Antonio carried Ashley, who was slightly unconscious, out of the building in his arms." "You'll be okay, Ash," he said gently as he carried her over to where his sister Gabby and her partner Bret were waiting beside the ambulance.
"Antonio, what happened?" Gabby asked once the older Dawson reached the truck. "I don't know, but I think she had a tussle with our suspect," Antonio said worriedly. "And I think she hit her head," he added.
"Put her on the stretcher. We'll check her out when we head over to the medical facility," Gabby said as Antonio set Ashley on the stretcher. His mind was wondering what had happened in the basement and where Ruzek was.
Antonio was going to scold Ashley for being reckless, and he still needed to talk to her about last night. He let out a sigh and knew he would have to confront Ruzek about letting the brunette go on ahead by herself.
"We've got you, Ash," Antonio heard his sister whisper. He felt a hand on his shoulder. "Get in, Antonio, so we can head out," Brett said gently.
After assisting with placing the stretcher inside, Antonio sat beside Ashley in the ambulance while Gabby attended to her. "Please stay awake, sweetie," Gabby said as she checked Ashley's vitals.
Antonio heard the ambulance doors close, followed by the driver's door, indicating that Brett had entered on the driver's side. She picked up the radio and stated, "This is Sylvie Brett. I will be arriving at the medical facility in approximately ten minutes with Ashley."
"We will assess the situation when you arrive, Brett," Maggie's voice replied from the other end of the radio. "Is there any important information we should know?"
Antonio listened as Brett and Gabby began to converse. Although he didn't understand all the medical jargon, he trusted that Gabby knew what she was doing. He held Ashley's hand gently.
"It's possible that she has a concussion and some minor bruising on her neck. I don't think it's too severe, but I would like her to be examined," Gabby explained, with Brett relaying the information to Maggie.
Antonio was too preoccupied listening to Gabby and Brett's conversation to notice any movement on the stretcher. It wasn't until he felt his hand being squeezed that he turned to look at his girlfriend, who had a small smile on her face.
'Hey,' Ashley whispered, prompting Antonio to lean forward and place a kiss on her forehead. 'You're an idiot, you know that?' he asked her, causing Ashley to laugh. 'I'm sorry, I honestly thought Adam was behind me, but I guess he was busy dealing with the radio.'
Antonio listened to Ashley's words and couldn't comprehend why she found it amusing. Ruzek's actions could have put both of their lives in danger, but he knew he couldn't be angry because, at least, they caught the suspect.
'Whatever happened, please do not do that again. I don't want anything to happen to y-' Antonio started, but Gabby interrupted him. 'To them,' she corrected with a smile on her face.
'What are you talking about, Gabby?' both Ashley and Antonio asked, looking at the paramedic as though she had grown another head. 'What?' Gabby asked in confusion.
What do you mean by 'them?' Antonio inquired his sister with a questioning glance, while Brett was driving. Ashley, too, looked at her boyfriend's sister with curiosity.
"I mean, I heard another heartbeat when I checked Ashley's heartbeat," Gabby replied with a grin. Antonio grew even more curious and wondered if Ashley was pregnant.
Gabby observed the two detectives who exchanged glances, then stated, "I'm implying that Ash might be pregnant, so she should get herself checked because I heard two heartbeats."
Ashley's eyes widened as she absorbed Gabby's words. Was she really pregnant? When did this happen? She shook her head in disbelief but had a smile on her face. She glanced at her boyfriend, hoping to gauge his reaction, only to find a mixture of emotions on his face.
Antonio, with a smile on his face, asked cautiously, "Are you sure you're not hearing things, Gabby?" He didn't want to get his hopes up, but he would love to have a child with Ashley.
"Yes, I'm sure," Gabby replied, rolling her eyes. "I didn't become a paramedic for nothing."
Antonio couldn't help but chuckle at his sister's comment. "I apologize," he said, as Brett pulled the ambulance into the emergency bay and parked it. "We have arrived," the blond man announced as he got out of the vehicle to open the back doors.
"Are you ready for this?" Antonio inquired of Ashley, who attempted to sit up in order to walk into the hospital instead of being transported on a stretcher. "Oh no you don't, missy. You will remain on that stretcher and be wheeled in," Antonio asserted, pushing her back onto the bed.
Ashley grunted and pouted as she was forced back down. "I can walk, you know," she remarked, glaring at her boyfriend, who gave her a stern look.
