to Seattle with them next week."
I look over at Trevor. "Trevor?"
"Trevor is welcome to stay as well" Teddy adds, and then he looks at Dad. Dad doesn't look too happy with this arrangement, but Teddy stands his ground. Go Teddy! "Rebecca and I will both be busy with exams this week, so having Trevor there to look after Phoebe and keep her company will be beneficial." I look at Trevor and smile. He takes my hand and squeezes it. "So Trevor, what do you say? Can you stay back east for a week? Do your school work remotely?"
"Try and stop me" he says. I giggle and then look over at my father. He is scowling, but then a smile replaces his scowl. I smile back at him.
We say goodbye to Teddy and Trevor, and then it is just the two of us. Dad takes my hand again and squeezes it. "Thank you" I say to him. He looks confused.
"For what?"
"You know… for being here with me. For being good to Trevor. I know you want to blame him for this…."
"Of course I do…. He had sex with my daughter."
"He didn't force me" I tell him.
"I know. Would you tell me if he did?"
"He didn't" I say firmly. And he changes the subject.
"How are you feeling?" he asks me. I think about it for a moment. This is the first time that I am able to form some thoughts about all of this. Everyone now knows that Trevor and I had sex. Well, everyone meaning my immediate family and the selected security that accompanied us this weekend. And all of these doctors were poking and prodding me all day, mostly down there. How humiliating! I cover my face with the hand that Dad isn't holding. "What is it?"
"I'm so embarrassed."
"Don't be" he soothes me. "Everyone's just glad that you're okay. You should get some sleep." And just like that, the conversation is over. Dad finds two more blankets in the closet and covers me with one of them. "How's that?" I nod and smile at him. Just a few hours ago he was yelling and screaming at the apartment. And now he is being gentle and attentive. I definitely prefer him this way.
"Thank you."
"You're welcome. Sleep well, Peanut." I close my eyes as if it was a command and I am instantly asleep.