"I don't care. You have a concussion," Antonio stated firmly. Gabby emerged from the ambulance, followed by Antonio, and together they assisted the two women in retrieving the stretcher from the vehicle.
As they wheeled her into the medical facility, Ashley sighed, unable to comprehend why she couldn't just walk in. Other than her throbbing head, she felt perfectly fine.
After a few minutes, Ashley was wheeled into a room and began to undergo a thorough examination. Maggie, observing the brunette's vital signs, remarked, 'You are quite fortunate that your condition is not worse.'
Finishing up her evaluation, Maggie added, 'I will provide you with the pregnancy test results shortly.' With that, she left the room, leaving Ashley and Antonio in each other's company.
With a smile, Ashley asked Antonio, 'How do you feel about having a baby?' She knew that he would be delighted, considering he already had two children from his previous marriage.
Antonio looked back at her with a smile and replied, 'I would be thrilled.' He expressed his love for children and believed that having a baby with his girlfriend would be the best thing ever. Ashley reciprocated his happiness, saying, 'I am glad that you feel the same way.'
The two conversed for a while, pausing only when Maggie returned to the room with a smile on her face. 'Well, congratulations,' the nurse announced, handing Ashley the necessary paperwork. 'You are indeed pregnant.'
Ashley received the paperwork from Maggie in order to review it. "May I inquire about my progress?" she asked when handing the documents to Antonio, both of them displaying smiles on their faces.
"I estimate that you are approximately one month along, which means you are expected to have a baby in either January or February," Maggie responded while providing additional papers related to prenatal and general healthcare.
Ashley glanced at Antonio, expressing a smile, then turned back to Maggie. "Am I now permitted to depart?" she asked with a hopeful tone, as she desired to leave and discuss their future plans with Antonio. "Certainly, you may leave. However, I implore you to avoid taking any more unnecessary risks like this in the future," Maggie cautioned.
Ashley nodded in agreement as she accepted and signed the discharge papers Maggie handed her. "I assure you, I will not," she affirmed, rolling her eyes at Antonio's comment.
Interjecting, he stated, "I will ensure that she keeps her word, as just like Erin, she won't be engaging in much field work." This statement caused Ashley to respond, "Oh, come on Tony, I'm only one month pregnant, whereas Erin is approximately five or six months pregnant." Their conversation elicited laughter from Maggie.
"I strongly advise you to exercise caution for the next few days due to your concussion," Maggie cautioned, handing Ashley a few prescriptions. "As we informed Erin, you will be able to engage in field work for a limited period before transitioning to desk work; Erin will soon be assigned to desk work as well."
Ashley nodded as she rose from the bed. "I also advised you to avoid any further concussions," she reminded Ashley and Antonio as they exited the room.
"In the event that you experience symptoms such as illness, dizziness, or memory loss, please return here promptly. Additionally, I recommend scheduling a follow-up appointment in about a week or two for a thorough examination of your head," Maggie instructed as she made her way to the front desk to submit the paperwork.
"Rest assured, I will ensure that Ashley complies with all these instructions. If necessary, I will even make her stay at home until after she gives birth," Antonio vowed as he walked out of the hospital with Ashley by his side, rolling her eyes in response.
"I am not a child!" Ashley retorted, accompanying Antonio out of the hospital while observing him calling for transportation since they had arrived by ambulance.
"Yes, Al, I would greatly appreciate it if you could pick us up and transport us back to headquarters so that we may retrieve our vehicle," Antonio communicated to Al, who was on the opposite end of the phone conversation while Ashley observed her surroundings.
Antonio's face lit up with a smile as he engaged in conversation with Al, eagerly awaiting the moment when he could share the news about the baby. However, he decided to hold off until Soifon and Erin were present as well. "Alright, Antonio, I am en route to pick the two of you up," Al responded from the other line. "And I am relieved to hear that Ashley is alright."
Antonio expressed his gratitude in response to his friend's words. "Thank you, Al. We will see you upon your arrival," he stated before ending the call. Once finished, he turned to Ashley, who was observing a few birds hopping around and pecking at crumbs that had been dropped by people. "Al is on his way," he informed her.
Ashley glanced up from watching the birds. "Okay," she replied, releasing a sigh. "Tony, I apologize for this morning," she began, but Antonio interrupted her with a tender kiss. "We will discuss that once we return home, when we can properly celebrate the baby," he reassured her.